ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acute strokes due to large vessel occlusion in hospitalized patients is not uncommon. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the timing and outcome of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for in-hospital stroke. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical studies published in English until September 2020 in the MEDLINE and Cochrane databases. Studies reporting original data on the characteristics and outcomes of in-hospital stroke patients treated with EVT were included. We extracted data on the time-metrics from last known well (LKW) until reperfusion was achieved. We also collected data on procedural and functional outcomes. RESULTS: Out of 5093 retrieved studies, 8 were included (2,622 patients). The median age was 71.4 years and median NIHSS score on admission was 16. Patients were mostly admitted to the cardiology service (27.3%). The pooled time from LKW to recognition by staff was 72.9 min (95% CI: 40.7 to 105 min). 25.6% received IV tPA. The mean time from stroke recognition to arterial puncture was 134.5 min (95% CI: 94.9 to 174.1). Successful reperfusion occurred in 82.8.% with a pooled mean time from detection to reperfusion of 193.1 min (95% CI: 139.5 to 246.7). The 90-day independent functional outcome was reported in 42% of patients (95% CI 29 to 55%). CONCLUSION: EVT can be performed safely and successfully for in-hospital strokes. Noticeable delays from LKW to detection and then to puncture are noted. This calls for better stroke pathways to identify and treat these patients. BACKGROUND: Stroke in hospitalized patients, referred to as in-hospital stroke (IHS), accounts for 2.2-17% of all strokes.1 The majority of these are ischemic while intracranial hemorrhage represents 2-11% of all IHS.1 These patients are expected to have a rapid diagnosis and treatment given the ongoing medical supervision, and therefore favorable outcomes.1-3 However, existing studies report poor outcomes in patients with IHS with a mortality risk that exceeds that of community-onset stroke (COS): 24.7% vs 9.6%.4 Surviving IHS patients are also less likely to be discharged home compared to COS (27.7% vs 49.9%) and to be functionally independent at 3 months (31.0% vs 50.4%).1-4.
