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Background: This study aims to illuminate regional disparities and identify vulnerable areas in stroke care across Gyeonggi Province's hospital service areas., Methods: Using data from the Korea National Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease Management Commission, we included 4,427 acute stroke patients admitted in 2018 to hospitals within Gyeonggi Province. Our evaluation focused on: 1) stroke care quality indicators, including rates of defect-free care, intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), and acute reperfusion therapy (either IVT or EVT); 2) intra-regional treatment rates; and 3) one-year mortality across the province and its 12 hospital service areas. These were compared both with national averages and inter-regionally. Vulnerable areas were pinpointed by evaluating the number of quality indicators falling below the national average and through visual distribution mapping, categorizing each indicator into higher (ranks 1-4), middle (ranks 5-8), and lower (ranks 9-12) tiers., Results: Despite fewer qualified stroke centers and specialists, Gyeonggi Province exhibited higher defect-free care rates (84.6 % vs. 80.7 %), intra-regional treatment rates (57.8 % vs. 51.0 %), and marginally lower one-year mortality (16.2 % vs. 17.3 %) compared to national averages. Notable regional disparities were observed; the highest-performing areas for defect-free care and acute reperfusion therapy exceeded the lowest by 1.4 and 3.3 times, respectively. Nine out of twelve areas fell below the national average for EVT rates, seven for IVT and reperfusion therapy rates, and five for intra-regional treatment rates. Pyeongtaek, with all stroke care quality indicators below the national average coupled with the highest one-year mortality, emerges as a critical area needing improvement in acute stroke care., Conclusion: This study not only exposes the regional disparities in stroke care within Gyeonggi Province's hospital service areas but also identifies areas most vulnerable. Consequently, a customized support strategy for these areas is imperative., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: Acute management of blood pressure in ischemic stroke treated with reperfusion therapy remains uncertain. We evaluated blood pressures during the first 24-hours after reperfusion therapy in relation to in-hospital outcomes., Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective study of blood pressure in the first 24 hours among ischemic stroke patients who underwent reperfusion therapy with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) or mechanical thrombectomy (MT) at a tertiary referral center. Blood pressure variability was expressed as the range between the highest and the lowest pressures. Outcomes of interest were discharge disposition and in-hospital mortality. Favorable outcome was defined as a discharge destination to home or inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed with adjustment for age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and patients receiving reperfusion therapy., Results: Among the 140 ischemic stroke patients (117 IVT, 84 MT and 61 both), 95 (67.8%) had favorable discharge disposition and 24 (17.1%) died. Higher 24-hour peak systolic blood pressures (SBPs) and peak mean arterial pressures (MAPs) were independently associated with a lower likelihood of favorable discharge disposition, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.868, 95 % CI 0.760 - 0.990 per 10 mm Hg for SBP and aOR 0.710, 95% CI 0.515 - 0.980 for MAP, and with increased odds of death aOR 1.244, 95% CI 1.056-1.467 and aOR 1.760, 95% CI 1.119 - 2.769 respectively. Greater variability of SBP and MAP was also associated with odds of death aOR 1.327, 95% CI 1.104 - 1.595 and aOR 1.577, 95% CI 1.060- 2.345 respectively, without a significant effect on discharge disposition., Conclusion: In the first 24 hours after reperfusion therapy, higher peak and variable blood pressures are associated with unfavorable discharge outcomes and increased in-hospital mortality. Further studies in stroke patients undergoing reperfusion therapy might target blood pressure reduction and variability to improve patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: High-quality data on time of stroke onset and time of hospital arrival is required for proper evaluation of points of delay that might hinder access to medical care after the onset of stroke symptoms., Purpose: Based on (SITS Dataset) in Egyptian stroke patients, we aimed to explore factors related to time of onset versus time of hospital arrival for acute ischemic stroke (AIS)., Material and Methods: We included 1,450 AIS patients from two stroke centers of Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. We divided the day to four quarters and evaluated relationship between different factors and time of stroke onset and time of hospital arrival. The factors included: age, sex, duration from stroke onset to hospital arrival, type of management, type of stroke (TOAST classification), National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) on admission and favorable outcome modified Rankin Scale (mRS ≤2)., Results: Pre-hospital: highest stroke incidence was in the first and fourth quarters. There was no significant difference in the mean age, sex, type of stroke in relation to time of onset. NIHSS was significantly less in onset in third quarter of the day. Percentage of patients who received thrombolytic therapy was higher with onset in the first 2 quarters of the day (p = <0.001). In-hospital: there was no difference in percentage of patients who received thrombolytic therapy nor in outcome across 4 quarters of arrival to hospital., Conclusion: Pre-hospital factors still need adjustment to improve percentage of thrombolysis, while in-hospital factors showed consistent performance., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background/purpose: Racial/ethnic and sex disparity may occur in stroke throughout the continuum of care. Endovascular therapy (EVT) became standard of care in 2015 for eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We evaluated for racial and sex differences in t-PA and EVT utilization and outcomes in 2016 in the National Inpatient Sample., Methods: Treatment rates for t-PA, EVT, and t-PA+EVT and outcomes including home discharge, in-hospital mortality and prolonged length of stay (pLOS) were evaluated by sex and race. Multivariate survey-logistic regression was performed to evaluate outcomes., Results: The study had 468,630 patients - 49.3% men, 50.7% women; 69.3% whites, and 30.7% non-whites. There was no difference in treatment utilization by sex, women vs men for t-PA (7.65% vs 7.76%; aOR:1.02; 95% CI:0.97-1.07), EVT (1.74% vs 1.67%; aOR:1.09; 95% CI:0.99-1.20) and t-PA+EVT (0.57% vs 0.57%; aOR:1.01; 95% CI:0.85-1.21); and by race, non-white vs white for t-PA (7.62% vs 7.74%; aOR:0.98; 95% CI:0.93-1.05), EVT (1.62% vs 1.74%; aOR:0.91; 95% CI:0.78-1.07), and t-PA+EVT(0.59% vs 0.56%; aOR:1.05; 95% CI:0.84-1.30). Compared to men, women treated with t-PA had less home discharge (37.2% vs 46.3%; aOR:0.81; 95% CI:0.72-0.90), more in-hospital mortality (5.7% vs 3.9%; aOR:1.37; 95% CI:1.06-1.77) and less pLOS (8.3% vs 9.6%; aOR:0.82; 95% CI:0.69-0.98); women treated with EVT had less home discharge (15.8% vs 23.7%; aOR:0.69; 95% CI:0.52-0.91). Compared to whites, non-whites treated with t-PA had lower odds of home discharge (42.1% vs 41.6%; aOR:0.79; 95% CI:0.69-0.90), less in-hospital mortality (3.7% vs 5.3%; aOR:0.65; 95% CI:0.49-0.87), and higher pLOS (11.4% vs 7.9%; aOR:1.3; 95% CI:1.07-1.56); non-whites treated with EVT had less home discharge (18%vs 20.2%; aOR:0.70; 95% CI:0.51-0.97) and higher pLOS (35.1% vs 24%; aOR:1.52; 95% CI:1.16-1.99)., Conclusion: Sex and racial disparity exists for outcomes of t-PA and EVT despite no difference in utilization rates., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with large-vessel occlusion (LVO) who initially present to a non-thrombectomy-capable center ("spoke") have worse outcomes than those presenting directly to a thrombectomy-capable center ("hub"). Furthermore, patients who suffer in-hospital strokes (IHS) suffer worse outcomes than those suffering strokes in the community. Data on patients who suffer IHS at a spoke hospital is lacking. We aim to characterize this particularly vulnerable population, define their outcomes, and compare them to patients who develop IHS at a hub institution., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data from patients suffering an IHS at a spoke hospital who were then transferred to the hub hospital for endovascular therapy (EVT). We then compared outcomes of these patients under EVT after developing IHS at the hub institution., Results: A total of 108 IHS patients met inclusion criteria: 91 (84%) at a spoke facility and 17 (16%) at the hub facility. Baseline characteristics and reason for hospital admission were comparable between the two groups. Time from imaging to IV-tPA administration (17 vs. 70 min, p = 0.01) and time to EVT (120 vs. 247 min, p = 0.001) were significantly shorter in the hub group. More patients had a 90 day-mRS of 0-3 in the hub group than the spoke group (57% vs 22%, p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Patients undergoing EVT after suffering IHS at a spoke hospital have significantly higher rates of poor outcomes compared to patients who suffer IHS at a hub hospital. Prolonged time delays in the initiation of IV-tPA and EVT represent areas of improvement., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest BAG: Consultant: Microvention BTJ: Consultant: Medtronic. TGJ: Consultant: Stryker Neurovascular (PI DAWN-unpaid), Ownership Interest: Anaconda, Advisory Board/Investor; FreeOx Biotech, Advisory Board/Investor; Route92, Advisory Board/Investor; Blockade Medical, Consultant; Honoraria: Cerenovus., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Intracranial hemorrhages (ICH) are classified as symptomatic or asymptomatic according to the presence of clinical deterioration. Here, we aimed to find predictive factors of symptomatic intracranial bleeding in a registry-based stroke research., Methods: Data of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) were extracted from the prospective STAY ALIVE stroke registry. Analysis of the total population and treatment sugroups such as endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), or their combination (IVT+EVT) were also done. Outcome measures were ICH, 30- and 90-day clinical outcome based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS:0-2 as favorable outcome). The hemorrhage was captured by a non-enhanced CT of the skull within 24 h after procedure., Results: A total of 355 patients (mean age: 68±11; female N=177 (49.9%); EVT n=131 (36.9%); IVT n=157 (44.2%); IVT+EVT n=67 (18.9%) were included in the analysis. The total number of ICH was 47 (13%), symptomatic (sICH) 12 (3.4%) and asymptomatic (aICH) 35 (9.9%) in the whole population. NIHSS ≥15.5 at 24 post stroke hours predicted sICH with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 92% (p<0.001). Furthermore, lower age, good collateral circulation on initial CT angiography and lower NIHSS score measured at 24 h independently associated with a favorable 90-day outcome, whereas baseline NIHSS and ASPECT score were not., Conclusion: Although partial recanalization, ASPECT< 6, and poor collaterals were significantly associated with sICH, the only independent predictor was NIHSS ≥15.5 at 24 post stroke hours. This suggests a careful evaluation of patients with worsening NIHSS despite an adequate therapy., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is one of the most effective therapies available for patients with known-onset stroke (KOS). Whether rt-PA treatment would improve functional outcomes in patients with stroke with unknown time of onset (UTOS) is undetermined, we aimed to systematically assess the efficacy and safety of thrombolysis for UTOS patients in this meta-analysis., Methods: A systematic literature search of Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library was conducted. We considered the relevant data comparing thrombolyzed UTOS patients versus nonthrombolyzed UTOS patients or thrombolyzed UTOS patients versus thrombolyzed KOS patients. Treatment efficacy and safety were measured according to modified Rankin Scale scores of 0-2 (mRS 0-2), and the presence of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) or mortality at 90 days respectively., Results: A total of 11 studies with 2581 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. All the patients had an ischemic lesion that was assessed by imaging including computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Among these studies, 6 compared the thrombolytic efficacy in thrombolyzed UTOS patients with that in nonthrombolyzed UTOS patients (mRS 0-2: odds ratio [OR] =1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-2.81, P = .02), and 8 studies compared thrombolyzed UTOS patients with thrombolyzed KOS patients (mRS 0-2: OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.66-1.15, P = .33). The incidence of SICH and mortality at 90 days had no difference between thrombolyzed UTOS patients versus nonthrombolyzed UTOS patients and thrombolyzed UTOS patients versus thrombolyzed KOS patients (all P > .05)., Conclusions: Data from observational studies suggest that thrombolysis for UTOS patients had significantly favorable outcomes at 90 days compared with nonthrombolyzed patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is inequality in access to recent advancements in endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and Mexico is unusually sensitive to such inequality., Aims: To report the initial experience of the Mexican Endovascular Reperfusion Registry (MERR)., Methods: The MERR is an academic, independent, prospective, multicenter, observational registry of patients treated with endovascular reperfusion techniques in Mexican hospitals. The registry includes information on demographic and clinical characteristics, diagnostic procedures, treatments, selected time metrics, and outcomes., Results: In all, 49 (57.1% female) patients from 8 centers were included and had the following characteristics: median National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score, 16; median Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score score, 9; received intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator, 49%; and treated with mechanical devices, 39 (79.6%), including 20 treated with stent retriever alone, 2 with retriever and intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAt), 10 with catheter aspiration (4 in combination with IAt), 6 with a combination of catheter aspiration and stent retriever, and 1 with IAt followed by balloon angioplasty. Recanalization (TICI 2b or better) was achieved in 69.4% of the patients. The median clot to recanalization time was 30 minutes. A modified Rankin scale ≤2 was achieved in 44.9% of the patients, and 68.2% of these were treated with stent retriever ( P = .011). Procedure-related morbidity was 12.2%, 7 patients presented intracerebral hemorrhage (71.4% asymptomatic), and all-cause mortality was 6.1%., Conclusions: Endovascular treatment of AIS in Mexico is feasible and has an efficacy comparable to that of other countries. Still, many challenges remain, especially pertaining to high costs and difficulties in equality in access to treatment.

Background: Ischemic stroke is a frequent neurologic complication of infective endocarditis. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thrombectomy in comparison to thrombolysis and to combined treatment in patients with infective endocarditis associated acute ischemic stroke., Methods: A systematic literature review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The review included case reports, cases series, cross-sectional studies, case control studies, randomized controlled trials or nonrandomized controlled trials, which reported the treatment of endocarditis-related acute ischemic stroke with mechanical thrombectomy, intravenous or intra-arterial thrombolysis in adult patients., Data Sources: Scielo, b-on, Pubmed and Cochrane, from inception to April 2019. Reference lists were also checked. We compared the efficacy (independence, neurological improvement) and safety (intracranial bleeding, death) of acute ischemic stroke treatment with thrombolysis, thrombectomy and combined therapy., Results: Through systematic review 37 articles describing 52 patients met criteria. The risk of intracranial hemorrhage was 4.14 times higher in patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (P = .001) and 4.67 times higher in patients treated with combined treatment (P = .01). There was trend for independence (P = .09) and neurological improvement (P = .07) in favor of thrombectomy, when comparing this group to the group treated with intravenous thrombolysis., Conclusions: With the limitation of the low quality of the available evidence, thrombectomy in infective endocarditis associated stroke appears to be safer than thrombolysis, or combined treatment. These results may be useful to guide clinical decisions, in selected patients., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the temporal trend of 30-day and 1-year mortality among U.S. Medicare beneficiaries who were hospitalized for ischemic stroke, with special focus on the mortality among subgroup of patients in relation to acute reperfusion therapies including intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular thrombectomy (EVT)., Methods: We evaluated Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries age 65 years or older who were hospitalized for ischemic stroke between 2009 and 2013. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were generated to analyze the trend of adjusted mortality., Results: A total of 1,070,574 patients were included in the study. The 30-day mortality did not change among patients who were not treated with IVT or EVT. It decreased by 13% among patients treated with IVT but not EVT (HR = .87, 95% CI .82-.92), 25% among patients treated with EVT but not IVT (HR = .75, 95% CI .59-.95), and 37% among patients treated with both IVT and EVT (HR = .63, 95% CI .52-.77). One-year mortality decreased by 19% among patients who were not treated with IVT nor EVT (HR = .81, 95% CI .80-.83), 22% among those treated with IVT but not EVT (HR = .78, 95% CI .75-.81), 33% among those treated with EVT but not IVT (HR = .67, 95% CI .55-.81), and 38% among those treated with both IVT and EVT (HR = .62, 95% CI .53-.73)., Conclusions: From 2009 to 2013, the 30-day stroke case fatality decreased only among the patients received reperfusion therapy. The 1-year mortality declined among all the stroke patients, with the greatest decline among those treated with both IVT and EVT., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: The safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolytic therapy (IVT) for posterior circulation stroke (PCS) in the real world are rarely studied. This study was designed to evaluate the prestroke and baseline characteristics, stroke sub-types, complications, and outcomes of PCS patients and compare them with anterior circulation stroke (ACS) after intravenous thrombolysis., Methods: Data of consecutive patients with PCS and ACS treated with alteplase in a standard dose of 0.9 mg/kg in our stroke center were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Presenting characteristics, hemorrhage transformation, mortality, and favorable outcomes (modified Rankin scale 0 or 1) at 90 days were compared between PCS and ACS patients., Results: A total of 462 patients were included in this study, including 350 (75.8%) in ACS group and 112 (24.2%) in PCS group. A history of coronary artery disease was significantly more common in ACS patients than that in PCS patients (15.1% versus 6.3%, P = .015). There was no significant difference in fast glucose and baseline NIHSS scores between PCS and ACS groups. In PCS group, 7 patients (6.3%) had hemorrhage transformation after IVT and 5 patients (4.5%) were symptomatic versus 32 (9.1%) and 22 (6.3%) in ACS group (P > .05). 75.5% PCS patients versus 72.2% ACS patients had excellent recovery outcomes (mRS 0-1) at 90 days (P = .507). For PCS patients, logistic regression analysis after adjusting the covariates identified age (P = .047, OR .920, 95% CI = .847-.999) and atrial fibrillation (P = .007, OR 12.149, 95% CI = 1.966-75.093) as independent significant predictors of hemorrhage transformation. In addition, atrial fibrillation was also an independent predictor of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (P = .008, OR 21.176, 95% CI = 2.228-201.273). Multivariate logistic analysis identified hemorrhage transformation (P = .012; OR .131, 95% CI = .027-.644) and onset to drug time (P = .026, OR 1.006, 95% CI = 1.001-1.011) as independent predictors of functional independence (mRS 0-2). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (P = .007, OR 15.094, 95% CI = 2.097-108.661) and baseline NIHSS score (P = .050; OR 1.070, 95% CI = 1.000-1.145) were independent predictors of mortality., Conclusion: Our results suggest that IVT in PCS patients is safe and effective as that in ACS patients. In PCS patients, long onset to needle time and hemorrhage transformation were identified as independent predictors of unfavorable outcomes., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: The risk/benefit profile of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) prior to endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in acute ischemic stroke is still unclear. We provide a systematic review and meta-analysis including studies comparing direct EVT (dEVT) vs. bridging treatment (IVT + EVT), defining the impact of treatment timing and eligibility to IVT on functional status and mortality., Methods: Protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019135915) and followed PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), retrospective, and prospective studies comparing IVT + EVT vs. dEVT in adults (≥18) with acute ischemic stroke. Primary endpoint was functional independence at 90 days (modified Rankin Scale <3); secondary endpoints were (i) good recanalization (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction >2a), (ii) mortality, and (iii) symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). Subgroup analysis was performed according to study type, eligibility to IVT, and onset-to-groin timing (OGT), stratifying studies for similar OGT. ORs for endpoints were pooled with meta-analysis and compared between reperfusion strategies., Results: Overall, 35 studies were included (n = 9,117). No significant differences emerged comparing patients undergoing dEVT and bridging treatment for gender, hypertension, diabetes, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score at admission. Regarding primary endpoint, IVT + EVT was superior to dEVT (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.22-1.69, p < 0.001, pheterogeneity<0.001), with number needed to treat being 18 in favor of IVT + EVT. Results were confirmed in studies with similar OGT (OR 1.66; 95% CI 1.21-2.28), shorter OGT for IVT + EVT (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.27-1.85), and independently from IVT eligibility (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.29-1.82). Mortality at 90 days was higher in dEVT (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.09-1.75), but no significant difference was noted for sICH. However, considering data from RCT only, reperfusion strategies had similar primary (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.6-1.39) and secondary endpoints. Differences in age and clinical severity across groups were unrelated to the primary endpoint., Conclusions: Compared to dEVT, IVT + EVT associates with better functional outcome and lower mortality. Post hoc data from RCTs point to substantial equivalence of reperfusion strategies. Therefore, an adequately powered RCTs comparing dEVT versus IVT + EVT are warranted., (© 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background Guidelines recommend against the use of intravenous tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator; IV tPA) in acute ischemic stroke patients with prior ischemic stroke within 3 months. However, there are limited data on the safety of IV tPA in this population. Methods and Results A retrospective observational study of patients ≥66 years of age linked to Medicare claims and treated with IV tPA at Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals (February 2009 to December 2015). We identified 293 patients treated with IV tPA who had a prior ischemic stroke within 3 months and 30 655 with no history of stroke. Patients with prior stroke had a higher stroke severity (median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, 11 [6-19] versus 11 [6-18]; absolute standardized difference, 11.2%) and a higher prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities. Patients with prior stroke had a higher unadjusted risk for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (7.7% versus 4.8%) and in-hospital mortality (12.6% versus 8.9%), but these differences were not statistically significant after adjustment. When stratified by prespecified time epochs, the elevated risk for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was seen only within the first 14 days (16.3% versus 4.8%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.7 [95% CI, 1.62-8.43]) but not in other epochs (2.1% versus 4.8%; aOR, 0.38 [95% CI, 0.05-2.79] for 15-30 days and 7.4% versus 4.8%; aOR, 1.36 [95% CI, 0.77-2.40] for 31-90 days). In addition, patients with prior stroke were significantly more likely to have a combined outcome of in-hospital mortality or discharge to hospice (25.9% versus 17.0%; aOR, 1.70 [95% CI, 1.21-2.38]), less likely to be discharged to home (28.3% versus 32.3%; aOR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.54-0.98]), or to have good functional outcomes at discharge (modified Rankin Scale, 0-1; 11.3% versus 20.0%; aOR, 0.46 [95% CI, 0.24-0.89]). Conclusions Stroke providers need to continue to be vigilant about the safety of IV tPA in patients with prior stroke, particularly those with an event in the previous 14 days.

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], OR adjusted = 0.52 [95% CI = 0.13-2.16], OR matched = 0.68 [95% CI = 0.15-3.03], OR weighted = 0.95 [95% CI = 0.39-2.32]), mortality (OR unadjusted = 1.49 [95% CI = 1.00-2.24], OR adjusted = 0.98 [95% CI = 0.5-1.92], OR matched = 1.13 [95% CI = 0.55-2.33], OR weighted = 1.17 [95% CI = 0.73-1.88]), and functional outcome (mRS ≥ 3/ordinal mRS: OR unadjusted = 1.33 [95% CI = 0.96-1.84]/1.35 [95% CI = 1.01-1.81], OR adjusted = 0.78 [95% CI = 0.45-1.32]/0.78 [95% CI = 0.52-1.16], OR matched = 0.75 [95% CI = 0.43-1.32]/0.45 [95% CI = 0.10-2.06], OR weighted = 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., (© 2019 American Neurological Association.)

Background: Evidence about whether neutrophil counts, neutrophil ratio linked with clinical outcome in patients with minor stroke after thrombolysis is scarce. The purpose of this study is to explore the association of neutrophil counts, neutrophil ratio with the 90-day clinical outcome in patients with minor stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis., Materials and Methods: A total of 163 patients with minor stroke treated with thrombolysis within window time were recruited from 2013 to 2017. Their total neutrophil and leukocyte counts on admission were measured. Disability or death (defined as a modified Rankin scale score ≥2) at 90-day were captured. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between neutrophil counts, and neutrophil ratio to clinical outcome. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the predictive value of neutrophil counts or neutrophil ratio., Results: At the 90-day follow-up, 36 patients (21%) had disability or death after stroke onset. Compared to the first tertile, the higher neutrophil counts increased the risk of 90-day disability or death (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] for third tertile: 2.93 (1.08-7.96); P for trend = .03). Similarly, higher neutrophil ratio also increased the risk of disability or death (aOR for third tertile: 5.81 (1.7-19.88); P for trend = .005). The comparison of area under the curve for neutrophil ratio versus neutrophils was .1 (P = .04). Thus, neutrophil ratio with the cutoff point of .74 had a better discriminative ability to the outcome (6.11, 2.36-15.86)., Conclusions: Baseline higher neutrophil counts and neutrophil ratio were associated with an increased risk of 90-day disability or death in patients with minor stroke who received thrombolytic therapy., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: The current American Heart Association guidelines for the management of acute ischemic stroke advise against the use of intravenous (IV) alteplase in patients with recurrent stroke occurring within 90 days of their index event. Following these guidelines strictly, patients having early recurrent ischemic stroke would be unable to avail of this reperfusion strategy that has been proven to confer superior clinical outcomes. While some registry-based studies have demonstrated the safety of IV alteplase in this subgroup of patients, data on the repeated use of the drug are lacking. Thus, we aim to determine the safety and efficacy of repeated thrombolysis in patients with early recurrent ischemic strokes., Methods: The following electronic databases were searched for relevant studies: the Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials by The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE by PubMed, Health Research and Development Information Network, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Data on symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, 90-day clinical outcomes, systemic hemorrhage and allergic reactionswere synthesized., Results: Ten articles with 33 patients in total were included in our review. One patient developed symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after the second reperfusion attempt and subsequently died from pneumonia. Another died from spontaneous rupture of previously unidentified infrarenal aortic aneurysm. Six of the 13 patients with available follow-up data had good clinical outcomes (Modified Rankin Score 0-2). There were no allergic reactions and other drug-related adverse events noted., Conclusions: Repeated IV alteplase can be safe and efficacious in patients who have early recurrent ischemic stroke. Larger studies, trials, or registry-based data are needed to ascertain the encouraging findings of our review., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Unknown onset stroke (UOS) is usually excluded from intravenous thrombolysis concerning the unclear symptom onset time. Attempts have been done to use thrombolytic therapy in these patients. The current meta-analysis was done to examine the efficacy and safety of intravenous thrombolysis in UOS., Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies comparing thrombolysis with conservative therapy among UOSs. Data of good outcome (mRS, 0-2), mortality, and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and symptomatic ICH (sICH) were extracted and analyzed using the Revman 5.2 software., Results: In total, 8 studies with 1271 subjects (542 with thrombolysis and 729 with conservative therapy) were included in this meta-analysis. The data showed that patients receiving thrombolysis had a higher incidence of 90-day good outcome ( P = 0.0005) than conservative therapy. The comparison of discharge ( P = 0.89) and 90-day mortality ( P = 0.10) in both groups did not find any significances. The incidences of ICH ( P = 0.42) and sICH ( P = 0.06) were relatively comparable between the two therapies., Conclusions: Intravenous thrombolysis is a better choice for UOS patients for its efficacy and safety. In addition, pretreatment imaging assessment is beneficial for improving the efficacy of thrombolytic therapy. However, it needs more supporting evidences for clinical use in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Di Luan et al.)

Objectives: To evaluate the safety of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) therapy in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) or endovascular therapy (EVT) such as mechanical thrombectomy., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent AIS therapy with IVT or EVT at a tertiary referral center from 2013 to 2017, that were later diagnosed with acute IE as the causative mechanism. We then performed a systematic review of reports of acute ischemic reperfusion therapy in IE since 1995 for their success rates in terms of neurological outcome, and mortality, and their risk of hemorrhagic complication., Results: In the retrospective portion, 8 participants met criteria, of whom 4 received IVT and 4 received EVT. Through systematic review, 24 publications of 32 participants met criteria. Combined, a total of 40 participants were analyzed: 18 received IVT alone, 1 received combined IVT plus EVT, and 21 received EVT alone. IVT compared to EVT were similar in rates of good neurologic outcomes (58% versus 76%, P= .22) and mortality (21% versus 19%, P= .87), but had higher post-therapy intracranial hemorrhage (63% versus 18% [P= .006])., Conclusion: IV thrombolysis has a higher rate of post-therapy intracranial hemorrhage compared to EVT. EVT should be considered as first-line AIS therapy for patients with known, or suspected, IE who present with a large vessel occlusion., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Epidemiological correlations between active malignancy (AM) and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are well-established. However, the effect of reperfusion strategies, particularly mechanical thrombectomy (MT), has been barely investigated in patients with AIS and AM. We aim to evaluate safety and efficacy of reperfusion strategies in such patients., Materials and Methods: We performed a case-control analysis comparing patients with AM and AIS (AM group) to a group of cancer-free patients with AIS (control group). All enrolled patients underwent reperfusion therapies (i.e. intravenous thrombolysis, MT, intravenous thrombolysis plus MT). Main outcomes were 3-month functional independence, successful reperfusion, 3-month mortality, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage., Results: Total 24 patients with AM and AIS (mean age: 69 ± 10.1) were individually matched to 24 control patients (mean age: 70.7 ± 9.3). In both groups 50% were treated with MT, 46% with intravenous thrombolysis and 4% with intravenous thrombolysis plus MT. No difference were found in successful reperfusion, 3-month functional independence, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and mortality. However an overall mortality of 33% in the AM group was reported., Conclusions: Reperfusion strategies for AIS patients with AM seem to be safe and effective. However an individualized approach to understand cancer stage and life-expectation is warranted., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The necessity for rapid evaluation and treatment of acute ischemic stroke with intravenous tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) may increase the risk of administrating tPA to patients presenting with noncerebrovascular conditions that closely resemble stroke (stroke mimics). However, there are limited data on thrombolysis safety in stroke mimics., Methods and Results: Using data from the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Registry, we identified 72 582 patients with suspected ischemic stroke treated with tPA from 485 US hospitals between January 2010 and December 2017. We documented the use of tPA in stroke mimics, defined as patients who present with stroke-like symptoms, but after workup are determined not to have suffered from a stroke or transient ischemic attack, and compared characteristics and outcomes in stroke mimics versus those with ischemic stroke. Overall, 3.5% of tPA treatments were given to stroke mimics. Among them, 38.2% had a final nonstroke diagnoses of migraine, functional disorder, seizure, and electrolyte or metabolic imbalance. Compared with tPA-treated true ischemic strokes, tPA-treated mimics were younger (median 54 versus 71 years), had a less severe National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (median 6 versus 8), and a lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, except for a higher prevalence of prior stroke/transient ischemic attack (31.3% versus 26.1%, all P<0.001). The rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was lower in stroke mimics (0.4%) as compared with 3.5% in ischemic strokes (adjusted odds ratio, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.17-0.50). In-hospital mortality rate was significantly lower in stroke mimics (0.8% versus 6.2%, adjusted odds ratio, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.20-0.49). Patients with stroke mimics were more likely to be discharged to home (83.8% versus 49.3%, adjusted odds ratio, 2.97; 95% CI, 2.59-3.42) and to ambulate independently at discharge (78.6% versus 50.6%, adjusted odds ratio, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.61-2.14)., Conclusions: In this large cohort of patients treated with tPA, relatively few patients who received tPA for presumed stroke were ultimately not diagnosed with a stroke or transient ischemic attack. The complication rates associated with tPA in stroke mimics were low. Despite the potential risk of administering tPA to stroke mimics, opportunity remains for continued improvement in the rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatment of ischemic stroke.

This meta-analysis was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of sonothrombolysis along with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, alteplase (IV rtPA), in the management of acute ischemic stroke. Electronic databases were searched under different meSH terms without the restriction of time and language. 1415 studies were analyzed and seven studies that matched the inclusion criteria were selected. Multiple safety and efficacy outcomes were extracted. Our pooled analysis demonstrated that there is no significant difference between sonothrombolysis group and control group in preventing mortality (RR 1.10 [0.81, 1.50]; p = 0.55; I 2  = 0%) and intracranial hemorrhage (RR 1.11 [0.76, 1.63]; p = 0.59; i 2  = 0%), however, among the efficacy outcomes; complete recanalization after 60-120 min was achieved more effectively in the sonothrombolysis group (RR 2.11 [1.48, 3.03]; p ≤ 0.0001; I 2  = 0%). The rest of the efficacy outcomes like neurological improvement at 24 h (RR 1.20 [0.92, 1.57]; p = 0.18; I 2  = 40%) and excellent functional outcome after 3 months (RR 1.19 [0.93, 1.52]; p = 0.17; I 2  = 35%) showed no significant differences between the two groups. In subgroup analysis, we found that sonothrombolysis led to a better neurological improvement in patients who were less than 65 years of age (RR 1.20 [0.92, 1.57]; p = 0.05; I 2  = 40%). Moreover, there were no significant differences in the following of the subgroups assessed: (a) microsphere or microbubble use, (b) Ultrasound frequency (2 MHz or < 2 MHz), (c) transcranial Doppler (TCD) duration (1 h or 2 h), (d) age (≤ 65 or > 65).

Objectives: Stroke is the leading cause of death and adult disability in China, following a rise in incidence over the last few decades. We aimed to explore the geographic variations in hospital mortality and endovascular therapy (EVT) use among ischaemic stroke (IS) patients in China, and investigate the associated potential risk factors., Design: Observational cross-sectional study of patients hospitalised for stroke., Setting: Hospital discharge data for 1267 tertiary hospitals between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2015 were derived from the Nationwide Hospital Discharge Database operated by the National Health Commission of China., Participants: 1 826 332 patients aged ≥18 years, hospitalised following stroke., Outcome Measures: In-hospital mortality and EVT use., Results: The nationwide hospital mortality rate of IS patients was 0.88% (95% CI 0.86% to 0.90%); there was a significantly greater risk of mortality in the Northeast (OR 2.37; 95% CI 2.23 to 2.52), West (1.65; 1.54 to 1.78), South (1.25; 1.17 to 1.33) and North (1.29; 1.20 to 1.39) than in the East. Tertiary B hospitals (OR 1.05; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.09), patients admitted from emergency departments and older patients were associated with higher hospital mortality. The national EVT use rate was 0.45% (95% CI 0.44% to 0.46%). Compared with in East China, EVT use was significantly lower in the Northeast (OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.24) and West (0.64; 0.58 to 0.71), though not the North (1.23; 1.14 to 1.33). Tertiary A hospitals (OR 2.62; 95% CI 2.43 to 2.83), male patients and patients admitted from emergency departments were also associated with higher EVT use rates., Conclusions: There were substantial disparities in mortality and EVT use for hospitalised patients with IS among China's tertiary hospitals, linked with both geographic and hospital characteristics. More targeted intervention at regional and hospital levels is needed for providing effective health technologies and eventually improving post-stroke outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background It is unclear whether intravenous thrombolysis ( IVT ) with alteplase before endovascular treatment ( EVT ) is beneficial for patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by a large vessel occlusion. We compared clinical and procedural outcomes, safety, and workflow between patients treated with both IVT and EVT and those treated with EVT alone in routine clinical practice. Methods and Results Using multivariable regression, we evaluated the association of IVT + EVT with 90-day functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale), mortality, reperfusion, first-pass effect, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in the MR CLEAN (Multicenter Randomised Controlled Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in The Netherlands) Registry. Of 1485 patients, 1161 (78%) were treated with IVT + EVT , and 324 (22%) with EVT alone. Patients treated with IVT + EVT had atrial fibrillation less often (16% versus 44%) and had better pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale scores (pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale 0: 73% versus 52%) than those treated with EVT alone. Procedure time was shorter in the IVT + EVT group (median 62 versus 68 minutes). Nontransferred IVT + EVT patients had longer door-to-groin-puncture times (median 105 versus 94 minutes). IVT + EVT was associated with better functional outcome (adjusted common odds ratio 1.47; 95% CI : 1.10-1.96) and lower mortality (adjusted odds ratio 0.58; 95% CI : 0.40-0.82). Successful reperfusion, first-pass effect, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage did not differ between groups. Conclusions In this observational study, patients treated with IVT + EVT had better clinical outcomes than patients who received EVT alone. This finding may demonstrate a true benefit of IVT before EVT , but its interpretation is hampered by the possibility of residual confounding and selection bias. Randomized trials are required to properly assess the effect of IVT before EVT .

Background and Purpose- There are limited data on intravenous thrombolysis treatment in patients with ischemic stroke who have received prophylactic doses of low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs). We aimed to evaluate the safety and outcomes of intravenous thrombolysis treatment in stroke patients taking thromboprophylactic doses of LMWH. Methods- We analyzed 109 291patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis, recorded in the Safe Implementation of Treatments in Stroke International Thrombolysis Register between 2003 and 2017 not taking oral anticoagulants or therapeutic doses of heparin at stroke onset. One thousand four hundred eleven patients (1.3%) were on prophylactic LMWH for deep venous thrombosis prevention. Outcome measures were symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, parenchymal hematoma, death within 7 days and 3 months, and functional dependency at 3 months. Results- Patients on LMWH were older, had more severe strokes, more prestroke disability, and comorbidities than patients without LMWH. There was no significant increase in adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (aOR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.48-2.17] as per Safe Implementation of Treatments in Stroke -MOST, aOR, 0.95 [0.59-1.53] per ECASS II]), nor for 7-day mortality (aOR, 1.14 [0.82-1.59]), in the prophylactic LMWH group. The LMWH group had a higher aOR for 3-month mortality (aOR, 1.94 [1.49-2.53]) and functional dependency, aOR, 1.44 (1.10-1.90). Propensity score analysis matching patients on baseline characteristics removed differences between groups on all outcomes except 3-month mortality. Conclusions- Intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke on treatment with prophylactic doses of LMWH at stroke onset is not associated with an increased risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage or early death.

Background: Asians with atrial fibrillation carry a higher risk of ischemic stroke than non-Asians even under treatment of nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants. The purpose of the study was to observe the feasibility of intravenous thrombolytic therapy after administering a reversal agent, idarucizumab, in dabigatran-treated patients with acute ischemic stroke in Taiwan., Methods: Dabigatran-treated patients with acute ischemic stroke who received intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) after idarucizumab reversal were enrolled in the retrospective nationwide study. The clinical data, treatment course, and outcomes were recorded. Stroke severity was evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. Any intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after rt-PA was detected by neuroimaging studies., Results: Ten dabigatran-treated patients (6 men, mean age 71.10 ± 7.96 years) with acute ischemic stroke were included. Before stroke, the mean CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score was 4.50 ± 1.57 and 8 patients (80%) received dabigatran 110 mg twice daily. All patients were treated with 5 g idarucizumab, following which the activated partial thromboplastin time normalized. Intravenous rt-PA (mean dose .78 mg/kg) was initiated a mean time of 11.11 minutes after idarucizumab infusion. The NIHSS score improved significantly after thrombolysis (16.0 ± 6.67 at admission to 9.38 ± 4.75 at discharge, P = .016). ICH developed in 3 patients (30%). Two of them were asymptomatic and 1 patient suffered from symptomatic ICH leading to mortality., Conclusion: Our data reconfirmed the feasibility of intravenous rt-PA for Asian stroke patients after reversal of dabigatran effect with idarucizumab., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in combination with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is the standard of care for patients with acute ischemic stroke with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion. The particular benefit of IVT in these patients is unknown. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients submitted to MT at our center between January 2015 and June 2017. Functional outcome was prospectively assessed using modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 3 months. A total of 234 patients were enrolled, 152 (65%) in the combined treatment group and 82 (35%) in the direct MT group. Patients receiving combined treatment had a higher frequency of intracranial internal carotid artery occlusion (48 [31.6%] versus 16 [19.5%], P = .048) and significantly less strokes of cardioembolic etiology (72 [47.4%] versus 57 [69.5%], P = .01). Other baseline characteristics did not differ between the 2 groups. Good functional outcome at 3 months (mRS 0-2) was trending toward being higher in patients in the combined treatment group (98 [64.9%] versus 42 [52.5%], P = .066). Rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (5 [3.3%] versus 4 [4.9%], P = .723) and mortality (15 [9.9%] versus 14 [17.5%], P = .099) did not differ between groups. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, we did not find a statistically significant association between the use of IVT and any of the outcomes studied. Our results suggest that combined treatment carries similar effectiveness and safety than direct MT. Randomized controlled trials regarding this subject are warranted., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Although endovascular treatment (EVT) is very effective for acute ischemia stroke (AIS) patients with proximal large vessels occlusion (LVO), whether bridging rPA before EVT in stroke patients of LVO is of any benefit and is currently one of the most urgent unanswered questions. We aim to comprehensively determine the efficacy and safety of direct EVT (DEVT) in AIS patients with LVO versus bridging therapy (BT)., Methods: Clinical researches published in the Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library electronic databases up to May 2017 were identified for analysis. Two reviewers extracted data and conducted quality assessment independently. Statistical tests were performed to check for heterogeneity and publication bias. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis were also conducted to evaluate the robustness of the conclusions., Results: Overall, 13 studies involving 3302 patients met the inclusion criteria. The AIS patients with DEVT had a similar likelihood to achieve good functional outcome at 3 months (risk ratio [RR] = .93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .85-1.01, P = .094), mortality at 3 months (RR = 1.10, 95% CI = .91-1.33, P = .33), and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (RR = 1.06, 95% CI = .74-1.51, P = .75) versus BT; furthermore, the risk of intracranial hemorrhage was lower in DEVT group (RR = .76, 95% CI = .60-.95, P = .02). No significant difference in recanalization rate existed between the 2 groups (RR = .97, 95% CI = .92-1.02, P = .22); however, in the subgroup analysis, it had a rise trend after DEVT than BT in IVT-eligible group (RR = 1.45, 95% CI = .95-2.22, P = .09)., Conclusions: DEVT appears to have equally effectiveness to BT with a low risk of intracranial hemorrhage in AIS patients with LVO, especially for anterior circulation, which offered a practical information to select appropriate therapeutic strategies for patients with LVO, though the level of evidence seems to be quite shaky., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: To assess the safety of low-dose intra-arterial (IA) tirofiban bolus after unsuccessful mechanical thrombectomy in patients with ischemic stroke due to large artery occlusion in anterior cerebral circulation., Materials and Methods: Patients with ischemic stroke who were treated with mechanical thrombectomy were enrolled in a multicenter registry. Low-dose tirofiban was injected into the residual arterial thrombus in patients after unsuccessful mechanical thrombectomy. The major safety measurement was defined as symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH). The functional outcome at 90 days was assessed with the modified Rankin Scale, and a score of 0-2 was defined as favorable., Results: Of the 632 enrolled patients, 154 (24.4%) received IA tirofiban treatment. The SICH rate was 13.6% (21/154) in patients with tirofiban and 16.7% (80/478) in patients without tirofiban (P = .361). IA tirofiban was not associated with increased risk of SICH (odds ratio [OR], 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-1.31; P = .26). IA tirofiban treatment did not increase the risk of mortality at 90 days of the index stroke (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.36-1.31; P = .15). Patients with large artery atherosclerosis stroke who were treated with tirofiban were associated with decreased risk of death (OR, 11.3% vs 23.4%; P = .042) compared to patients who were not treated with tirofiban., Conclusions: Low-dose IA tirofiban administration may be relatively safe in patients with ischemic stroke after unsuccessful recanalization., (Copyright © 2018 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Little is known about the prognostic value of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the effect of dynamic changes in the eGFR on mortality in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). We aim to investigate the association between the eGFR and dynamic changes in the eGFR after IVT with all-cause mortality in AIS patients. A total of 391 AIS patients treated with IVT between May 2010 and May 2017 were included in the final analysis. Serum creatinine was measured at admission and within 24 h after IVT. The main outcomes included 3-month all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). During the 3-month follow-up, 37 (9.5%) patients died from all causes. Mortality was associated with a reduced eGFR at admission (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 4.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.50-11.58; P trend = 0.016) and within 24 h after IVT (adjusted HR, 5.88; 95% CI, 1.41-24.52; P trend = 0.009). Mortality was negatively correlated with increased eGFR after IVT (adjusted HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.96; P trend = 0.027). Additionally, a reduced eGFR after IVT was also associated with increased risk of MACCE (adjusted HR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.41-9.39; P trend = 0.009). Using a multivariable Cox regression model with restricted cubic splines, we observed an L-shaped association between the eGFR and 3-month all-cause mortality and MACCE and observed a linear association between dynamic changes in the eGFR and 3-month all-cause mortality. A reduced eGFR and dynamic decreases in the eGFR after IVT independently predict 3-month all-cause mortality in AIS patients.

Background: A telestroke program, known as the Remote Evaluation for Acute Ischemic Stroke program, has been implemented in Georgia since 2003. This study examined whether a hospital's participation in a telestroke network was associated with improvement in clinical outcomes and quality indicators., Methods and Results: An observational study was conducted using data from the Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry between September 2005 and September 2016 for patients aged ≥18 years with ischemic stroke. We use a difference-in-differences approach to compare the following clinical outcomes and quality indicators among those admitted at hospitals within and outside of the Remote Evaluation for Acute Ischemic Stroke network: tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) use, complications related to tPA use, door-to-needle time, ambulation at discharge, discharge status, and destination. Logistic regression models and a propensity score weighting approach were performed to adjust for patients' age, sex, race, insurance coverage, arrival mode, ambulatory status before the current stroke, stroke severity, medical history, admission time, and hospital bed size. A total of 25 494 patients with ischemic stroke admitted at 15 nonteaching hospitals located outside of the Atlanta metropolitan area were included in the analysis. After propensity score weighting, hospitals participated in a telestroke network was not associated with a significant increase in the rate of tPA use, while it was significantly associated with a modest decline in the rate of complications related to tPA (-5.9%; 95% CI, -9.2% to -2.6%). Telestroke participation showed no significant difference in other clinical outcomes and quality measures except for a marginally significant decrease in in-hospital mortality (-1.1%; 95% CI, -2.2% to -0.1%)., Conclusions: Although a slight decrease in tPA complication was observed among hospitals participating in the telestroke network, overall the impact of telestroke participation on a hospital's stroke care quality was not statistically significant based on our observational study.

Background: According to a recent meta-analysis, 1 out of 10 patients with emergent large intracranial vessel occlusion (ELVO) causing stroke have recanalization after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) alone. However, rate, clinical outcome, and recanalization pattern of this phenomenon are poorly understood., Objectives and Methods: Patients with ELVO recanalized only by IVT were analyzed, and frequency of recanalization, clinical outcome, safety variables, and reperfusion pattern were assessed. These patients were compared to a group of patients with ELVO who underwent endovascular thrombectomy with or without prior IVT., Results: Successful or sufficient recanalization after IVT alone occurred in 81 of 760 patients (10.6%) with ELVO who had been referred for endovascular thrombectomy. These 81 patients (group 1) were compared to a group of patients receiving endovascular thrombectomy with prior IVT (group 2) or without (group 3). A good clinical outcome at 90 days was seen in 61.7% of patients in group 1, 32.2% in group 2, and 34.5% in group 3 (p < 0.001). The 3 groups had no significant differences in intracranial hemorrhage. IVT was not independently associated with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, parenchymal hematoma, or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Mortality at 90 days was 9.9% in group 1, 20.7% in group 2, and 29.6% in group 3 (p < 0.001). After adjusting for all relevant variables, outcome and mortality differences were nonsignificant. No difference in the rate of successful reperfusion (modified treatment in cerebral ischemia [mTICI] 2b/3) was found. A reperfusion mTICI 3 was achieved in 18.5% in group 1, 60.7% in group 2, and 57.1% in group 3 (p < 0.001). Patients in group 1 had lower chance of achieving a complete recanalization (mTICI 3) compared to patients in group 2, OR 0.15 (95% CI 0.08-0.29) and in group 3, OR 0.17 (95% CI 0.09-0.32; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Primary IVT in ELVO caused a recanalization rate of 10.6%, making endovascular treatment either unnecessary or impossible. Early recanalization of ELVO with only IVT is associated with a 61.7% independence rate at 90 days and similar successful reperfusion rates (mTICI2b/3) compared to ELVO treated with endovascular treatment, with or without previous IVT. However, recanalization only through IVT achieves a lower rate of mTICI 3 reperfusion when compared to endovascular treatment., (© 2019 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy has revolutionised the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion. It is well recognised that patients are more likely to benefit when reperfusion happens quickly, however, there is uncertainty as to how best to deliver this service., Objectives: To compare outcomes of patients in Northern -Ireland who underwent thrombectomy via direct admission to the single endovascular centre (mothership [MS]) with those transferred from primary stroke centres (drip-and-ship [DS])., Methods: Analysis was conducted on the records of all patients who underwent thrombectomy from January 2014 to December 2017 inclusive. The primary outcome measure was 3 months functional independence (modified Rankin Score [mRS] 0-2). Secondary outcome measures were full recovery (mRS 0) at 3 months, symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) rates and mortality rates., Results: Two hundred fourteen patients underwent thrombectomy (MS 124, DS 90). Patients in the MS group were older (median 73 vs. 70 years, p = 0.026), but there was no significant difference in baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (median 15 MS vs. 16.5 DS, p = 0.162) or thrombolysis rates (41.9% MS vs. 54.4% DS, p = 0.070) between the groups. Time from stroke onset to arrival at thrombectomy centre was shorter in the MS group (median 71 vs. 218 min, p < 0.001) but door to groin puncture time was shorter in the DS group (median 30 vs. 60 min, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in 3 months functional independence (51.6% MS vs. 62.2% DS, p = 0.123), or in the secondary outcome measures of full recovery (21.8% MS vs. 12.2% DS, p = 0.071), sICH (MS 0.8%, DS 4.4%, p = 0.082) and mortality (MS 24.2%, DS 20.0%, p = 0.468)., Conclusions: Our analysis showed similar outcomes after thrombectomy in the MS and DS groups. For patients potentially eligible for thrombectomy, rapid access to the endovascular centre is essential to optimise both the number of patients treated and the outcomes achieved., (© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Purpose: To examine telemedicine as it applies to acute ischemic stroke care at a spoke hospital and the effect on patient outcomes, including the timeliness of response, quality of care, safety, morbidity, and mortality when compared to standard hub hospital stroke center care., Methods: Retrospective review of prospectively entered quality/performance stroke/telestroke patient catalog data were completed for 1000 adult patients who presented with an acute ischemic stroke to the Mayo Clinic Hospitals (500 patients) or to one of thirteen Mayo Clinic affiliated telestroke spoke hospitals in the regions (500 patients). The primary outcome of interest was the percentage of accurate decision making for eligibility of IV alteplase administration assessed by blinded adjudication and the secondary outcomes pertained to complications, discharge parameters, and standard quality metrics., Results: There was no difference in the spoke hospital versus hub hospital groups in identifying and making the correct decision regarding which patients were eligible for IV alteplase administration (96% [95% confidence interval (CI): 94%-97%] versus 97% [95% CI: 95%-98%]; P = 0.32). There was no difference among the groups in proportion receiving IV alteplase, sustaining symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and mortality. Patients in the spoke group were less likely to have a favorable outcome at discharge, as defined by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS): 0-1 or mRS: 0-1 or Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS): 0-1 (21% versus, 35%; P < 0.001), were less likely to have venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (46% versus 63%; P < 0.01), were less likely to have received antithrombotic therapy (85% versus 90%; P = .02), were less likely to be discharged on anticoagulation when indicated (56% versus 64%; P = .01), and were less likely to be prescribed cholesterol reducing treatment (68% versus 72%; P < .001). The initial acute care hospital length of stay was longer for the spoke hospital group by one day (median: 4 versus 3; P < .001)., Conclusion: The key findings were that evidence-based stroke thrombolysis eligibility decision making, thrombolysis administration, and thrombolysis emergency stroke metrics were uniformly excellent for the spoke hospital group when compared to the standard hub hospital group. However, evidence-based stroke hospitalization and discharge metrics were inferior for the spoke hospital group when compared to the standard hub hospital., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is a widespread belief that Asians are more susceptible to hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after receiving recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, this has not been examined in clinical practice. This study aims to compare the incidence of symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation (SHT) among thrombolysis-treated AIS patients in China and in the United States., Methods: We compared 212 consecutive patients receiving thrombolysis within 4.5 hours of onset ± endovascular therapy from an American (n = 86) and a Chinese Stroke Center (n = 126). SHT was defined using various definitions based on the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator (NINDS rt-PA) trials, European-Australian Cooperative Acute Stroke Study 2 (ECASS2), and a modified version of Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-Monitoring Study (mSITS-MOST) study criteria. We used Firth logistic regression to adjust for confounding variables and to identify potential predictors., Results: American patients were older, and had higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, and prestroke use of antithrombotics. They also had higher baseline serum glucose, shorter onset-to-treatment time, and fewer endovascular treatments. The rates of SHT were higher in the American cohort compared to the Chinese cohort: 18.6% versus 14.3% based on NINDS definition of SHT; 15.1% versus 12.7% based on ECASS2; and 11.6% versus 7.2% based on mSITS-MOST. However, none of these differences were significant (unadjusted and adjusted P values > .05). Fatal HT was comparable in Americans versus Chinese (8.1% versus 8.7%). Serum glucose emerged as an independent predictor of SHT (P = .024)., Conclusions: In our cohorts, the rate of SHT after thrombolysis is equivalent between Chinese and North American stroke patients., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) has been developed as a neuroprotective strategy to prevent and treat ischaemic stroke. It usually involves restricting blood flow to limbs and then releasing the ischaemic blood to promote a neuroprotective effect. Preclinical studies have suggested that RIC may have beneficial effects in ischaemic stroke patients and those at risk of ischaemic stroke. However, existing evidence is insufficient to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of RIC in preventing and treating ischaemic stroke., Objectives: To assess the benefits and harms of RIC for preventing ischaemic stroke and for treating people with ischaemic stroke and those at risk for ischaemic stroke., Search Methods: We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (16 January 2018), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2017, Issue 12) in the Cochrane Library (January 2018), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to January 2018), Embase Ovid (1974 to January 2018), Web of Science Core Collection (1950 to January 2018) and three Chinese databases (January 2018). We also searched four ongoing trials registers, reference lists, and conference proceedings., Selection Criteria: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing RIC with sham RIC or medical management in people with ischaemic stroke or at risk of ischaemic stroke., Data Collection and Analysis: Two review authors independently selected studies, assessed trial quality and risk of bias, and extracted data. We used the GRADE approach to assess the quality of the evidence., Main Results: We included seven trials, involving 735 participants, in this review. We analysed the effects of RIC on preventing and treating ischaemic stroke respectively.We evaluated risk of bias and judged it to be low for generation of allocation sequence in six studies and unclear in one study; unclear for allocation concealment in four studies and low in three studies; high for incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) in five studies and low in two studies; high for blinding in three studies and low in four studies; low for selective reporting; and high for other sources of bias in six studies and low in one study.We included three trials (involving 371 participants) in the analysis of the effects of RIC on ischaemic stroke prevention. In people with symptomatic intracerebral artery stenosis, recurrent stroke was significantly reduced by RIC (risk ratio (RR) 0.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12 to 0.83; 2 trials, 182 participants, low-quality evidence). In people with carotid stenosis undergoing carotid stenting, there was no significant difference in the incidence of ischaemic stroke between participants treated with RIC and non-RIC (RR 0.22, 95% CI 0.01 to 4.03; 1 trial, 189 participants, low-quality evidence); however the stroke severity (assessed by infarct volume) was significantly lower in participants treated with RIC (mean difference (MD) -0.17 mL, 95% CI -0.23 to -0.11; 1 trial, 189 participants, low-quality evidence). Adverse events associated with RIC were significantly higher in participants treated with RIC (RR 10.91; 95% CI 2.01 to 59.28; 3 trials, 371 participants, low-quality evidence), but no severe adverse event was attributable to RIC treatment. No participants experienced death or cardiovascular events during the period of the studies; and no trial reported haemorrhagic stroke or improvement in neurological, phycological or cognitive impairment.We included four trials (involving 364 participants) in the analysis of the effects of RIC on ischaemic stroke treatment. In acute ischaemic stroke, for people receiving intravenous thrombolysis, the rate of death or dependency was significantly increased by RIC treatment compared with non-RIC treatment (RR 2.34; 95% 1.19 to 4.61; 1 trial, 285 participants, low-quality evidence). In people with acute ischaemic stroke, there was no significant difference between RIC and non-RIC for reducing stroke severity as assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and the final infarct volume (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.24 mL, 95% CI -1.02 to 0.54; 2 trials, 175 participants, very low quality evidence). There was no significant difference between RIC and non-RIC for improving the psychological impairment (SMD -0.37 points, 95% CI -1.15 to 0.41; 1 trial, 26 participants, very low quality evidence) and the cognitive impairment (SMD -0.26 points; 95% CI -0.72 to 0.21; 3 trials, 79 participants, low-quality evidence) in people with acute ischaemic stroke and cerebral small vessel disease. No trial reported ischaemic stroke, recurrent ischaemic stroke, improvement in neurological impairment, hemorrhagic stroke, cardiovascular events, and RIC associated adverse events., Authors' Conclusions: We found low-quality evidence that RIC may reduce the risk of recurrent stroke in participants with intracerebral artery stenosis and reduce stroke severity in participants undergoing carotid stenting, but it may increase death or dependence in participants with acute ischaemic stroke who are undergoing intravenous thrombolysis. However, there is considerable uncertainty about these conclusions because of the small number of studies and low quality of the evidence.

Background: To improve stroke care, the Brain Attack Coalition recommended establishing primary stroke center (PSC) and comprehensive stroke center (CSC) certification. This study aimed to compare ischemic stroke care and in-hospital outcomes between CSCs and PSCs., Methods and Results: We analyzed patients with acute ischemic stroke who were hospitalized at stroke centers participating in Get With The Guidelines-Stroke from 2013 to 2015. Multivariable logistic regression models were generated to examine the association between stroke center certification (CSC versus PSC) and performances and outcomes. This study included 722 941 patients who were admitted to 134 CSCs and 1047 PSCs. Both CSCs and PSCs had good conformity to 7 performance measures and the summary defect-free care measure. Among emergency department admissions, CSCs had higher intravenous tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) and endovascular thrombectomy rates than PSCs (14.3% versus 10.3%, 4.1% versus 1.0%, respectively). Door to intravenous tPA time was shorter at CSCs (median, 52 versus 61 minutes; adjusted risk ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.95). More patients at CSCs had door to intravenous tPA time ≤60 minutes (79.7% versus 65.1%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-1.75). For transferred patients, CSCs and PSCs had comparable overall performance in defect-free care, except higher endovascular thrombectomy therapy rates. The overall in-hospital mortality was higher at CSCs in both emergency department admissions (4.6% versus 3.8%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.29) and transferred patients (7.7% versus 6.8%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.32). In-hospital outcomes were comparable between CSCs and PSCs in patients who received intravenous tPA or endovascular thrombectomy., Conclusions: CSCs and PSCs achieved similar overall care quality for patients with acute ischemic stroke. CSCs exceeded PSCs in timely acute reperfusion therapy for emergency department admissions, whereas PSCs had lower risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality. This information may be important for acute stroke triage and targeted quality improvement., (© 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator is still not approved by the European Medicines Agency for patients with diabetes mellitus and previous stroke. We assessed functional benefit and potential risk of thrombolysis in patients with diabetes and previous stroke and the influence of age, preexisting diabetic damage, as well as acute and chronic hyperglycemia on outcome, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and in-hospital mortality., Methods: We analyzed 527 consecutive patients treated with thrombolysis for acute stroke. Poor outcome was defined as deterioration of prestroke modified Rankin Scale (mRS) to 3 or greater at discharge. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was defined according to the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-Monitoring Study criteria., Results: Of the patients, 35.9% were diabetic and 33.2% had previous stroke. Of these patients, 14.4% were diabetics with previous stroke (index group). The rate of patients with poor functional outcome at discharge, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, or mortality did not differ between the index group and patients with either diabetes or previous stroke in 2 × 2 comparisons. Diabetics with first-ever stroke showed significantly more symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (9.7%, P < .001) than the other groups, poorer functional recovery (P = .036), and the highest rate of mortality (12.4%, P < .001). Significant predictors for poor outcome were age (P < .001) and HbA1c (P = .013), for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage HbA1c (P = .006) and for mortality acute hyperglycemia (P = .001) and age (P = .004)., Conclusion: Diabetics with previous stroke should not be withheld from intravenous thrombolysis. The risk of complications derives primarily from poor long-term metabolic control rather than from acute hyperglycemia or from previous stroke., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Thrombolysis alert (TA) is a procedure triggered every time a patient consults for sudden focal neurological deficit within 4.5 hours., Objective: We aimed to determine firstly the etiological profile of TA and secondly to evaluate the delays in the management not only of thrombolyzed patients but also of nonthrombolyzed patients to determine the intrahospital delays to optimize., Methods: Patients aged over 18 years who consulted for sudden focal neurological deficit within 4.5 hours for whom a TA has been triggered were included. Patients admitted within 4.5 hours for which a TA has not been triggered were not included. Patients with sudden focal neurological deficit who consulted more than 4.5 hours, but for whom TA has been triggered, were also included., Results: We included 313 patients. The average onset-to-door time was 125.59 ± 62.78 minutes with an average National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores of 11.29 ± 5.98. The average door-to-imaging time was 28.36 ± 20.62 minutes. Ischemic stroke (IS) was the most common cause (70.3%), followed by hemorrhagic stroke (11.8%). Other nonstroke causes (stroke mimics) represented 17.9% of cases. They were seizures (46.4%), conversion disorders (26.8%), hypoglycemia (10.7%), brain tumors (10.7%), chronic subdural hematoma (1.8%), carbon monoxide intoxication (1.8%), and cavernoma (1.8%). Forty-six patients had been thrombolyzed. The average door-to-needle time was 90.89 ± 34.48 minutes. After 3 months, 52.1% of thrombolyzed patients were autonomous (modified Rankin scale between 0 and 2). Two patients had died (4.3%), all in the first week after the IS., Conclusion: Our study shows that efforts need to be made at the extra-hospital and intra-hospital level to improve delays to increase the proportion of the thrombolyzed patients., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We performed a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety between low- and standard-dose intravenous (IV) tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients within 4.5 hours of symptom onset., Methods: We searched PubMed and EMBASE for relevant studies from inception to June1, 2017. Cohort or randomized controlled studies for AIS within 4.5 hours of symptom onset with comparison between low-dose and standard-dose tPA were included. The primary efficacy end point was favorable functional outcome (modified Rankin scale scores [mRS] of 0-1) at 90 days. The primary safety end point was the incidence rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). The secondary end points were independent functional outcome (mRS scores of 0-2) and mortality., Results: A total of 11 studies were pooled in this meta-analysis. The low-dose strategy appeared to be as effective as standard-dose tPA (43.4% versus 45.4%; odds ratio [OR] = 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78-1.10; P = .38) in primary efficacy outcome. The secondary efficacy outcome produced similar results (57.3% versus 57.0%; OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.86-1.05; P= .33). There was no evidence of statistical difference for sICH (4.2% versus 4.9%; OR = 1.02 [0.66-1.55]; P = .94) and mortality (9.0% versus 10.6%; OR = 0.99 [0.74-1.31]; P = .92) at 90 days between low- and standard-dose therapy. In a subgroup analysis by ethnicity, there was no significant difference between patients of Asian and non-Asian descent for any of the end points., Conclusions: This study showed that AIS patients receiving low-dose IV-tPA had comparably efficacy and safety to those receiving standard-dose IV-tPA. However, the effect is especially pronounced within the Asian population, which limits the generalizability of these results., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Although the recently updated U.S. alteplase label removed "history of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH)" as a contraindication, there are very limited data on the safety of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with chronic ICH. We sought to evaluate IVT safety in AIS patients with a history of ICH., Methods: We analyzed consecutive AIS patients treated with IVT at 3 tertiary stroke centers during a 5-year period. We identified AIS treated with IVT with clinical history and neuroimaging confirmation of prior ICH. The safety measure was symptomatic ICH (sICH) defined according to European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study-III criteria combined with the clinical deterioration of 4 points or higher in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) or death., Results: Of the 1212 AIS patients treated with IVT, 7 (.6%) (mean age 72 ± 11 years, 57% men, median NIHSS: 5 points, interquartile range: 2-8) had a history of ICH (hematoma volume: 1-21 cm 3 , elapsed time between previous ICH and AIS: 1.5-12 years, 5 located in basal ganglia and 2 in periventricular white matter). Patients with previous ICH did not differ in terms of demographics and admission stroke severity in comparison with the rest. The 2 groups had similar rates of sICH (0% [0/7] versus 3.6%, P = .61) and in-hospital mortality (0% [0/7] versus 6.0%, P = .50)., Conclusion: Our study indicates that IVT might be safe among AIS patients with a history of chronic ICH. Further research with a larger sample size is required to confirm our finding and define the shortest time interval between the hemorrhagic and ischemic events that can be associated with the safe administration of IVT., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Results from trials and international registries exhibit heterogeneity regarding safety, efficacy, markers of prognosis, and markers of the need for critical care support after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for strokes. The purpose of our study was to indentify such markers after performance of comparisons among patients who received thrombolysis in our intensive care unit., Materials and Methods: Our study included 124 patients who received IVT in accordance with international criteria. Outcome measures of univariate and regression analyses resulted from comparisons between groups of patients with or without the need for critical care support (advanced life support and neurocritical care interventions), groups of patients developing or not developing primary adverse events (symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage [SICH] and/or Death and/or Serious systemic bleeding and/or New stroke) and groups of patients with different main outcome variables (mortality, functional independence at 3 months)., Results: Our results suggested that higher severity scores (Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) correlated with the need for critical care support, primary adverse events, and main outcome variables, whereas older age was significantly associated with fewer adverse events. Hyperlipidemia, symptom-to-needle time, and vascular disease were associated with functional capacity at 3 months, whereas diabetes mellitus and vascular disease correlated with the need for critical care support., Conclusion: Patients' age, hyperlipidemia, presence of vascular disease, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (a novel marker), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at 2 hours and at 7 days are independent predictors of the need for critical care support, adverse events, and clinical outcomes after thrombolysis., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The exposure to air pollutants may increase both incidence and mortality of stroke. We aimed to investigate the association of short- and medium-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) with the outcome of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for stroke. We conducted a retrospective analysis based on data prospectively collected from 944 consecutive IVT-treated stroke patients. The main outcome measure was 3-month mortality. The secondary outcome measures were causes of neurological deterioration (≥ 1 NIHSS point from baseline or death < 7 days), including intracerebral hemorrhage, cerebral edema (CED), and persistence or new appearance of hyperdense cerebral artery sign. In the adjusted model, higher PM 2.5 and PM 10 values in the last 3 days and 4 weeks before stroke were independently associated with higher mortality rate [hazard ratio (HR) 1.014, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.005-1.024, p = 0.003; HR 1.079, 95% CI 1.055-1.103, p = 0.001; HR 1.019, 95% CI 1.005-1.032, p = 0.008; and HR 1.015, 95% CI 1.004-1.027, p = 0.007; respectively]. Higher PM 2.5 and PM 10 values in the last 4 weeks were associated with higher CED rate [odd ratio (OR) 1.023, 95% CI 1.007-1.040, p = 0.006; and OR 1.017, 95% CI 1.003-1.032, p = 0.021; respectively]. No significant association between PM or NO 2 and other causes of neurological deterioration was observed. Higher exposure to PM in the last 3 days and 4 weeks before stroke may be independently associated with 3-month mortality after IVT. Higher exposure to PM in the last 4 weeks before stroke may also be independently associated with CED after IVT.

Background: Intravenous thrombolysis using tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) improves significantly the neurologic function in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, it brings financial burden to patients and is associated with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH). Whether low-dose tPA can effectively reduce SICH and has the same efficacy as standard-dose tPA is still controversial., Methods: We searched for English clinical trials published before March, 2017on the comparison of the efficacy and safety between low and standard dose of tPA in the treatment of AIS using MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library. The modified Rankin scale (mRS) score was used as the primary efficacy outcome. The mRS1 corresponded to 0-1, whereas mRS2 corresponded to 0-2. The SICH and mortality were adopted as primary safety outcomes., Results: Twelve high-quality studies were selected, including 7686 patients (low-dose: 2888, standard-dose: 4798). With no statistical heterogeneity, the fixed effects model was adopted in the analysis. Similarly to standard doses, low-dose tPA improved the mRS scores (mRS1: odds ratio [OR] = .92, 95% confidence interval [CI] .84-1.02; P = .12; mRS2: OR = .97, 95% CI .88-1.08; P = .57). Compared with standard-dose tPA, low-dose tPA reduced the incidence of SICH (by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [NINDS] definition: OR = .71, 95% CI .57-0.89; P = .003; by Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke Monitoring Study [SITS-MOST] definition: OR = .64, 95% CI .42-0.99; P = .04), while both reduced mortality (OR = .87, 95% CI .74-1.02; P = .08)., Conclusions: Low-dose tPA is comparable to standard-dose tPA in improving the neurologic function and reducing mortality in AIS patients. Moreover, low-dose tPA can reduce the incidence of SICH compared with standard-dose tPA. Therefore, low-dose tPA is highly recommended in AIS patients., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the impact of a telestroke network on acute stroke care in Catalonia, by measuring thrombolysis rates, access to endovascular treatment, and clinical outcome of telestroke patients in a population-based study., Methods: Telestroke network was implemented on March 2013 and consists of 12 community hospitals and 1 expert stroke neurologist 24 h/7 day, covering a population of 1.3 million inhabitants. Rest of the population (6.2 million) of Catalonia is covered by 8 primary stroke centers (PSC) and 6 comprehensive stroke centers (CSC). After a 2-way videoconference and visualization of neuroimaging on a web platform, the stroke neurologist decides the therapeutic approach and/or to transfer the patient to another facility, entering these data in a mandatory registry. Simultaneously, all patients treated with reperfusion therapies in all centers of Catalonia are prospectively recorded in a mandatory and audited registry., Results: From March 2013 to December 2015, 1,206 patients were assessed by telestroke videoconference, of whom 322 received intravenous thrombolysis (IVT; 33.8% of ischemic strokes). Baseline and 24 h NIHSS, rate of symptomatic hemorrhage, mortality, and good outcome at 3 months were similar compared to those who received IVT in PSC or CSC (2,897 patients in the same period). The door-to-needle time was longer in patients treated through telestroke, but was progressively reduced from 2013 to 2015. Percentage of patients receiving thrombectomy after IVT was similar in patients treated through telestroke circuit, compared to those treated in PSC or CSC (conventional circuit). Population rates of IVT*100,000 inhabitants in Catalonia increased from 2011 to 2015, especially in areas affected by the implementation of telestroke network, achieving rates as high as 16 per 100,000 inhabitants. Transfers to another facility were avoided after telestroke consultation in 46.8% of ischemic, 76.5% of transient ischemic attacks, and 23.5% of hemorrhages., Conclusions: Telestroke favors safe and effective thrombolysis, helps to increase the population rate of IVT, and avoids a large number of interhospital transfers., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Modern endovascular thrombectomy (MET), using stent retrievers or large-bore distal aspiration catheters in stroke patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO), is routinely performed to date. However, more than 35% of BAO patients treated with MET die within 90 days despite high recanalization rates. The purpose of this study is to investigate the parameters associated with 90-day mortality in patients with BAO after MET., Methods: We analyzed 117 consecutive BAO patients included in the Endovascular Treatment in Ischemic Stroke prospective clinical registry of consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients treated with MET (60 patients [51.3%] treated with a stent retriever as first-line technique) between March 2010 and April 2017. Successful recanalization was defined as modified thrombolysis In cerebral infarction scores 2b-3 at the end of MET, and mortality was defined as modified Rankin Scale 6 at 90 days. Associations of baseline characteristics (patient and treatment characteristics) and intermediate outcomes (recanalization, complications) with 90-day mortality were investigated in univariate and multivariate analyses., Results: Overall successful recanalization rate was 79.5, and 41.9% (95% CI 32.8-51.0%) of patients died within 90 days after MET. Patients with successful recanalization had a lower mortality rate (32.9 vs. 74.4%; p < 0.001). Failure of successful recanalization was an independent predictor of mortality (OR 5.1; 95% CI 1.34-19.33). In multivariate analysis, age ≥60 years (OR 6.37; 95% CI 1.74-23.31), admission National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) ≥13 (OR 4.62; 95% CI 1.42-15.03), lower posterior circulation-Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (pc-ASPECTS; OR 1.71; 95% CI 1.19-2.44), use of antithrombotic medication prior to stroke onset (OR 3.38; 95% CI 1.03-11.08), absence of intravenous thrombolysis (OR 3.36; 95% CI 1.12-10.03), and angioplasty/stenting of the basilar artery (OR 4.71; 95% CI 1.34-16.54) were independent predictors for mortality after MET., Conclusions: Failure of successful recanalization was a strong predictor for mortality. In the setting of recanalization, age, admission NIHSS, pc-ASPECTS, absence of intravenous thrombolysis, and angioplasty/stenting of the basilar artery were also independent predictors for mortality after MET of BAO patients., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the median door-to-needle (DTN) time for intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment can be reduced to 45 min in a primary stroke centre with MRI-based screening for acute ischaemic stroke (AIS)., Methods: From February 2015 to February 2017, the stroke unit of Perpignan general hospital, France, implemented a quality-improvement (QI) process. During this period, patients who received tPA within 4.5 h after AIS onset were included in the QI cohort. Their clinical characteristics and timing metrics were compared each semester and also with those of 135 consecutive patients with AIS treated by tPA during the 1-year pre-QI period (pre-QI cohort)., Results: In the QI cohort, 274 patients (92.5%) underwent MRI screening. While the demographic and baseline characteristics were not significantly different between cohorts, the median DTN time was significantly lower in the QI than in the pre-QI cohort (52 vs. 84 min; p < 0.00001). Within the QI cohort, the median DTN time for each semester decreased from 65 to 44 min (p < 0.00001) and the proportion of treated patients with a DTN time ≤45 min increased from 25 to 58.9% (p < 0.0001). Overall, DTN time improvement was associated with a better outcome at 3 months (patients with a modified Rankin Scale score between 0 and 2: 61.8% in the QI vs. 39.3% in the pre-QI cohort; p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: A QI process can reduce the DTN within 45 min with MRI as a screening tool., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Debate exists as to whether statin pretreatment confers an increased risk of 90-day mortality and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis. We assessed the effects of undifferentiated lipid-lowering pretreatment on outcomes and interaction with low-dose versus standard-dose alteplase in a post hoc subgroup -analysis of the Enhanced Control of Hypertension and Thrombolysis Stroke Study., Methods: In all, 3,284 thrombolysis-eligible AIS patients (mean age 66.6 years; 38% women), with information on lipid-lowering pretreatment, were randomly assigned to low-dose (0.6 mg/kg) or standard-dose (0.9 mg/kg) intravenous alteplase within 4.5 h of symptom onset. Of the total number of patients, 615 (19%) received statin or other lipid-lowering pretreatment. The primary clinical outcome was combined endpoint of death or disability (modified Rankin Scale scores 2-6) at 90 days., Results: Compared with patients with no lipid-lowering pretreatment, those with lipid-lowering pretreatment were significantly older, more likely to be non-Asian and more likely to have a medical history including vascular co-morbidity. After propensity analysis assessment and adjustment for important baseline variables at the time of randomisation, as well as imbalances in management during the first 7 days of hospital admission, there were no significant differences in mortality (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.58-1.25, p = 0.42), or in overall -90-day death and disability (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.67-1.09, p = 0.19), despite a significant decrease in sICH among those with -lipid-lowering pretreatment according to the European Co-operative Acute Stroke Study 2 definition (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.28-0.83, p = 0.009). No differences in key efficacy or safety outcomes were seen in patients with and without lipid-lowering pretreatment between low- and standard-dose alteplase arms., Conclusions: Lipid-lowering pretreatment is not associated with adverse outcome in AIS patients treated with intravenous alteplase, whether assessed by 90-day death and disability or death alone., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Intra-arterial alteplase (IA tPA) is commonly used during mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke in patients with large-vessel occlusion, but specific indications and applications for its use remain undefined., Methods: We analyzed 40 patients who underwent stent-retriever mechanical thrombectomy, 28 of whom received adjunctive IA tPA. To our knowledge, this is the largest cohort with this concomitant treatment reported in the literature in the post-mechanical thrombectomy trial era., Results: Between patients with and without IA tPA, rates of hemorrhagic conversion, neurologic outcome, and mortality were equivalent, with a trend toward improved angiographic revascularization observed in the IA tPA group., Conclusions: IA tPA is a safe adjunct to mechanical thrombectomy, and more investigation is warranted to understand ideal indications and dosage methodologies., (Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Post-stroke hypertension is associated with poor short-term outcome, although the results have been conflicting. Our objective was to evaluate the association of blood pressure (BP) and in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute ischaemic stroke., Methods and Results: Patients in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke registry with acute ischaemic stroke were included. Admission systolic and diastolic BP was used to compute mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP). The outcomes of interest were: in-hospital mortality, not discharged home, inability to ambulate independently at discharge and haemorrhagic complications due to thrombolytic therapy. A total of 309 611 patients with an ischaemic stroke were included. There was a J-shaped/U-shaped relationship between systolic BP and outcomes. Both lower and higher systolic BP values, compared with a central reference value, had higher risk of in-hospital death [e.g. adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) (OR[CI]) = 1.16[1.13-1.20] for 120 vs. 150 mmHg and 1.24[1.19-1.30] for 200 vs. 150 mmHg], not discharged home (OR[CI] = 1.11[1.09-1.13] for 120 vs. 150 mmHg and 1.15[1.12-1.18] for 200 vs. 150 mmHg), inability to ambulate independently at discharge (OR[CI] = 1.16[1.13-1.18] for 120 vs. 150 mmHg and 1.09[1.06-1.11] for 200 vs. 150 mmHg). However, risk of haemorrhagic complications of thrombolytic therapy was lower with lower systolic BP (OR[CI] = 0.89[0.83-0.97] for 120 vs. 150 mmHg), while higher with higher systolic BP (OR[CI] = 1.21[1.11-1.32] for 200 vs. 150 mmHg). The results were largely similar for admission diastolic BP, MAP, and PP., Conclusion: In patients hospitalized with ischaemic stroke, J-shaped, or U-shaped relationships were observed between BP variables and short-term outcomes. However, haemorrhagic complications with thrombolytic therapy were lower with lower BP., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)