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Context Correction of hyponatremia might represent an additional treatment for improving stroke patients’ clinical outcomes. Objective Admission hyponatremia is associated with worse clinical outcome in stroke patients, but whether normalization of hyponatremia improves outcome is unknown. We investigated whether normalization of hyponatremia affects patients’ disability, mortality, and stroke recurrence within 3 months; length of hospitalization; and discharge destination. Design This was a registry-based analysis of data collected between January 2016 and December 2018. We linked data from Swiss Stroke Registry (SSR) with electronic patients’ records for extracting sodium values. Setting We analyzed data of hospitalized patients treated at University Hospital of Basel. Patients Stroke patients whose data and informed consent were available. Main outcome measure Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months. The tested hypothesis was formulated after SSR data collection but before linkage with electronic patients’ records. Results Of 1995 patients, 144 (7.2%) had hyponatremia on admission; 102 (70.8%) reached normonatremia, and 42 (29.2%) remained hyponatremic at discharge. An increase of initial sodium was associated with better functional outcome at 3 months (odds ratio [OR] 0.94; 95% CI, 0.90-0.99, for a shift to higher mRS per 1 mmol/L sodium increase). Compared with normonatremic patients, patients who remained hyponatremic at discharge had a worse functional outcome at 3 months (odds ratio 2.46; 95% CI, 1.20-5.03, for a shift to higher mRS). No effect was found on mortality, recurrence, or length of hospitalization. Conclusions In hospitalized acute stroke patients, persistent hyponatremia is associated with worse functional outcome. Whether active correction of hyponatremia improves outcome remains to be determined in prospective studies.

Zusammenfassung. Die intrazerebrale Hirnblutung ist für ca. 10–15% aller Hirnschläge verantwortlich und betrifft in der Schweiz ca. 1’500–2’000 Patienten pro Jahr. Bei der Akutbehandlung ist eine interdisziplinäre Behandlung durch spezialisierte Experten in einer zertifizierten Stroke Unit oder einem Stroke Center von entscheidender Bedeutung. Ein simples ABC-care bundle (Antikoagulation revertieren, Blutdruck kontrollieren, Neurochirurgen informieren) kann das Outcome signifikant verbessern. Trotz einer hohen Mortalität sind ca. ein Drittel aller Patienten nach einer Hirnblutung funktionell unabhängig und der weitverbreitete Pessimismus ist unangebracht. Über 80% aller Hirnblutungen werden durch verschiedene Formen cerebraler Mikroangiopathien verursacht und die Risiken für eine erneute Hirnblutung oder einen ischämischen Hirnschlag unterscheiden sich deutlich. Hirnblutungspatienten sind vaskuläre Hochrisikopatienten mit einer chronischen, cerebrovaskulären Erkrankung. Sie sollten langfristig und regelmässig von neurovaskulären Spezialisten behandelt werden, um wichtige Fragen (Blutdruckmanagement, antithrombotische Therapie/Antikoagulation, spezialisierte Neurorehabilitation zur Verbesserung insbesondere neurokognitiver Defizite, Therapie zusätzlicher Komplikationen, z. B. Epilepsie) individuell zu klären und die optimale Behandlung für die Patienten zu gewährleisten. Viele aktuelle Studien werden in den nächsten Jahren wichtige Ergebnisse liefern, um die Behandlung der Hirnblutung weiter zu verbessern.

Background The negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on stroke care has been reported, but no data exist on the influence of the lockdown on medication adherence to antithrombotic treatment for stroke prevention. We present a comparison of electronic adherence data of stroke patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) prior to and during the COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020 in Switzerland. Methods This is a secondary analysis using data from the ongoing MAAESTRO study, in which stroke patients with atrial fibrillation electronically monitor their adherence to DOAC treatment. Eligible patients for this analysis had at least four weeks of adherence data prior to and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Three adherence metrics (taking adherence, timing adherence, drug holidays) were calculated and compared descriptively. Results The analysis included eight patients (median age 81.5 years, IQR 74.8–84.5). Five patients had a pre-lockdown taking adherence over 90% (mean 96.8% ± 2.9), with no change during lockdown, high timing adherence in both periods and no drug holidays. The remaining three patients had pre-lockdown taking and timing adherence below 90%. Of those, two patients showed a moderate decline either in taking or timing adherence compared to pre-lockdown. One showed a substantial increase in taking and timing adherence during lockdown (both + 25.8%). Conclusion Our data suggest that a major disruption of social life (i.e., the imposed COVID-19 lockdown) is unlikely to relevantly affect the medication intake behaviour of patients with high pre-established adherence, but might have an impact in patients with previously suboptimal adherence. Trial registration number MAAESTRO: electronic Monitoring and improvement of Adherence to direct oral Anticoagulant treatment—a randomized crossover study of an Educational and reminder-based intervention in ischaemic STROke patients under polypharmacy, NCT03344146.

Contains fulltext : 235277.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) BACKGROUND: Balancing the risks of recurrent ischaemic stroke and intracranial haemorrhage is important for patients treated with antithrombotic therapy after ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack. However, existing predictive models offer insufficient performance, particularly for assessing the risk of intracranial haemorrhage. We aimed to develop new risk scores incorporating clinical variables and cerebral microbleeds, an MRI biomarker of intracranial haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke risk. METHODS: We did a pooled analysis of individual-patient data from the Microbleeds International Collaborative Network (MICON), which includes 38 hospital-based prospective cohort studies from 18 countries. All studies recruited participants with previous ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack, acquired baseline MRI allowing quantification of cerebral microbleeds, and followed-up participants for ischaemic stroke and intracranial haemorrhage. Participants not taking antithrombotic drugs were excluded. We developed Cox regression models to predict the 5-year risks of intracranial haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke, selecting candidate predictors on biological relevance and simplifying models using backward elimination. We derived integer risk scores for clinical use. We assessed model performance in internal validation, adjusted for optimism using bootstrapping. The study is registered on PROSPERO, CRD42016036602. FINDINGS: The included studies recruited participants between Aug 28, 2001, and Feb 4, 2018. 15 766 participants had follow-up for intracranial haemorrhage, and 15 784 for ischaemic stroke. Over a median follow-up of 2 years, 184 intracranial haemorrhages and 1048 ischaemic strokes were reported. The risk models we developed included cerebral microbleed burden and simple clinical variables. Optimism-adjusted c indices were 0·73 (95% CI 0·69-0·77) with a calibration slope of 0·94 (0·81-1·06) for the intracranial haemorrhage model and 0·63 (0·62-0·65) with a calibration slope of 0·97 (0·87-1·07) for the ischaemic stroke model. There was good agreement between predicted and observed risk for both models. INTERPRETATION: The MICON risk scores, incorporating clinical variables and cerebral microbleeds, offer predictive value for the long-term risks of intracranial haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke in patients prescribed antithrombotic therapy for secondary stroke prevention; external validation is warranted. FUNDING: British Heart Foundation and Stroke Association.

ObjectiveTo evaluate whether pretreatment with metformin (MET) is associated with less stroke severity and better outcome after IV thrombolysis (IVT), we analyzed a cohort of 1,919 patients with stroke with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a multicenter exploratory analysis.MethodsData from patients with diabetes and ischemic stroke treated with IVT were collected within the European Thrombolysis in Ischemic Stroke Patients (TRISP) collaboration. We applied propensity score matching (PSM) to obtain balanced baseline characteristics of patients treated with and without MET.ResultsOf 1,919 patients with stroke with type 2 diabetes who underwent IVT, 757 (39%) had received MET before stroke (MET+), whereas 1,162 (61%) had not (MET−). MET+ patients were younger with a male preponderance. Hypercholesterolemia and pretreatment with statins, antiplatelets, or antihypertensives were more common in the MET+ group. After PSM, the 2 groups were well balanced with respect to demographic and clinical aspects. Stroke severity on admission (NIH Stroke Scale 10.0 ± 6.7 vs 11.3 ± 6.5), 3-month degree of independence on modified Rankin Scale (2 [interquartile range (IQR) 1.0–4.0] vs 3 [IQR 1.0–4.0]), as well as mortality (12.5% vs 18%) were significantly lower in the MET+ group. The frequency of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhages did not differ between groups. HbA1c levels were well-balanced between the groups.ConclusionsPatients with stroke and diabetes on treatment with MET receiving IVT had less severe strokes on admission and a better functional outcome at 3 months. This suggests a protective effect of MET resulting in less severe strokes as well as beneficial thrombolysis outcome.

Introduction Alterations in haemoglobin levels are frequent in stroke patients. The prognostic meaning of anaemia and polyglobulia on outcomes in patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis is ambiguous. Patients and methods In this prospective multicentre, intravenous thrombolysis register-based study, we compared haemoglobin levels on hospital admission with three-month poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale 3–6), mortality and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study II-criteria (ECASS-II-criteria)). Haemoglobin level was used as continuous and categorical variable distinguishing anaemia (female: 15.5 g/dl; male: >17 g/dl). Anaemia was subdivided into mild and moderate/severe (female/male: Results Among 6866 intravenous thrombolysis-treated stroke patients, 5448 (79.3%) had normal haemoglobin level, 1232 (17.9%) anaemia – of those 903 (13.2%) had mild and 329 (4.8%) moderate/severe anaemia – and 186 (2.7%) polyglobulia. Anaemia was associated with poor outcome (ORadjusted 1.25 (1.05–1.48)) and mortality (ORadjusted 1.58 (1.27–1.95)). In anaemia subgroups, both mild and moderate/severe anaemia independently predicted poor outcome (ORadjusted 1.29 (1.07–1.55) and 1.48 (1.09–2.02)) and mortality (ORadjusted 1.45 (1.15–1.84) and ORadjusted 2.00 (1.46–2.75)). Each haemoglobin level decrease by 1 g/dl independently increased the risk of poor outcome (ORadjusted 1.07 (1.02–1.11)) and mortality (ORadjusted 1.08 (1.02–1.15)). Anaemia was not associated with occurrence of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage. Polyglobulia did not change any outcome. Discussion The more severe the anaemia, the higher the probability of poor outcome and death. Severe anaemia might be a target for interventions in hyperacute stroke. Conclusion Anaemia on admission, but not polyglobulia, is a strong and independent predictor of poor outcome and mortality in intravenous thrombolysis-treated stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In this pooled analysis of seven multicentre cohorts potential differences were investigated in the incidence, characteristics and outcomes between intracranial haemorrhages (ICHs) associated with the use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC-ICH) or with vitamin K antagonists (VKA-ICH) in ischaemic stroke patients after oral anticoagulant treatment initiation for atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS Data from 4912 eligible AF patients who were admitted in a stroke unit with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack and who were treated with either VKAs or NOACs within 3 months post-stroke were included. Fatal ICH was defined as death occurring during the first 30 days after ICH onset. A meta-analysis of available observational studies reporting 30-day mortality rates from NOAC-ICH or VKA-ICH onset was additionally performed. RESULTS During 5970 patient-years of follow-up 71 participants had an ICH, of whom 20 were NOAC-ICH and 51 VKA-ICH. Patients in the two groups had comparable baseline characteristics, except for the higher prevalence of kidney disease in VKA-ICH patients. There was a non-significant higher number of fatal ICH in patients with VKAs (11 events per 3385 patient-years) than in those with NOACs (three events per 2623 patient-years; hazard ratio 0.32, 95% confidence interval 0.09-1.14). Three-month functional outcomes were similar (P > 0.2) in the two groups. The meta-analysis showed a lower 30-day mortality risk for patients with NOAC-ICH compared to VKA-ICH (relative risk 0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.51-0.95). CONCLUSIONS Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants for intracranial haemorrhages and VKA-ICH occurring during secondary stroke prevention of AF patients have comparable baseline characteristics and outcomes except for the risk of fatal ICH within 30 days, which might be greater in VKA-ICH.

Background: Cervical artery dissection is a major cause of stroke in young people (aged

Background and Purpose— Despite treatment with oral anticoagulants, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) may experience ischemic cerebrovascular events. The aims of this case-control study in patients with AF were to identify the pathogenesis of and the risk factors for cerebrovascular ischemic events occurring during non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) therapy for stroke prevention. Methods— Cases were consecutive patients with AF who had acute cerebrovascular ischemic events during NOAC treatment. Controls were consecutive patients with AF who did not have cerebrovascular events during NOACs treatment. Results— Overall, 713 cases (641 ischemic strokes and 72 transient ischemic attacks; median age, 80.0 years; interquartile range, 12; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale on admission, 6.0; interquartile range, 10) and 700 controls (median age, 72.0 years; interquartile range, 8) were included in the study. Recurrent stroke was classified as cardioembolic in 455 cases (63.9%) according to the A-S-C-O-D (A, atherosclerosis; S, small vessel disease; C, cardiac pathology; O, other causes; D, dissection) classification. On multivariable analysis, off-label low dose of NOACs (odds ratio [OR], 3.18; 95% CI, 1.95–5.85), atrial enlargement (OR, 6.64; 95% CI, 4.63–9.52), hyperlipidemia (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.83–3.16), and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score (OR, 1.72 for each point increase; 95% CI, 1.58–1.88) were associated with ischemic events. Among the CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc components, age was older and presence of diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, and history of stroke or transient ischemic attack more common in patients who had acute cerebrovascular ischemic events. Paroxysmal AF was inversely associated with ischemic events (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.33–0.61). Conclusions— In patients with AF treated with NOACs who had a cerebrovascular event, mostly but not exclusively of cardioembolic pathogenesis, off-label low dose, atrial enlargement, hyperlipidemia, and high CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score were associated with increased risk of cerebrovascular events.

OBJECTIVE We compared outcomes after treatment with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and a recent cerebral ischemia. METHODS We conducted an individual patient data analysis of seven prospective cohort studies. We included patients with AF and a recent cerebral ischemia (

Background and Purpose: Data on the effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in patients with stroke attributable to atrial fibrillation (AF) who were dependent on the daily help of others at hospital discharge are scarce. Methods: Based on prospectively obtained data from the observational Novel-Oral-Anticoagulants-in-Ischemic-Stroke-Patients-longterm registry from Basel, Switzerland, we compared the occurrence of the primary outcome—the composite of recurrent ischemic stroke, major bleeding, and all-cause death—among consecutive patients with AF-stroke treated with either VKAs or DOACs between patients dependent (defined as modified Rankin Scale score, 3–5) and patients independent at discharge. We used simple, adjusted, and weighted Cox proportional hazards regression to account for potential confounders. Results: We analyzed 801 patients (median age 80 years, 46% female), of whom 391 (49%) were dependent at discharge and 680 (85%) received DOACs. Over a total follow-up of 1216 patient-years, DOAC- compared to VKA-treated patients had a lower hazard for the composite outcome (hazard ratio [HR], 0.58 [95% CI, 0.42–0.81]), as did independent compared to dependent patients (HR, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.40–0.71]). There was no evidence that the effect of anticoagulant type (DOAC versus VKA) on the hazard for the composite outcome differed between dependent (HR dependent , 0.68 [95% CI, 0.45–1.01]) and independent patients (HR independent , 0.44 [95% CI, 0.26–0.75]) in the simple model ( P interaction =0.212). Adjusted (HR dependent , 0.74 [95% CI, 0.49–1.11] and HR independent , 0.51 [95% CI, 0.30–0.87]; P interaction =0.284) and weighted models (HR dependent , 0.79 [95% CI, 0.48–1.31] and HR independent , 0.46 [95% CI, 0.26–0.81]; P interaction =0.163) yielded concordant results. Secondary analyses focusing on the individual components of the composite outcome were consistent to the primary analyses. Conclusions: The benefits of DOACs in patients with atrial fibrillation with a recent stroke were maintained among patients who were dependent on the help of others at discharge. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT03826927.

Background: We determined the frequency of different etiologies of non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and their association with clinical characteristics and outcomes. Methods: We analyzed data from consecutive ICH patients enrolled in the prospective Swiss Stroke Registry (2014-2019). Etiology of ICH was determined according to prespecified, mutually exclusive categories. We assessed prevalence of ICH etiologies, their association with clinical characteristics, functional independence (modified Rankin Scale 0-2), mortality, recurrent ICH and ischemic stroke at 3 months. Results: We included 2584 patients (median age 72y, IQR 64-82, 46.6% female, median NIHSS 10; IQR 3-15). 2037 patients (80%) had hypertension and 553 (22.3%) were on anticoagulants. Distribution of etiologies was as follows: Hypertension (n=1216 patients; 47.1% of all / 56.3% of patients with hypertension), unknown etiology (n=542, 21.0%), antithrombotic therapy (n=225, 8.7% of all / 38% of patients on anticoagulants), cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA, n=211, 8.2%), macro-vascular (n=121, 4.7%), other determined etiologies (n=269, 10.4%). Patients with hypertensive ICH had significantly higher NIHSS (median 9; IQR 4-16) and blood pressure levels (median systolic 176; IQR 156-195) on admission. Patients with CAA had significantly lower NIHSS at baseline (median 5; IQR 2-12). Three month follow-up was available for 2109/2584 patients (81.6%). 820 (38.9%) were functionally independent, 658 have died (31.2%). Hypertensive ICH was associated with an increased rate of functional independence (aOR =1.42, 95%CI 1.06-1.90, p=0.02). 5.2% of patients had a cerebrovascular event within 3 months. CAA was associated with a high risk of recurrent ICH (HR 6.95, 95%CI 3.05-15.84, p Conclusions: In Swiss Stroke Units and Centers, one of two patients has ICH from a different cause than hypertension. The rate of functionally independent patients at 3 months seems higher than mortality. Absolute and relative risks of recurrent ICH and ischemic stroke after recent ICH differ among underlying etiologies.

Purpose of review Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are crucial for the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Drug adherence by the patient but also adherence to guidelines by the physician are suboptimal. This review highlights aspects of DOAC treatment during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and selected challenging scenarios. Recent findings For patients with a newly diagnosed indication for oral anticoagulation, a new interim clinical guidance recommends starting DOAC instead of vitamin K antagonists if DOAC are not contraindicated. The goal is to reduce the potential exposure of patients to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus during the routine coagulation monitoring visits. As COVID-19 can lead to kidney failure, we discuss the challenges of DOAC dosing in kidney failures. Finally, we discuss two common challenges - when to start a DOAC after an ischemic stroke linked to atrial fibrillation, and whether cerebral microbleeds, including their count, are per se a contraindication to DOAC. Summary There are still open challenges regarding DOAC treatment on the patient and physician side, both related and unrelated to the pandemic.

Since their market approval, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are being increasingly used for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, the management of DOAC-treated patients with stroke poses several challenges for physicians in everyday clinical practice, both in the acute setting and in long-term care. This has spurred extensive research activity in the field over the past few years, which we review here.

OBJECTIVE: Information about Rivaroxaban plasma levels (RivLev) may guide treatment decisions in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) taking rivaroxaban. METHODS: In a multicenter registry-based study (Novel-Oral-Anticoagulants-In-Stroke-Patients collaboration;NOACISP;ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT02353585) of patients with stroke while taking rivaroxaban, we compared RivLev in patients with AIS and ICH. We determined how many AIS-patients had RivLev≤100ng/ml, indicating possible eligibility for thrombolysis and how many ICH-patients had RivLev≥75ng/ml, possibly eligible for the use of specific reversal agents. We explored factors associated with RivLev (Spearman correlation; regression models) and studied the sensitivity and specificity of INR-thresholds to substitute RivLevs using cross tables and ROC curves. RESULTS: Among 241 patients (median age 80 years[IQR73-84], median time-from-onset-to-admission 2 hours[IQR1-4.5hours], median RivLev 89ng/ml[31-194]), 190 had AIS and 51 had ICH. RivLev were similar in AIS-patients (82ng/ml[IQR30-202] and ICH-patients (102ng/ml[IQR 51-165]; p=0.24). Trough RivLev(≤137ng/ml) occurred in 126/190 (66.3%) AIS- and 34/51 (66.7%) ICH-patients. Among AIS-patients, 108/190 (56.8%) had RivLev≤100ng/ml. In ICH-patients 33/51(64.7%) had RivLev≥75ng/ml. RivLev were associated with rivaroxaban dosage, inversely with renal function and time-since-last-intake (each p

Background and Purpose Standard operating procedures (SOP) incorporating plasma levels of rivaroxaban might be helpful in selecting patients with acute ischemic stroke taking rivaroxaban suitable for IVthrombolysis (IVT) or endovascular treatment (EVT). Methods This was a single-center explorative analysis using data from the Novel-Oral-Anticoagulants-in-Stroke-Patients-registry (clinicaltrials.gov:NCT02353585) including acute stroke patients taking rivaroxaban (September 2012 to November 2016). The SOP included recommendation, consideration, and avoidance of IVT if rivaroxaban plasma levels were 100 ng/mL, respectively, measured with a calibrated anti-factor Xa assay. Patients with intracranial artery occlusion were recommended IVT+EVT or EVT alone if plasma levels were ≤100 ng/mL or >100 ng/mL, respectively. We evaluated the frequency of IVT/EVT, door-to-needle-time (DNT), and symptomatic intracranial or major extracranial hemorrhage. Results Among 114 acute stroke patients taking rivaroxaban, 68 were otherwise eligible for IVT/EVT of whom 63 had plasma levels measured (median age 81 years, median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 6). Median rivaroxaban plasma level was 96 ng/mL (inter quartile range [IQR] 18‒259 ng/mL) and time since last intake 11 hours (IQR 4.5‒18.5 hours). Twenty-two patients (35%) received IVT/EVT (IVT n=15, IVT+EVT n=3, EVT n=4) based on SOP. Median DNT was 37 (IQR 30‒60) minutes. None of the 31 patients with plasma levels >100 ng/mL received IVT. Among 14 patients with plasma levels ≤100 ng/mL, the main reason to withhold IVT was minor stroke (n=10). No symptomatic intracranial or major extracranial bleeding occurred after treatment. Conclusions Determination of rivaroxaban plasma levels enabled IVT or EVT in one-third of patients taking rivaroxaban who would otherwise be ineligible for acute treatment. The absence of major bleeding in our pilot series justifies future studies of this approach.

Introduction It is unknown whether the type of treatment (direct oral anticoagulant versus vitamin K antagonist) and the time of treatment introduction (early versus late) may affect the functional outcome in stroke patients with atrial fibrillation. We aimed to develop and validate a nomogram model including direct oral anticoagulant/vitamin K antagonist and early/late oral anticoagulant introduction for predicting the probability of unfavourable outcome after stroke in atrial fibrillation-patients. Patients and Methods We conducted an individual patient data analysis of four prospective studies. Unfavourable functional outcome was defined as three-month modified Rankin Scale score 3 -6. To generate the nomogram, five independent predictors including age (25), acute revascularisation treatments (yes, reference, or no), direct oral anticoagulant (reference) or vitamin K antagonist, and early (7 days, reference) or late (8--30) anticoagulant introduction entered into a final logistic regression model. The discriminative performance of the model was assessed by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results A total of 2102 patients with complete data for generating the nomogram was randomly dichotomised into training ( n = 1553) and test ( n = 549) sets. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.822 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.800--0.844) in the training set and 0.803 (95% CI: 0.764--0.842) in the test set. The model was adequately calibrated (9.852; p = 0.276 for the Hosmer--Lemeshow test). Discussion and Conclusion Our nomogram is the first model including type of oral anticoagulant and time of treatment introduction to predict the probability of three-month unfavourable outcome in a large multicentre cohort of stroke patients with atrial fibrillation.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral small vessel disease is an important cause for both ischaemic stroke and intracranial haemorrhage. To date, knowledge on the impact of small vessel disease on the clinical course in stroke patients treated with oral anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation is limited. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Registry-based prospective observational study of 320 patients (aged 78.2 ± 9.2 years) treated with anticoagulation following atrial fibrillation stroke. Patients underwent standardised magnetic-resonance-imaging assessing measures of small vessel disease, including cerebral microbleeds and white matter hyperintensities. Median follow-up was 754 (interquartile range = [708–828]) days. Using adjusted logistic and Cox regression, we assessed the association of imaging measures with clinical outcome including recurrent ischaemic stroke, intracranial haemorrhage and death and assessed disability (modified Rankin Scale). RESULTS: Overall, recurrent ischaemic stroke was more common than intracranial haemorrhage (22 versus 8, respectively). Cerebral microbleeds were related to an increased risk of the composite endpoint (ischaemic stroke, intracranial haemorrhage, death: odds ratio (OR) 2.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27–3.31; P = 0.003), as were white matter hyperintensities (OR 2.00, 95%CI 1.23–3.27, P = 0.005). This was also true in time-to-event analysis (cerebral microbleeds: HR 2.31, 95%CI 1.39–3.52; P

Objective Seizure at onset (SaO) has been considered a relative contraindication for intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke, although this appraisal is not evidence based. Here, we investigated the prognostic significance of SaO in patients treated with IVT for suspected ischemic stroke. Methods In this multicenter, IVT-registry-based study we assessed the association between SaO and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH, European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study II definition), 3-month mortality, and 3-month functional outcome on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression, coarsened exact matching, and inverse probability weighted analyses. Results Among 10,074 IVT-treated patients, 146 (1.5%) had SaO. SaO patients had significantly higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and glucose on admission, and more often female sex, prior stroke, and prior functional dependence than non-SaO patients. In unadjusted analysis, they had generally less favorable outcomes. After controlling for confounders in adjusted, matched, and weighted analyses, all associations between SaO and any of the outcomes disappeared, including sICH (odds ratio [OR]unadjusted = 1.53 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.74-3.14], ORadjusted = 0.52 [95% CI = 0.13-2.16], ORmatched = 0.68 [95% CI = 0.15-3.03], ORweighted = 0.95 [95% CI = 0.39-2.32]), mortality (ORunadjusted = 1.49 [95% CI = 1.00-2.24], ORadjusted = 0.98 [95% CI = 0.5-1.92], ORmatched = 1.13 [95% CI = 0.55-2.33], ORweighted = 1.17 [95% CI = 0.73-1.88]), and functional outcome (mRS ≥ 3/ordinal mRS: ORunadjusted = 1.33 [95% CI = 0.96-1.84]/1.35 [95% CI = 1.01-1.81], ORadjusted = 0.78 [95% CI = 0.45-1.32]/0.78 [95% CI = 0.52-1.16], ORmatched = 0.75 [95% CI = 0.43-1.32]/0.45 [95% CI = 0.10-2.06], ORweighted = 0.87 [95% CI = 0.57-1.34]/1.00 [95% CI = 0.66-1.52]). These results were consistent regardless of whether patients had an eventual diagnosis of ischemic stroke (89/146) or stroke mimic (57/146 SaO patients). Interpretation SaO was not an independent predictor of poor prognosis. Withholding IVT from patients with assumed ischemic stroke presenting with SaO seems unjustified. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:770-779.

Background Prehospital delay reduces the proportion of patients with stroke treated with recanalization therapies. We aimed to identify novel and modifiable risk factors for prehospital delay. Methods and Results We included patients with an ischemic stroke confirmed by diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging, symptom onset within 24 hours and hospitalized in the Stroke Center of the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. Trained study nurses interviewed patients and proxies along a standardized questionnaire. Prehospital delay was defined as >4.5 hours between stroke onset—or time point of wake‐up—and admission. Overall, 336 patients were enrolled. Prehospital delay was observed in 140 patients (42%). The first healthcare professionals to be alarmed were family doctors for 29% of patients (97/336), and a quarter of these patients had a baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score of 4 or higher. The main modifiable risk factor for prehospital delay was a face‐to‐face visit to the family doctor (adjusted odds ratio, 4.19; 95% CI , 1.85–9.46). Despite transport by emergency medical services being associated with less prehospital delay (adjusted odds ratio, 0.41; 95% CI , 0.24–0.71), a minority of patients (39%) who first called their family doctor were transported by emergency medical services to the hospital. The second risk factor was lack of awareness of stroke symptoms (adjusted odds ratio, 4.14; 95% CI , 2.36–7.24). Conclusions Almost 1 in 3 patients with a diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging–confirmed ischemic stroke first called the family doctor practice. Face‐to‐face visits to the family doctor quadrupled the odds of prehospital delay. Efforts to reduce prehospital delay should address family doctors and their staffs as important partners in the prehospital pathway. Clinical Trial Registration URL : http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT 02798770.

Contains fulltext : 208975.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Cerebral microbleeds are a neuroimaging biomarker of stroke risk. A crucial clinical question is whether cerebral microbleeds indicate patients with recent ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack in whom the rate of future intracranial haemorrhage is likely to exceed that of recurrent ischaemic stroke when treated with antithrombotic drugs. We therefore aimed to establish whether a large burden of cerebral microbleeds or particular anatomical patterns of cerebral microbleeds can identify ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack patients at higher absolute risk of intracranial haemorrhage than ischaemic stroke. METHODS: We did a pooled analysis of individual patient data from cohort studies in adults with recent ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack. Cohorts were eligible for inclusion if they prospectively recruited adult participants with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack; included at least 50 participants; collected data on stroke events over at least 3 months follow-up; used an appropriate MRI sequence that is sensitive to magnetic susceptibility; and documented the number and anatomical distribution of cerebral microbleeds reliably using consensus criteria and validated scales. Our prespecified primary outcomes were a composite of any symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage or ischaemic stroke, symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage, and symptomatic ischaemic stroke. We registered this study with the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews, number CRD42016036602. FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 1996, and Dec 1, 2018, we identified 344 studies. After exclusions for ineligibility or declined requests for inclusion, 20 322 patients from 38 cohorts (over 35 225 patient-years of follow-up; median 1.34 years [IQR 0.19-2.44]) were included in our analyses. The adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] comparing patients with cerebral microbleeds to those without was 1.35 (95% CI 1.20-1.50) for the composite outcome of intracranial haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke; 2.45 (1.82-3.29) for intracranial haemorrhage and 1.23 (1.08-1.40) for ischaemic stroke. The aHR increased with increasing cerebral microbleed burden for intracranial haemorrhage but this effect was less marked for ischaemic stroke (for five or more cerebral microbleeds, aHR 4.55 [95% CI 3.08-6.72] for intracranial haemorrhage vs 1.47 [1.19-1.80] for ischaemic stroke; for ten or more cerebral microbleeds, aHR 5.52 [3.36-9.05] vs 1.43 [1.07-1.91]; and for >/=20 cerebral microbleeds, aHR 8.61 [4.69-15.81] vs 1.86 [1.23-1.82]). However, irrespective of cerebral microbleed anatomical distribution or burden, the rate of ischaemic stroke exceeded that of intracranial haemorrhage (for ten or more cerebral microbleeds, 64 ischaemic strokes [95% CI 48-84] per 1000 patient-years vs 27 intracranial haemorrhages [17-41] per 1000 patient-years; and for >/=20 cerebral microbleeds, 73 ischaemic strokes [46-108] per 1000 patient-years vs 39 intracranial haemorrhages [21-67] per 1000 patient-years). INTERPRETATION: In patients with recent ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack, cerebral microbleeds are associated with a greater relative hazard (aHR) for subsequent intracranial haemorrhage than for ischaemic stroke, but the absolute risk of ischaemic stroke is higher than that of intracranial haemorrhage, regardless of cerebral microbleed presence, antomical distribution, or burden. FUNDING: British Heart Foundation and UK Stroke Association.

Objective:\ud It is not known whether patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) with ischemic stroke despite oral anticoagulant therapy are at increased risk for further recurrent strokes or how ongoing secondary prevention should be managed.\ud \ud Methods:\ud We conducted an individual patient data pooled analysis of 7 prospective cohort studies that recruited patients with AF and recent cerebral ischemia. We compared patients taking oral anticoagulants (vitamin K antagonists [VKA] or direct oral anticoagulants [DOAC]) prior to index event (OACprior ) with those without prior oral anticoagulation (OACnaive ). We further compared those who changed the type (ie, from VKA or DOAC, vice versa, or DOAC to DOAC) of anticoagulation (OACchanged ) with those who continued the same anticoagulation as secondary prevention (OACunchanged ). Time to recurrent acute ischemic stroke (AIS) was analyzed using multivariate competing risk Fine-Gray models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).\ud \ud Results:\ud We included 5,413 patients (median age = 78 years [interquartile range (IQR) = 71-84 years]; 5,136 [96.7%] had ischemic stroke as the index event, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale on admission = 6 [IQR = 2-12]). The median CHA2 DS2 -Vasc score (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age≥ 75 years, diabetes mellitus, stroke/transient ischemic attack, vascular disease, age 65-74 years, sex category) was 5 (IQR = 4-6) and was similar for OACprior (n = 1,195) and OACnaive (n = 4,119, p = 0.103). During 6,128 patient-years of follow-up, 289 patients had AIS (4.7% per year, 95% CI = 4.2-5.3%). OACprior was associated with an increased risk of AIS (HR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.2-2.3, p = 0.005). OACchanged (n = 307) was not associated with decreased risk of AIS (HR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.7-2.1, p = 0.415) compared with OACunchanged (n = 585).\ud \ud Interpretation:\ud Patients with AF who have an ischemic stroke despite previous oral anticoagulation are at a higher risk for recurrent ischemic stroke despite a CHA2 DS2 -Vasc score similar to those without prior oral anticoagulation. Better prevention strategies are needed for this high-risk patient group.

Background and Purpose— Women have a worse outcome after stroke compared with men, although in intravenous thrombolysis (IVT)–treated patients, women seem to benefit more. Besides sex differences, age has also a possible effect on functional outcome. The interaction of sex on the functional outcome in IVT-treated patients in relation to age remains complex. The purpose of this study was to compare outcome after IVT between women and men with regard to age in a large multicenter European cohort reflecting daily clinical practice of acute stroke care. Methods— Data were obtained from IVT registries of 12 European tertiary hospitals. The primary outcome was poor functional outcome, defined as a modified Rankin scale score of 3 to 6 at 3 months. We stratified outcome by age in decades. Safety measures were symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and mortality at 3 months. Results— In this cohort, 9495 patients were treated with IVT, and 4170 (43.9%) were women with a mean age of 71.9 years. After adjustments for baseline differences, female sex remained associated with poor functional outcome (odds ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.31). There was no association between sex and functional outcome when data were stratified by age. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate was similar in both sexes (adjusted odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.73–1.19), whereas mortality was lower among women (adjusted odds ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.70–0.99). Conclusions— In this large cohort of IVT-treated patients, women more often had poor functional outcome compared with men. This difference was not dependent on age.

Objective: In patients with recent acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and atrial fibrillation, we assessed the starting time of direct, non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for secondary prevention, the rate of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and recurrent ischemic events during follow-up. Methods: We included consecutive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation admitted to our hospital for AIS or TIA (index event) who received secondary prophylaxis with DOAC or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Follow-up was at least 3 months. In the primary analysis, we compared rates of ICH and recurrent ischemic events (AIS or TIA) between patients with early (≤7 days since event; DOAC early ) and those with late (>7 days, DOAC late ) start of DOAC. Results: Two hundred four patients were included (median age 79 years, 89% AIS) and total follow-up time was 78.25 patient-years. One hundred fifty-five patients received DOAC with a median delay of 5 days after the index event (interquartile range 3–11) and 49 received VKA. DOAC was started early in 100 patients (65%). We observed one ICH (1.3%/y) and 6 recurrent AIS (7.7%/y). The ICH occurred in a patient taking VKA. No significant difference in the rate of recurrent AIS between DOAC early (5.1%/y) and DOAC late (9.3%/y, p = 0.53) was observed. Conclusions: Even if DOACs are often started early after an index event, the risk of ICH appears to be low. Among all patients receiving anticoagulation, the rate of recurrent events was 6 times higher than the rate of ICH.

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders mainly characterized by progressive spasticity of the lower limbs. Adult case series dominate the literature, and there have been only a few studies in children. The purpose of this study is to describe our experience with pediatric HSP in Greece. We report the clinical and genetic findings in our patients and aim to offer insights into the diagnostic difficulties of childhood-onset disease. A series of 15 Greek children affected by pure HSP underwent extensive diagnostic investigations. Molecular analysis included whole exome sequencing (WES) or consecutive screening of candidate genes ATL1, SPAST, REEP1, and CYP7B1. WES performed in three cases yielded previously reported mutations in ATL1 and CYP7B1, and a variant c.397C>T of unknown significance in SPG7. Candidate gene screening performed in the remaining patients identified previously reported mutations in ATL1 (2), SPAST (2), and REEP1 (1), and two novel mutations, c.1636G>A and c.1413+3_6delAAGT, in SPAST. In six cases, the mutations were inherited from their parents, while in three cases, the mutations were apparently de novo. Our data confirm the genetic heterogeneity of childhood-onset pure HSP, with SPG4/SPAST and SPG3A/ATL1 being the most frequent forms. De novo occurrence of HSP does not seem to be uncommon. Candidate gene studies guided by diagnostic algorithms and WES seem both to be reasonable genetic testing strategies.

Objectives To describe how stroke survivors with atrial fibrillation implement direct oral anticoagulant treatment and propose appropriate metrics to describe adherence. Materials and Methods Stroke patients with atrial fibrillation electronically recorded their self-administered direct oral anticoagulants (apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, rivaroxaban) during a 6-month observation phase after hospitalisation for ischemic stroke. Taking and timing adherence, correct dosing days, drug holidays, time of the day and day of the week subsets, dose-to-dose intervals and longest intervals between two consecutive doses were calculated from electronic monitoring data to describe and discuss the implementation phase of adherence. Results Data from 41 patients were analysed. Median age was 77 (IQR = 69–84), 63.4% were male and the majority suffered a mild stroke (median NIHSS: 1). Mean taking and timing adherence exceeded 90%. Correct dosing occurred in 86.6% of the days. Seven patients (17.1%) had intake pauses of three or more consecutive days. Patients with twice-daily regimen (70.7%) had higher taking adherence in the morning than in the evening (94.4% versus 89.9%; p = 0.001). No therapy- or anamneses-related characteristic was associated with taking adherence. Conclusions Although adherence to direct oral anticoagulants of stroke patients with atrial fibrillation exceeded 90%, deviant intake patterns such as drug holidays and missed evening doses were common and raise concerns. Appropriate adherence metrics calculated from electronic monitoring data may guide healthcare professionals elucidating patient-tailored adherence-enhancing interventions. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT03344146

IMPORTANCE: Predicting the duration of poststroke dysphagia is important to guide therapeutic decisions. Guidelines recommend nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding if swallowing impairment persists for 7 days or longer and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement if dysphagia does not recover within 30 days, but, to our knowledge, a systematic prediction method does not exist. OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a prognostic model predicting swallowing recovery and the need for enteral tube feeding. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We enrolled participants with consecutive admissions for acute ischemic stroke and initially severe dysphagia in a prospective single-center derivation (2011-2014) and a multicenter validation (July 2015-March 2018) cohort study in 5 tertiary stroke referral centers in Switzerland. EXPOSURES: Severely impaired oral intake at admission (Functional Oral Intake Scale score

Background: Non-adherence to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) remains a matter of concern, especially for patients with a recent stroke. However, data on electronically monitored adherence and adherence-improving interventions are scarce. Aims: We aim to use electronic monitoring in DOAC-treated stroke patients to (i) evaluate the effect of an educational, reminder-based adherence-improving intervention, (ii) investigate predictors of non-adherence, (iii) identify reliable self-report measures of adherence, and (iv) explore the association of non-adherence with clinical outcomes. Methods: Single-center, randomized, crossover, open-label study. Adherence to DOACs of polymedicated patients self-administering their medication will be monitored electronically throughout the 12-month-long study following hospitalization for ischemic stroke. After a 6-month observational phase, patients will receive pharmaceutical counseling with feedback on their intake history and be given a multi-compartment pillbox for the subsequent 6-month interventional phase. The pillbox will provide intake reminders either during the first or the last three interventional-phase months. Patients will be randomly allocated to reminders-first or reminders-last. Study outcomes: Primary: non-optimal timing adherence; Secondary: non-optimal taking adherence; timing adherence; taking adherence; self-reported adherence; clinical outcomes including ischemic and hemorrhagic events; patient-reported device usability and satisfaction. Sample size estimates: A sample of 130 patients provides 90% power to show a 20% improvement of the primary adherence outcome with intake reminders. Discussion: MAAESTRO will investigate various aspects of non-adherence and evaluate the effect of an adherence-improving intervention in DOAC-treated patients with a recent stroke using electronic monitoring. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03344146, Swiss National Clinical Trials Portal SNCTP000002410.

Background and purpose The aim was to assess the feasibility and safety of fast-track hospitalizations in a selected cohort of patients with stroke. Methods Patients hospitalized at the Stroke Center of the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, with an acute ischaemic stroke confirmed on magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging were included. Neurological deficits of the included patients were non-disabling, i.e. not interfering with activities of daily living and compatible with a direct discharge home. Patients with premorbid disability were excluded. All patients were admitted to the Stroke Center for ≥24 h. Two study groups were compared - fast-track hospitalizations (≤72 h) and long-term hospitalizations (>72 h). The primary end-point was a composite of any unplanned rehospitalization for any reason within 3 months since hospital discharge and a modified Rankin Scale 3-6 at 3 months. Adjustment for confounders was done using the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW). Results Amongst the 521 patients who met the inclusion criteria, fast-track hospitalizations were performed in 79 patients (15%). In the fast-track group, seven patients (8.9%) met the primary end-point, compared to 37 (8.4%) in the long-term group [odds ratio (OR) 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42-2.34, P = 0.88]. After weighting for IPTW, the odds of the primary end-point remained similar between the two arms (ORIPTW 1.27, 95% CI 0.51-3.16, P = 0.61). The costs of fast-track hospitalizations were lower, on average, by $4994. Conclusions Fast-track hospitalizations including a full workup proved to be feasible, showed no increased risk and were less expensive than long-term hospitalizations.

Background: Delays in the prehospital phase jeopardize the chances for stroke patients to be treated with thrombolysis. However, the causes of prehospital delay remain obscure. We assessed the causes of prehospital delay among patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we included patients admitted to the Stroke Center of the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, with an acute ischemic stroke. A corresponding positive Diffusion Weighted Imaging MR was required to be included in the study, i.e. patients with no or negative DWI-MR were excluded. Trained study nurses interviewed all patients or their proxies in person at the bedside. The study period spanned from September, 2015 to July, 2017. Results: Overall, 321 patients were included. The median NIHSS score was 3 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1-5). Median delay between symptom onset and call for help was 55 minutes (IQR: 10-420). The mode of transportation to the Stroke Center was with paramedics (ambulance or helicopter) for 60 % of patients, without in 40% (private car: n=72; taxi: n=31; public transportation, walk-in or other: n=25). NIHSS was higher in patients transported with paramedics (4 [IQR 2-6] vs. 1.5 [0-3], P The thrombolysis ratio was 25%. After adjusting for NIHSS, the odds of thrombolysis were higher among patients transported with paramedics (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.4, 95%-CI: 1.2-4.7, P=0.01), and lower among patients with prior family physician consultation (aOR: 0.10, 95%-CI: 0.01-0.77, P =0.03). Conclusions: One out four patients wait 7 hours or more before calling for help, a considerable delay. Transport with paramedics was associated with increased chances of thrombolysis. One in ten patients consulted a family physician immediately prior to hospitalization, reducing by 90 percent points the chances of thrombolysis. Identifying and informing family physicians who see patients with symptoms of an acute stroke may be a so far underestimated, cost-effective measure to increase the rate of thrombolysis.

ObjectiveTo study the effect of platelet count (PC) on bleeding risk and outcome in stroke patients treated with IV thrombolysis (IVT) and to explore whether withholding IVT in PC < 100 × 109/L is supported.MethodsIn this prospective multicenter, IVT register–based study, we compared PC with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH; Second European-Australasian Acute Stroke Study [ECASS II] criteria), poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 3–6), and mortality at 3 months. PC was used as a continuous and categorical variable distinguishing thrombocytopenia (9/L), thrombocytosis (>450 × 109/L), and normal PC (150–450 × 109/L [reference group]). Moreover, PC < 100 × 109/L was compared to PC ≥ 100 × 109/L. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from the logistic regression models were calculated.ResultsAmong 7,533 IVT-treated stroke patients, 6,830 (90.7%) had normal PC, 595 (7.9%) had thrombocytopenia, and 108 (1.4%) had thrombocytosis. Decreasing PC (every 10 × 109/L) was associated with increasing risk of sICH (ORadjusted 1.03, 95% CI 1.02–1.05) but decreasing risk of poor outcome (ORadjusted 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–0.99) and mortality (ORadjusted 0.98, 95% CI 0.98–0.99). The risk of sICH was higher in patients with thrombocytopenic than in patients with normal PC (ORadjusted 1.73, 95% CI 1.24–2.43). However, the risk of poor outcome (ORadjusted 0.89, 95% CI 0.39–1.97) and mortality (ORadjusted 1.09, 95% CI 0.83–1.44) did not differ significantly. Thrombocytosis was associated with mortality (ORadjusted 2.02, 95% CI 1.21–3.37). Forty-four (0.3%) patients had PC < 100 × 109/L. Their risks of sICH (ORunadjusted 1.56, 95% CI 0.48–5.07), poor outcome (ORadjusted 1.63, 95% CI 0.82–3.24), and mortality (ORadjusted 1.38, 95% CI 0.64–2.98) did not differ significantly from those of patients with PC ≥ 100 × 109/L.ConclusionLower PC was associated with increased risk of sICH, while higher PC indicated increased mortality. Our data suggest that PC modifies outcome and complications in individual patients, while withholding IVT in all patients with PC < 100 × 109/L is challenged.

Background and Purpose— Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) impair platelet function and have been linked to a higher risk of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage—an association that may be augmented by oral anticoagulants (OAC). We aimed to assess whether preadmission treatment with SSRIs in patients with acute ischemic stroke is associated with post-thrombolysis symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) and functional outcome. Methods— A multicenter retrospective analysis was conducted in prospective registries of patients treated by thrombolysis within 4.5 hours of stroke onset. The association between preadmission treatment with SSRIs and sICH (ECASS II definition [European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study]) or unfavorable 3-month outcome (modified Rankin Scale >2) was assessed by logistic regression, taking into account potential interaction with concomitant use of antithrombotics. Results— Six thousand two hundred forty-two patients were included (mean age, 70.1±14.0 years; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, 9 [5–16]). Preadmission treatment with SSRIs was present in 4.3% (n=266) of patients. Overall, SICH rate was 3.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.5%–4.4%; n=244), and SSRI use was not significantly associated with sICH in unadjusted (odds ratio [OR], 1.28; 95% CI, 0.72–2.27) or adjusted (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.71–2.40) analysis. However, there was a significant interaction of concomitant use of OACs (international normalized ratio P =0.01). SICH was significantly more frequent in patients taking both OAC and SSRI (23.1%; 95% CI, 8.2%–50.3%) than in patients taking OAC but not SSRI (adjusted OR, 9.04; 95% CI, 1.95–41.89). Preadmission use of SSRI was associated with unfavorable 3-month outcome (unadjusted OR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.48–2.46; adjusted OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.15–2.19). Conclusions— Preadmission treatment with SSRIs was not significantly associated with an increased risk of post-thrombolysis sICH in this cohort study. However, subgroup analysis suggested an increased risk of sICH in patients taking both SSRI and OAC. Preadmission treatment with SSRIs was associated with unfavorable outcome, which may reflect the prognostic significance of prestroke depression.

Plasma levels of Rivaroxaban (RivLev) might be useful to guide therapeutic decisions in patients with acute stroke under Rivaroxaban. A prerequisite for the potential clinical usefulness is their rapid availability in emergency situations. Single-center explorative analysis from the Novel-Oral-Anticoagulants-in-Stroke-Patients-registry (NOACISP, cinicaltrials.gov:NCT02353585). We included consecutive patients with acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke under Rivaroxaban (last intake

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The impact of body mass index (BMI) on outcome in stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) was investigated. METHODS In a multicentre IVT-register-based observational study, BMI with (i) poor 3-month outcome (i.e. modified Rankin Scale scores 3-6), (ii) death and (iii) symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) based on criteria of the ECASS II trial was compared. BMI was used as a continuous and categorical variable distinguishing normal weight (reference group 18.5-24.9 kg/m(2) ) from underweight (