Search

Background: Until recently, public education campaigns aimed at improving help-seeking behavior by acute stroke patients have achieved only limited or even no effects. Better understanding of psychological factors determining help-seeking behavior may be relevant in the design of more effective future campaigns., Methods: In this prospective, cross-sectional study, we interviewed 669 acute stroke patients within 72 h after hospital admission. The primary endpoint was the effect of psychological factors on the decision to call emergency medical services (EMS). Secondary endpoints were the effects of such factors on treatment rates and clinical improvement (difference between modified Rankin scale (MRS) scores at admission and at discharge)., Results: Only 48.7% of the study population called the EMS. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses revealed that perception of unimpaired performance of activities of daily living (ADL) was the only psychological factor that predicted EMS use and outcomes. Thus, patients who perceived only minor impairment in performing ADL were less likely to use EMS (odds ratio, 0.54 [95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.76]; p  = 0.001), had lower treatment rates, and had less improvement in MRS scores ( b  = 0.40, p  = 0.004). Additional serial mediation analyses involving ischemic stroke patients showed that perception of low impairment in ADL decreased the likelihood of EMS notification, thereby increasing prehospital delays, leading to reduced thrombolysis rates and, finally, to reduced clinical improvement., Conclusion: Perception of unimpaired performance of ADL is a crucial barrier to appropriate help-seeking behavior after acute stroke, leading to undertreatment and less improvement in clinical symptoms. Thus, beyond improving the public's knowledge of stroke symptoms, future public education campaigns should focus on the need for calling the EMS in case of stroke symptoms even if daily activities do not seem to be severely impaired., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Tarantini, Merzou, Luley, Rollmann, Schwindling, Lesmeister, Gläss, Wollenburg, Schwindling and Fassbender.)

Purpose of Review: Delayed presentation at the hospital contributes to poorer patient outcomes and undertreatment of acute stroke patients. This review will discuss recent developments in prehospital stroke management and mobile stroke units aimed to improve timely access to treatment within the past 2 years and will point towards future directions., Recent Findings: Recent progress in research into prehospital stroke management and mobile stroke units ranges from interventions aimed at improving patients' help-seeking behaviour, to the education of emergency medical services team members, to the use of innovative referral methods, such as diagnostic scales, and finally to evidence of improved outcomes by the use of mobile stroke units., Summary: Understanding is increasing about the need for optimizing stroke management over the entire stroke rescue chain with the goal of improving access to highly effective time-sensitive treatment. In the future, we can expect that novel digital technologies and artificial intelligence will become relevant in effective interaction between prehospital and in-hospital stroke-treating teams, with beneficial effects on patients' outcomes., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has dramatically imposed healthcare systems to reorganize their departments, including neurological wards. We aimed to describe the rearrangements made by stroke units (SU) and neurological intensive care units (ICU) in several German community and university hospitals facing the pandemic. This cross-sectional, survey-based, nationwide study collected data of 15 university and 4 community hospitals in Germany, being part of IGNITE Study Group, from April 1 to April 6, 2020. The rearrangements and implementation of safety measures in SUs, intermediate care units (IMC), and neurological ICUs were compared. 84.2% of hospitals implemented a separated area for patients awaiting their COVID-19 test results and 94.7% had a dedicated zone for their management. Outpatient treatment was reduced in 63.2% and even suspended in 36.8% of the hospitals. A global reduction of bed capacity was observed. Hospitals reported compromised stroke treatment (52.6%) and reduction of thrombolysis and thrombectomy rates (36.8%). All hospitals proposed special training for COVID-19 management, recurrent meetings and all undertook measures improving safety for healthcare workers. In an unprecedented global healthcare crisis, knowledge of the initial reorganization and response of German hospitals to COVID-19 may help finding effective strategies to face the ongoing pandemic.

Background: The prehospital identification of stroke patients with large-vessel occlusion (LVO), that should be immediately transported to a thrombectomy capable centre is an unsolved problem. Our aim was to determine whether implementation of a state-wide standard operating procedure (SOP) using the Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS) is feasible and enables correct triage of stroke patients to hospitals offering (comprehensive stroke centres, CSCs) or not offering (primary stroke centres, PSCs) thrombectomy., Methods: Prospective study involving all patients with suspected acute stroke treated in a 4-month period in a state-wide network of all stroke-treating hospitals (eight PSCs and two CSCs). Primary endpoint was accuracy of the triage SOP in correctly transferring patients to CSCs or PSCs. Additional endpoints included the number of secondary transfers, the accuracy of the LAMS for detection of LVO, apart from stroke management metrics., Results: In 1123 patients, use of a triage SOP based on the LAMS allowed triage decisions according to LVO status with a sensitivity of 69.2% (95% confidence interval (95%-CI): 59.0-79.5%) and a specificity of 84.9% (95%-CI: 82.6-87.3%). This was more favourable than the conventional approach of transferring every patient to the nearest stroke-treating hospital, as determined by geocoding for each patient (sensitivity, 17.9% (95%-CI: 9.4-26.5%); specificity, 100% (95%-CI: 100-100%)). Secondary transfers were required for 14 of the 78 (17.9%) LVO patients. Regarding the score itself, LAMS detected LVO with a sensitivity of 67.5% (95%-CI: 57.1-78.0%) and a specificity of 83.5% (95%-CI: 81.0-86.0%)., Conclusions: State-wide implementation of a triage SOP requesting use of the LAMS tool is feasible and improves triage decision-making in acute stroke regarding the most appropriate target hospital.

Since its first introduction in clinical practice in 2008, the concept of mobile stroke unit enabling prehospital stroke treatment has rapidly expanded worldwide. This review summarises current knowledge in this young field of stroke research, discussing topics such as benefits in reduction of delay before treatment, vascular imaging-based triage of patients with large-vessel occlusion in the field, differential blood pressure management or prehospital antagonisation of anticoagulants. However, before mobile stroke units can become routine, several questions remain to be answered. Current research, therefore, focuses on safety, long-term medical benefit, best setting and cost-efficiency as crucial determinants for the sustainability of this novel strategy of acute stroke management., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background and Purpose: This randomized study aimed to evaluate whether the use of a stroke clock demanding active feedback from the stroke physician accelerates acute stroke management., Methods: For this randomized controlled study, a large-display alarm clock was installed in the computed tomography room, where admission, diagnostic work-up, and intravenous thrombolysis occurred. Alarms were set at the following target times after admission: (1) 15 minutes (neurological examination completed); (2) 25 minutes (computed tomography scanning and international normalized ratio determination by point-of-care laboratory completed); and (3) 30 minutes (intravenous thrombolysis started). The responsible stroke physician had to actively provide feedback by pressing a buzzer button. The alarm could be avoided by pressing the button before time out. Times to therapy decision (primary end point, defined as the end of all diagnostic work-up required for decision for or against recanalizing treatment), neurological examination, imaging, point-of-care laboratory, needle, and groin puncture were assessed by a neutral observer. Functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale) was assessed at day 90., Results: Of 107 participants, 51 stroke clock patients exhibited better stroke-management metrics than 56 control patients. Times from door to (1) end of all indicated diagnostic work-up (treatment decision time; 16.73 versus 26.00 minutes, P <0.001), (2) end of neurological examination (7.28 versus 10.00 minutes, P <0.001), (3) end of computed tomography (11.17 versus 14.00 minutes, P =0.002), (4) end of computed tomography angiography (14.00 versus 17.17 minutes, P =0.001), (5) end of point-of-care laboratory testing (12.14 versus 20.00 minutes, P <0.001), and (6) needle times (18.83 versus 47.00 minutes, P =0.016) were improved. In contrast, door-to-groin puncture times and functional outcomes at day 90 were not significantly different., Conclusions: This study showed that the use of a stroke clock demanding active feedback significantly improves acute stroke-management metrics and, thus, represents a potential low-cost strategy for streamlining time-sensitive stroke treatment.

Introduction: To assess the value of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) measurements at different time points to predict the malignant evolution in middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction and to investigate the relationship between ONSD and infarct volume on follow-up computed tomography (CT)., Methods: In a single-center prospective observational study, we recruited patients with MCA infarction and age- and sex-matched controls. Clinical characteristics including NationaI Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and ONSD measurement were assessed during the first five days after symptom onset. Volumetric analysis of the infarction was performed by a neuroradiologist, who was blinded to results of ONSD measurement and clinical examinations, based on  CT scans., Results: We enrolled 29 patients with MCA infarction, including 10 with malignant MCA (mMCA) infarction and 14 controls. Mean ONSD on admission was already larger in patients who had developed an mMCA (5.99 ± 0.32 mm) compared to patients with MCA infarction (4.98 ± 0.53 mm; P = 0.003), and to control patients (4.57 ± 0.29 mm; P < 0.001). Correlation was observed between the ONSD mean value bilateral measures per individual and volumetric evaluation of cerebral infarction in the CT scan after one day (r = 0.623; P = 0.002). An ONSD value of 5.6 mm predicted an mMCA with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90% yielding a positive predictive value of 83% and negative predictive value of 100%., Conclusions: ONSD measurement might be accurate for the noninvasive detection of increased ICP and for the recognition of patients being likely to develop mMCA.

Acute stroke management has been revolutionised by evidence of the effectiveness of thrombectomy. Because time is brain in stroke care, the speed with which a patient with large vessel occlusion is transferred to a thrombectomy-capable centre determines outcome. Therefore, each link in the stroke rescue chain, starting with symptom onset and ending with recanalisation, should be streamlined. However, in contrast to inhospital delays, prehospital delays are unchanged despite substantial efforts in quality improvement. Furthermore, thrombectomy is offered by only a few, usually distant, specialised centres and not by the many other, usually nearer, hospitals. To take maximum advantage of the first so-called golden hours after stroke, and because of the difficulty of on-scene triage decision making with respect to the target hospital offering the required level of care, the focus of stroke research has shifted to the prehospital setting. Current research focuses on the effects of public education, implementation of protocols for emergency medical services for streamlining clinical investigations and accurate triage, use of preclinical scales for stroke recognition, and deployment of novel technical solutions such as smartphone applications, telemedicine, and mobile stroke units., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

It is unclear whether alterations in cerebral pH underlie Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias. We performed proton spectroscopy after oral administration of histidine in healthy young and elderly persons and in patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia (total N = 147). We measured cerebral tissue pH and ratios of common brain metabolites in relation to phosphocreatine and creatine (Cr) in spectra acquired from the hippocampus, the white matter (WM) of the centrum semiovale, and the cerebellum. Hippocampal pH was inversely associated with age in healthy participants but did not differ between patients and controls. WM pH was low in AD and, to a lesser extent, mild cognitive impairment but not in frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders and pure vascular dementia. Furthermore, WM pH provided incremental diagnostic value in addition to N-acetylaspartate to Cr ratio. Our study suggests that in vivo assessment of pH may be a useful marker for the differentiation between AD and other types of dementia., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute stroke patients are usually transported to the nearest hospital regardless of their required level of care. This can lead to increased pressure on emergency departments and treatment delay., Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the benefit of a mobile stroke unit (MSU) in the UK National Health Service (NHS) for reduction of hospital admissions., Methods: Prospective cohort audit observation with dispatch of the MSU in the East of England Ambulance Service area in Southend-on-Sea was conducted. Emergency patients categorized as code stroke and headache were included from June 5, 2018, to December 18, 2018. Rate of avoided admission to the accident and emergency (A&E) department, rate of admission directly to target ward, and stroke management metrics were assessed., Results: In 116 MSU-treated patients, the following diagnoses were made: acute stroke, n = 33 (28.4%); transient ischaemic attacks, n = 13 (11.2%); stroke mimics, n = 32 (27.6%); and other conditions, n = 38 (32.8%). Pre-hospital thrombolysis was administered to 8 of 28 (28.6%) ischaemic stroke patients. Pre-hospital diagnosis avoided hospital admission for 29 (25.0%) patients. As hospital treatment was indicated, 35 (30.2%) patients were directly triaged to the stroke unit, 1 patient (0.9%) even directly to the catheter laboratory. Thus, only 50 (43.1%) patients required transfer to the A&E department. Moreover, the MSU enabled thrombolysis with a median dispatch-to-needle time of 42 min (interquartile range, 40-60)., Conclusion: This first deployment of an MSU in the UK NHS demonstrated improved triage decision-making for or against hospital admission and admission to the appropriate target ward, thereby reducing pressure on strained A&E departments., (© 2020 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Importance: Transferring patients with large-vessel occlusion (LVO) or intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) to hospitals not providing interventional treatment options is an unresolved medical problem., Objective: To determine how optimized prehospital management (OPM) based on use of the Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS) compares with management in a Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU) in accurately triaging patients to the appropriate hospital with (comprehensive stroke center [CSC]) or without (primary stroke center [PSC]) interventional treatment., Design, Setting, and Participants: In this randomized multicenter trial with 3-month follow-up, patients were assigned week-wise to one of the pathways between June 15, 2015, and November 15, 2017, in 2 regions of Saarland, Germany; 708 of 824 suspected stroke patients did not meet inclusion criteria, resulting in a study population of 116 adult patients., Interventions: Patients received either OPM based on a standard operating procedure that included the use of the LAMS (cut point ≥4) or management in an MSU (an ambulance with vascular imaging, point-of-care laboratory, and telecommunication capabilities)., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was the proportion of patients accurately triaged to either CSCs (LVO, ICH) or PSCs (others)., Results: A predefined interim analysis was performed after 116 patients of the planned 232 patients had been enrolled. Of these, 53 were included in the OPM group (67.9% women; mean [SD] age, 74 [11] years) and 63 in the MSU group (57.1% women; mean [SD] age, 75 [11] years). The primary end point, an accurate triage decision, was reached for 37 of 53 patients (69.8%) in the OPM group and for 63 of 63 patients (100%) in the MSU group (difference, 30.2%; 95% CI, 17.8%-42.5%; P < .001). Whereas 7 of 17 OPM patients (41.2%) with LVO or ICH required secondary transfers from a PSC to a CSC, none of the 11 MSU patients (0%) required such transfers (difference, 41.2%; 95% CI, 17.8%-64.6%; P = .02). The LAMS at a cut point of 4 or higher led to an accurate diagnosis of LVO or ICH for 13 of 17 patients (76.5%; 6 triaged to a CSC) and of LVO selectively for 7 of 9 patients (77.8%; 2 triaged to a CSC). Stroke management metrics were better in the MSU group, although patient outcomes were not significantly different., Conclusions and Relevance: Whereas prehospital management optimized by LAMS allows accurate triage decisions for approximately 70% of patients, MSU-based management enables accurate triage decisions for 100%. Depending on the specific health care environment considered, both approaches are potentially valuable in triaging stroke patients., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02465346.

Background and Purpose: Evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and Doppler indices of central retinal arteries and veins for the detection of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and of the usefulness of a second assessment of these variables in the monitoring of ICH., Methods: A total of 46 acute ICH patients with (group 1, n = 25) and without (group 2, n = 21) clinical and radiological computed tomography signs of raised ICP and 40 healthy controls were recruited. The median binocular ONSD and Doppler indices of retinal vessels including resistive index (RI) and retinal venous pulsation (RVP) were compared among groups, both at admission and later during ICH monitoring., Results: Median binocular ONSD showed higher accuracy for the detection of increased ICP (sensitivity and specificity 100%), while Doppler indices were less accurate (sensitivity 48% and specificity 95% for RI; 80% and 62% for RVP). In ICH patients, ONSD was significantly elevated in group 1 both at admission (6.40 mm [interquartile range [IQR] = .70] vs. 4.70 [.40]) and at control time (6.00 [.55] vs. 4.55 [.40]; P < .01), as well as RI (.79 [.11] vs. .77 [.03] and .80 [.06] vs. .75 [.35]; P = .01). RVP was significantly increased in group 1 only at admission (3.20 cm/s [1.05] vs. 2.00 [1.55], P = .02)., Conclusions: Median binocular ONSD evaluation showed higher accuracy for the estimation of elevated ICP compared with Doppler indices of retinal vessels. The ONSD enlargement detected in the early phase of ICH persists at control time., (© 2019 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.)

In patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), transorbital sonography (TOS) may reveal an enlargement of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and the presence of optic disc elevation (ODE), as a sign of an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP). We systematically reviewed the TOS findings in adults with IIH. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and CENTRAL (1966 - May 2017) were searched to identify studies reporting data on patients with IIH assessed by B mode-TOS. Data were extracted and included in a meta-analysis, and the quality of the included studies was evaluated. 5 studies with 96 patients were included. The values of ODE were 0.8 - 1.2 mm and ONSD was 6.2 - 6.76 mm in IIH patients vs. 4.3 - 5.7 mm in controls. In IIH patients the ONSD was significantly higher compared to controls (overall weighted mean difference of 1.3 mm (95 % CI: 0.6 - 1.9 mm)). The meta-analysis of proportion of papilledema based on results of three studies revealed a pooled estimator of 87 % (95 % CI: 76 - 94 %). IIH patients have higher ONSD values and higher frequency of ODE compared to controls. The indirect, noninvasive ICP assessment using TOS may be useful in supporting the clinical diagnosis of IIH in adults by detecting increased ONSD values and the presence of ODE., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

In acute stroke management, time is brain, as narrow therapeutic windows for both intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy depend on expedient and specialized treatment. In rural settings, patients are often far from specialized treatment centers. Concurrently, financial constraints, cutting of services and understaffing of specialists for many rural hospitals have resulted in many patients being underserved. Mobile Stroke Units (MSU) provide a valuable prehospital resource to rural and remote settings where patients may not have easy access to in-hospital stroke care. In addition to standard ambulance equipment, the MSU is equipped with the necessary tools for diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke or similar emergencies at the emergency site. The MSU strategy has proven to be effective at facilitating time-saving stroke triage decisions. The additional on-board imaging helps to determine whether a patient should be taken to a primary stroke center (PSC) for standard treatment or to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) for advanced stroke treatment (such as intra-arterial therapy) instead. Diagnosis at the emergency site may prevent additional in-hospital delays in workup, handover and secondary (inter-hospital) transport. MSUs may be adapted to local needs-especially in rural and remote settings-with adjustments in staffing, ambulance configuration, and transport models. Further, with advanced imaging and further diagnostic capabilities, MSUs provide a valuable platform for telemedicine (teleradiology and telestroke) in these underserved areas. As MSU programmes continue to be implemented across the world, optimal and adaptable configurations could be explored.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke is a treatable disease. Moreover, there is increasing evidence supporting mechanical recanalization for large-vessel occlusion, even beyond a strict time window. However, only small numbers of patients receive causal treatment., Methods: One of the main reasons that patients do not receive causal therapy is their late arrival at the correct target hospital, which, depending on the type of stroke, is either a regional stroke unit or a comprehensive stroke center for interventional treatment. In order to triage patients correctly, a fast and complex diagnostic work-up is necessary, allowing a stroke specialist to decide on the best therapy option. As treatment possibilities become more comprehensive with the need for individualized decisions, the gap between treatment options and practical implementation is increasing., Results: The "mobile stroke unit" concept encompasses the administration of prehospital acute stroke diagnostic work-up, therapy initiation, and triage to the correct hospital using a specially equipped ambulance, staffed with a team specialized in stroke. The concept, which was conceived and first put into practice in Homburg/Saar, Germany, in 2008, is currently spreading with more than 20 active mobile stroke unit centers worldwide. The use of mobile stroke units can reduce the time until stroke treatment by 50% with a tenfold increase of patients treated within the first 60 min of symptom onset., Conclusion: The mobile stroke unit concept for acute stroke prehospital management is spreading worldwide. Intensive research is still needed to analyze the best setting for prehospital stroke management.

Purpose of Review: Acute stroke is a treatable disease. Nevertheless, only a minority of patients obtain guideline-adjusted therapy. One major reason is the small time window in which therapies have to be administered in order to reverse or mitigate brain injury and prevent disability. The Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU) concept, available for a decade now, is spreading worldwide, comprising ambulances, fully equipped with computed tomography, laboratory unit and telemedicine connection to the stroke centre and staffed with a specialised stroke team. Besides its benefits, this concept adds a relevant amount of costs to health services., Recent Findings: The feasibility of the MSU and its impact on reducing treatment times have been proven by several research trials. In addition, pre-hospital stroke diagnosis including computed tomographic angiography analysis facilitates correct triage of patients, needing mechanical recanalization, thereby reducing the number of secondary or inter-hospital transfers. Even so, the concept is not yet fully implemented on a broad scale. One reason is the still open question of cost-effectiveness. There are assumptions based on the randomised trials of MSUs hinting towards an acceptable amount of money per quality-adjusted life years and overall cost-effectiveness. Up to now, neither a prospective analysis nor a consideration of secondary transfer avoidance is available. The MSU concept is an innovative and impactful strategy to improve stroke management, especially in times of constraints in healthcare economics and health care professionals. Prospective information is needed to answer the cost-effectiveness question satisfactorily.

Background In recent years, important progress has been made in effective stroke treatment, however, patients living in rural and remote areas have nil or very limited access to timely reperfusion therapies. Aims Novel systems of care to overcome the detrimental treatment gap for stroke patients living in rural and remote regions need to be developed. Summary of review A possible solution to the treatment disparity between stroke patients living in metropolitan and rural areas may involve the use of specially designed aircrafts equipped with the ability to diagnose and treat acute stroke at remote emergency sites. We describe technical solutions for an Air-Mobile Stroke Unit (Air-MSU) concept, where an aircraft is customized with the ability to perform multimodal computed tomography, in addition to onboard laboratory equipment and telemedicine connection. The Air-MSU is envisioned not only to allow intravenous thrombolysis in the field but also to allow prehospital triage to a comprehensive stroke center through use of contrast intracerebral vascular imaging. Several options for the Air-MSU approach are described, and issues regarding the potential medical benefit, optimal operating environment, technical realization, and integration in pre-existing solutions (e.g., flying doctor service) are addressed. Conclusion The Air-MSU may represent a novel tool to reduce treatment disparity for stroke patients in rural and remote areas. However, this approach requires further implementation research to determine the overall benefit to these communities.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of ocular ultrasound in the follow-up of pseudotumor cerebri syndrome and to correlate ultrasound with clinical parameters. In a cohort study of 22 consecutive adult patients, ocular ultrasound was performed measuring optic nerve sheath diameter, optic nerve diameter, and optic disc elevation compared with symptoms referred by the patients. The patients showed increased optic nerve sheath diameter [median, 6.51 mm (interquartile range 6.13-7.10)], optic nerve diameter [3.02 mm (2.86-3.27)], and optic disc elevation [0.90 mm (0.64-1.36)] at the time of admission and had ophthalmologically confirmed the presence of papilledema in all 22 patients. After 6 months all parameters decreased significantly for optic nerve sheath diameter [6.08 mm (5.59-6.73), P = 0.002], optic nerve diameter [2.87 mm (2.70-3.15), P = 0.007], and optic disc elevation [0.48 mm (0.30-0.70), P < 0.001]. In addition, a discrete negative correlation between optic nerve sheath diameter and headache change after 6 months was observed with ρ = - 0.477 and P = 0.02. No correlation was found between optic disc elevation and headache. In conclusion, longitudinal follow-up with ocular ultrasound combined with clinical information may provide support for treatment of this condition.

Objective: Quality of neurologic emergency management in an under-resourced country may be improved by standard operating procedures (SOPs)., Methods: Neurologic SOPs were implemented in a large urban (Banjul) and a small rural (Brikama) hospital in the Gambia. As quality indicators of neurologic emergency management, performance of key procedures was assessed at baseline and in the first and second implementation years., Results: At Banjul, 100 patients of the first-year intervention group exhibited higher rates of general procedures of emergency management than 105 control patients, such as neurologic examination (99.0% vs 91.4%; p < 0.05) and assessments of respiratory rate (98.0% vs 81.9%, p < 0.001), temperature (60.0% vs 36.2%; p < 0.001), and glucose levels (73.0% vs 58.1%; p < 0.05), in addition to written directives by physicians (96.0% vs 88.6%, p < 0.05), whereas assessments of other vital signs remained unchanged. In stroke patients, rates of stroke-related procedures increased: early CT scanning (24.3% vs 9.9%; p < 0.05), blood count (73.0% vs 49.3%; p < 0.01), renal and liver function tests (50.0% vs 5.6%, p < 0.001), aspirin prophylaxis (47.3% vs 9.9%; p < 0.001), and physiotherapy (41.9% vs 4.2%; p < 0.001). Most effects persisted until the second-year evaluation. SOP implementation was similarly feasible and beneficial at the Brikama hospital. However, outcomes did not significantly differ in the hospitals., Conclusions: Implementing SOPs is a realistic, low-cost option for improving process quality of neurologic emergency management in under-resourced settings., Classification of Evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that, for patients with suspected neurologic emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa, neurologic SOPs increase the rate of performance of guideline-recommended procedures., (Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.)

Background and Objective: To investigate the relationship between optic nerve sheath diameter, optic nerve diameter, visual acuity and osteopontin, and neurofilament heavy chain in patients with acute optic neuritis., Patients and Methods: Sonographic and visual acuity assessment and biomarker measurements were executed in 23 patients with unilateral optic neuritis and in 19 sex- and age-matched healthy controls., Results: ONSD was thicker on the affected side at symptom onset (median 6.3 mm; interquartile range 6.0-6.5) than after 12 months (5.3 mm; 4.9-5.6; p < 0.001) or than in controls (5.2 mm; 4.8-5.5; p < 0.001). OND was significantly increased in the affected side (3.4 mm; 2.9-3.8) compared to healthy controls (2.7 mm; 2.5-2.9; p < 0.001) and was thicker at baseline than after 12 months (2.8 mm; 2.7-3.0; p < 0.01). Visual acuity improved significantly after 12 months (1.00; 0.90-1.00) compared to onset of symptoms (0.80; 0.40-1.00; p < 0.001). OPN levels were significantly higher in patients at presentation (median 6.44 ng/ml; 2.05-10.06) compared to healthy controls (3.21 ng/ml, 1.34-4.34; p < 0.03). Concentrations of NfH were significantly higher in patients than in controls., Conclusion: ONSD and OND are increased in the affected eye. OPN and NfH are elevated in patients, confirming the presence of any underlying inflammation and axonal injury.

Background: Estimation is a widely used method of assessing the weight of patients with acute stroke. Because the dosage of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is weight-dependent, errors in estimation lead to incorrect dosing., Methods: We installed a ground-level scale in the computed tomography (CT) suite of our hospital and also integrated a scale into the CT table of our Mobile Stroke Unit in order to prospectively assess the differences between reported, estimated, and measured weights of acute stroke patients. An independent rater asked patients to report their weight. The patients' weights were also estimated by the treating physician and measured with a scale. Differences between reported, estimated, and measured weights were analyzed statistically., Results: For 100 consecutive patients, weighing was possible without treatment delays. Weights estimated by the physician diverged from measured weights by 10% or more for 27 patients and by 20% or more for 6 patients. Weights reported by the patient diverged from measured weights by 10% or more for 12 patients. Weights reported by the patients differed significantly less from measured weights (mean, 4.1 ± 3.1 kg) than did weights estimated by the physician (5.7 ± 4.4 kg; p = 0.003)., Conclusion: This first prospective study of weight assessment in acute stroke shows that the use of an easily accessible scale makes it feasible to weigh patients with acute stroke without the treatment delay associated with additional patient transfers. Physicians' estimates of patients' weights demonstrated substantial aberrations from measured weights. Avoiding these deviations would improve the accuracy of tPA dosage., (© 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background and Purpose: Transorbital sonography (TOS) is a promising tool to support the clinical diagnosis of optic neuritis (ON) by showing thickening of optic nerve. In this study, we aimed to define its specific role in follow-up of ON patients., Methods: We measured ultrasonography parameters and visual acuity (VA) at presentation and after 1 year in 45 patients with newly diagnosed ON. Two vascular sonographers used B-mode TOS to evaluate mean optic nerve diameter (OND) and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD)., Results: Median ONSD values were significantly thicker in patients with ON in the affected eye (6.4 mm, interquartile range [IQR]: 6.0-6.9) at presentation compared with the nonaffected side (5.7 mm; IQR: 5.2-6.1) (P < .001). The median OND was not significantly thicker at presentation in the affected eye (3.0 mm; IQR: 2.9-3.4) compared with the fellow eye (2.9 mm; IQR: 2.8-3.2) (P = .09). Logarithmic VA was significantly compromised at presentation in the affected eye (.16; IQR: .00-.55) compared with fellow eye (.00; IQR: .00-.00) (P < .001). After 1 year, no significant difference (P ≥ .05) was found between ONSD or OND of the affected side compared with the nonaffected side. VA improved in most of the patients but remained significantly impaired in affected eye after 1 year., Conclusions: TOS is a useful tool to support diagnosis of ON. This technique seems to have less value to evaluate atrophy of the optic nerve after 12 months., (Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.)

Background: An ambulance equipped with a computed tomography (CT) scanner, a point-of-care laboratory, and telemedicine capabilities (mobile stroke unit [MSU]) has been shown to enable the delivery of thrombolysis to stroke patients directly at the emergency site, thereby significantly decreasing time to treatment. However, work-up in an MSU that includes CT angiography (CTA) may also potentially facilitate triage of patients directly to the appropriate target hospital and specialized treatment, according to their individual vascular pathology., Methods: Our institution manages a program investigating the prehospital management of patients with suspicion of acute stroke. Here, we report a range of scenarios in which prehospital CTA could be relevant in triaging patients to the appropriate target hospital and to the individually required treatment., Results: Prehospital CTA by use of an MSU allowed to detect large vessel occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in one patient with ischemic stroke and occlusion of the basilar artery in another, thereby allowing rational triage to comprehensive stroke centers for immediate intra-arterial treatment. In complementary cases, prehospital imaging not only allowed diagnosis of parenchymal hemorrhage with a spot sign indicating ongoing bleeding in one patient and of subarachnoid hemorrhage in another but also clarified the underlying vascular pathology, which was relevant for subsequent triage decisions., Conclusion: Defining the vascular pathology by CTA directly at the emergency site may be beneficial in triaging patients with various cerebrovascular diseases to the most appropriate target hospital and specialized treatment., (© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: An ambulance equipped with a computed tomography (CT) scanner, point-of-care laboratory, and telemedicine capabilities (Mobile Stroke Unit [MSU]) has been shown to enable delivery of thrombolysis to stroke patients at the emergency site, thereby significantly decreasing time to treatment. However, the MSU frequently assesses patients with cerebral disorders other than stroke. For some of these disorders, prehospital CT scanning may also be beneficial., Methods: Our institution manages a program investigating prehospital stroke treatment of patients with neurological emergencies. We assessed a patient with head trauma for whom prehospital CT scanning and laboratory tests allowed cause-based triage to the most appropriate hospital. We examined implications of this case for clinical practice in light of a literature review., Results: The MSU was dispatched to assess a 74-year-old woman with suspected head trauma or stroke, found lying on the floor with a left frontal laceration. Her Glasgow Coma Scale score was 13, apart from drowsiness she exhibited no neurologic deficit. A CT scan ruled out intracranial hemorrhage and skull fracture. On the basis of these prehospital diagnostic findings, the patient was taken to the nearest primary care hospital rather than to a trauma center with neurosurgery facilities., Conclusion: Patients with neurologic disorders other than stroke, such as traumatic brain injury, may also benefit from prehospital CT studies. This case report and the results of our analysis of the literature support the potential benefit of prehospital imaging in correctly triaging patients with suspected traumatic brain injury to the appropriate target hospital., (Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.)

Background: Recently, a mobile stroke unit (MSU) was shown to facilitate acute stroke treatment directly at the emergency site. The neuroradiological expertise of the MSU is improved by its ability to detect early ischemic damage via automatic electronic (e) evaluation of CT scans using a novel software program that calculates the electronic Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (e-ASPECTS)., Methods: The feasibility of integrating e-ASPECTS into an ambulance was examined, and the clinical integration and utility of the software in 15 consecutive cases evaluated., Results: Implementation of e-ASPECTS onto the MSU and into the prehospital stroke management was feasible. The values of e-ASPECTS matched with the results of conventional neuroradiologic analysis by the MSU team. The potential benefits of e-ASPECTS were illustrated by three cases. In case 1, excluding early infarct signs supported the decision to directly perform prehospital thrombolysis. In case 2, in which stroke was caused by large-vessel occlusion, the high e-ASPECTS value supported the decision to initiate intra-arterial treatment and triage the patient to a comprehensive stroke center. In case 3, the e-ASPECTS value was 10, indicating the absence of early infarct signs despite pre-existing cerebral microangiopathy and macroangiopathy, a finding indicating the program's robustness against artefacts., Conclusions: This study on the integration of e-ASPECTS into the prehospital stroke management via a MSU showed for the first time that such integration is feasible, and aids both decision regarding the treatment option and the triage regarding the most appropriate target hospital., (© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) after space-occupying strokes among patients older than 60 years has been shown to reduce mortality rates but at the cost of severe disability. There is an ongoing debate about what could be considered an acceptable outcome for these patients. Data about retrospective consent to the procedure after lengthy time periods are lacking., Methods: This study included 79 consecutive patients who underwent DHC during a 7.75-year period. Surviving patients were assessed for functional and psychological outcome, quality of life (QoL) and retrospective consent for the procedure. Patients younger than 60 years were compared with older patients., Results: Of our 79 patients, 44 were younger than 60 years (median 50 years, interquartile range (IQR) 19-59 years) and 35 were older (median 68 years, interquartile range 60-87 years). The 30-day mortality rate was higher for the older group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Functional outcome was significantly better in the younger group: 31% of the patients in this group vs. 10% in the older group had a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-3 (p = 0.046). The mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 17 ± 14 for the younger group and 29 ± 15 for the older group (p = 0.002). On the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, with the exception of the item 'General health', the older group reported higher values for all items, with statistically significant differences between the 2 groups on the items 'Role limitation emotional' (p = 0.0007) and 'Vitality' (p = 0.02). In the younger group, 29% of patients retrospectively declined consent for DHC opposed to 0% of patients in the older group (p = 0.07)., Conclusions: Despite impaired functional outcome after DHC, indicators of QoL and retrospective consent are higher for patients older than 60 years over the long term. This finding should be taken into account by those who counsel patients and caregivers with regard to this serious procedure., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: For patients with acute ischemic stroke, intra-arterial treatment (IAT) is considered to be an effective strategy for removing the obstructing clot. Because outcome crucially depends on time to treatment ('time-is-brain' concept), we assessed the effects of an intervention based on performing all the time-sensitive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures at a single location on the delay before intra-arterial stroke treatment., Methods: Consecutive acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion who obtained IAT were evaluated before and after implementation (April 26, 2010) of an intervention focused on performing all the diagnostic and therapeutic measures at a single site ('stroke room')., Result: After implementation of the intervention, the median intervals between admission and first angiography series were significantly shorter for 174 intervention patients (102 min, interquartile range (IQR) 85-120 min) than for 81 control patients (117 min, IQR 89-150 min; p < 0.05), as were the intervals between admission and clot removal or end of angiography (152 min, IQR 123-185 min vs. 190 min, IQR 163-227 min; p < 0.001). However, no significant differences in clinical outcome were observed., Conclusion: This study shows for the, to our knowledge, first time that for patients with acute ischemic stroke, stroke diagnosis and treatment at a single location ('stroke room') saves crucial time until IAT., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Acute stroke is one of the main causes of death and chronic disability. Thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator within the first hours after onset of symptoms is an effective therapeutic option for ischemic stroke. However, fewer than 2% to 7% of patients receive this treatment, primarily because most patients reach the hospital too late for the initiation of successful therapy. Several measures can reduce detrimental delay until treatment. It is of importance to use continual public awareness campaigns to reduce delays in patients' alarm of emergency medical services. Further relevant measures are repetitive education of emergency medical services teams to ensure the systematic use of scales designed for recognition of stroke symptoms and the proper triage of patients to stroke centers. A most important time-saving measure is prenotification of the receiving hospital by the emergency medical services team. In the future, treatment already at the emergency site may allow more than a small minority of patients to benefit from available treatment., (© 2014 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2014 World Stroke Organization.)

Acute stroke is one of the main causes of death and chronic disability. Thrombolysis, achieved by administering recombinant tissue plasminogen activator within 4.5 h, is an effective therapeutic option for ischemic stroke. However, less than 2-12 % of patients receive this treatment and a major reason is that most patients reach the hospital too late. Several time-saving measures should be implemented. Firstly, optimized and continual public awareness campaigns for patients should be initiated to reduce delays in notifying the emergency medical service. Secondly, emergency medical service personnel should develop protocols for prenotification of the receiving hospital. Other suggested measures involve educating emergency medical service personnel to systematically use scales for recognizing the symptoms of stroke and to triage patients to experienced stroke centers. In the future, administering treatment at the emergency site (mobile stroke unit concept) may allow more than a small minority of patients to benefit from available recanalization treatment options.

Background: Recently, a strategy for treating stroke directly at the emergency site was developed. It was based on the use of an ambulance equipped with a scanner, a point-of-care laboratory, and telemedicine capabilities (Mobile Stroke Unit). Despite demonstrating a marked reduction in the delay to thrombolysis, this strategy is criticized because of potentially unacceptable costs., Methods: We related the incremental direct costs of prehospital stroke treatment based on data of the first trial on this concept to one year direct cost savings taken from published research results. Key parameters were configuration of emergency medical service personnel, operating distance, and population density. Model parameters were varied to cover 5 different relevant emergency medical service scenarios. Additionally, the effects of operating distance and population density on benefit-cost ratios were analyzed., Results: Benefits of the concept of prehospital stroke treatment outweighed its costs with a benefit-cost ratio of 1.96 in the baseline experimental setting. The benefit-cost ratio markedly increased with the reduction of the staff and with higher population density. Maximum benefit-cost ratios between 2.16 and 6.85 were identified at optimum operating distances in a range between 43.01 and 64.88 km (26.88 and 40.55 miles). Our model implies that in different scenarios the Mobile Stroke Unit strategy is cost-efficient starting from an operating distance of 15.98 km (9.99 miles) or from a population density of 79 inhabitants per km2 (202 inhabitants per square mile)., Conclusion: This study indicates that based on a one-year benefit-cost analysis that prehospital treatment of acute stroke is highly cost-effective across a wide range of possible scenarios. It is the highest when the staff size of the Mobile Stroke Unit can be reduced, for example, by the use of telemedical support from hospital experts. Although efficiency is positively related to population density, benefit-cost ratios can be greater than 1 even in rural settings., (© 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Only 2-5% of patients who have a stroke receive thrombolytic treatment, mainly because of delay in reaching the hospital. We aimed to assess the efficacy of a new approach of diagnosis and treatment starting at the emergency site, rather than after hospital arrival, in reducing delay in stroke therapy., Methods: We did a randomised single-centre controlled trial to compare the time from alarm (emergency call) to therapy decision between mobile stroke unit (MSU) and hospital intervention. For inclusion in our study patients needed to be aged 18-80 years and have one or more stroke symptoms that started within the previous 2·5 h. In accordance with our week-wise randomisation plan, patients received either prehospital stroke treatment in a specialised ambulance (equipped with a CT scanner, point-of-care laboratory, and telemedicine connection) or optimised conventional hospital-based stroke treatment (control group) with a 7 day follow-up. Allocation was not masked from patients and investigators. Our primary endpoint was time from alarm to therapy decision, which was analysed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Our secondary endpoints included times from alarm to end of CT and to end of laboratory analysis, number of patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis, time from alarm to intravenous thrombolysis, and neurological outcome. We also assessed safety endpoints. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00153036., Findings: We stopped the trial after our planned interim analysis at 100 of 200 planned patients (53 in the prehospital stroke treatment group, 47 in the control group), because we had met our prespecified criteria for study termination. Prehospital stroke treatment reduced the median time from alarm to therapy decision substantially: 35 min (IQR 31-39) versus 76 min (63-94), p<0·0001; median difference 41 min (95% CI 36-48 min). We also detected similar gains regarding times from alarm to end of CT, and alarm to end of laboratory analysis, and to intravenous thrombolysis for eligible ischaemic stroke patients, although there was no substantial difference in number of patients who received intravenous thrombolysis or in neurological outcome. Safety endpoints seemed similar across the groups., Interpretation: For patients with suspected stroke, treatment by the MSU substantially reduced median time from alarm to therapy decision. The MSU strategy offers a potential solution to the medical problem of the arrival of most stroke patients at the hospital too late for treatment., Funding: Ministry of Health of the Saarland, Germany, the Werner-Jackstädt Foundation, the Else-Kröner-Fresenius Foundation, and the Rettungsstiftung Saar., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Currently, stroke laboratory examinations are usually performed in the centralized hospital laboratory, but often planned thrombolysis is given before all results are available, to minimize delay. In this study, we examined the feasibility of gaining valuable time by transferring the complete stroke laboratory workup required by stroke guidelines to a point-of-care laboratory system, that is, placed at a stroke treatment room contiguous to the computed tomography, where the patients are admitted and where they obtain neurological, laboratory, and imaging examinations and treatment by the same dedicated team. Our results showed that reconfiguration of the entire stroke laboratory analysis to a point-of-care system was feasible for 200 consecutively admitted patients. This strategy reduced the door-to-therapy-decision times from 84 ± 26 to 40 ± 24 min (p < 0.001). Results of most laboratory tests (except activated partial thromboplastin time and international normalized ratio) revealed close agreement with results from a standard centralized hospital laboratory. These findings may offer a new solution for the integration of laboratory workup into routine hyperacute stroke management., (Copyright © 2011 American Neurological Association.)

Background: Early treatment with rt-PA is critical for favorable outcome of acute stroke. However, only a very small proportion of stroke patients receive this treatment, as most arrive at hospital too late to be eligible for rt-PA therapy., Methods and Findings: We developed a "Mobile Stroke Unit", consisting of an ambulance equipped with computed tomography, a point-of-care laboratory system for complete stroke laboratory work-up, and telemedicine capabilities for contact with hospital experts, to achieve delivery of etiology-specific and guideline-adherent stroke treatment at the site of the emergency, well before arrival at the hospital. In a departure from current practice, stroke patients could be differentially treated according to their ischemic or hemorrhagic etiology even in the prehospital phase of stroke management. Immediate diagnosis of cerebral ischemia and exclusion of thrombolysis contraindications enabled us to perform prehospital rt-PA thrombolysis as bridging to later intra-arterial recanalization in one patient. In a complementary patient with cerebral hemorrhage, prehospital diagnosis allowed immediate initiation of hemorrhage-specific blood pressure management and telemedicine consultation regarding surgery. Call-to-therapy-decision times were 35 minutes., Conclusion: This preliminary study proves the feasibility of guideline-adherent, etiology-specific and causal treatment of acute stroke directly at the emergency site.