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Background: In severe acute stroke, the degree of midline cerebral displacement is related to level of consciousness but not to survival. Early identification of patients at high risk of death from mass effect would assist patient management decisions.Methods: We measured lesion volume, horizontal pineal displacement (PD), and horizontal septum pellucidum displacement (SD) on axial CT of consecutive patients with severe (Canadian Neurological Scale score ≤5) acute hemispheric stroke. We correlated CT measurements with the probability of 14-day survival.Results: Forty-six (39%) of 118 patients died within 14 days and 72 (61%) died within 1 year following stroke. Crude risk factors for 14-day mortality were as follows: lesion volume ≥400 ml, SD ≥9 mm, PD ≥4 mm, intraventricular hemorrhage, and coma on admission. Only SD (p = 0.001) and coma on admission (p = 0.019) remained significant in multivariate analysis, but PD was highly correlated with SD (r = 0.82). PD of≥4 mm on a scan performed within 48 hours of stroke onset identified patients with a low probability of 14-day survival (0.16; CI 0 to 0.32) with a specificity of 89% and a sensitivity of 46%.Conclusions: The degree of horizontal midline cerebral displacement correlates with the likelihood of death following stroke. Patients with ≥4 mm PD on CT performed within 48 hours of stroke onset are at high risk for early death.

Background and Purpose Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is used in patients with acute stroke but as yet is of controversial value. We investigated an association of brain perfusion changes in stroke patients with stroke severity, volume of brain damage, and recovery. Methods Consecutive patients with hemispheric stroke were studied prospectively with serial neurological examinations using the Canadian Neurological Scale (CNS), CT, and 99m Tc–hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) SPECT. Visual SPECT patterns of brain perfusion (normal, high, mixed, low, and absent) were correlated with the severity of stroke, lesion volume, and short-term outcome. Results SPECT studies were performed in a total of 458 consecutive acute stroke patients within 2 weeks after the onset (mean time, 5 days; range, 1 to 12 days). SPECT perfusion patterns correlated with stroke severity (CNS score) during the first 2 weeks ( P P P =.0001). SPECT had its own prognostic value independent of clinical judgment ( P =.03). SPECT statistically improved predictive power of the CNS score (+1% receiver operating characteristic curve area, [χ 2 ] 2 =20, P Conclusions Visual brain perfusion patterns correlate with the extent, severity, and short-term outcome of hemispheric stroke. HMPAO SPECT may improve the prognostic value of clinical examination if performed during the first 72 hours of stroke.

Background and Purpose —During our annual audits of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in Toronto metropolitan hospitals, we have been aware of major changes in the practice of this operation in recent years. To evaluate the effect of changing practice on costs of carotid endarterectomy, we have therefore compared the effects of changes in length of stay, complication rates, and other variables on cost during the last 3 years for which we have complete data. Methods —We evaluated 757 consecutive patients, of whom 600 had CEA procedures in 3 teaching hospitals, and 190 procedures in 2 community hospitals in metropolitan Toronto. We estimated costs using a specially designed computer program, Transitional System Incorporated, including surgical complications, in patients admitted between January 1994 and December 1996. Results —There was a significant decrease in length of stay in both groups of hospitals, mainly due to preoperative outpatient evaluation but also due to lower complication rates, which probably reflect an increase in asymptomatic surgery in both hospital groups. Costs fell from approximately $8000 per procedure to $5000 in asymptomatic patients and from approximately $10 000 to $7000 in symptomatic patients (Can $). Conclusions —Major changes in the management of patients undergoing CEA have resulted in a significant decrease in both length of hospital stay and utilization of postoperative intensive care. At the same time, complication rates have significantly fallen, although our mortality and morbidity figures remain slightly higher than those from published multicenter trials. Future changes in surgical practice in Canada, including noninvasive carotid imaging, should produce even lower costs within the next few years.

Stroke cost consumes a large proportion of the gross domestic product in all developed countries, and while health care costs are rising, the ability to contain them is diminishing. We calculated the cost of acute stroke care for all first admissions to a teaching hospital in Toronto, Canada, in 1991 through 1992 for 285 consecutive patients. The average cost per patient was $27,500 Canadian, and strokes in men cost less than in women ($23,000 versus $32,000 Canadian), for a total cost of $8 million Canadian over 2 years. More women died than men (34% versus 17%, P < .02), mainly from systemic complications of stroke, but because women stayed hospitalized longer, they cost more in the long term. The major factor determining cost was social support, and more men than women went home or to rehabilitation units (P < .02). Family support was greater for men (82%) than women (39%, P < .0002). Significant cost reductions are more likely to be achieved by altering discharge policies and improving social conditions for early return to the home than by reducing laboratory or medical personnel costs.

Stroke remains the leading cause of neurological disability and the third leading cause of death worldwide, consuming a large share of total healthcare expenditures. In this review, we discuss the cost effectiveness of stroke prevention for various risk factor-modification programmes and pharmacological interventions with aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), ticlopidine and warfarin. Cost considerations and potential cost savings resulting from acute treatment are discussed for parenterally administered anticoagulants, such as heparin and nadroparin, and for intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator; r-tPA). Patients with multiple risk factors for stroke require more aggressive prevention strategies which are associated with a greater risk of complications. The rates of complications, particularly intracerebral haemorrhage, should be kept low to achieve cost benefits for warfarin and alteplase. Reduced hospital length of stay is the key factor in the implementation of cost-effective stroke therapies. The analysis of future clinical trials of new stroke therapies should also include economic parameters, such as length of hospital stay and intensity of resource usage, to help guide formulary and therapeutic decision.