Accuracy of identifying acute stroke admissions in a Michigan Stroke Registry.

INTRODUCTION: The accurate identification of acute stroke cases is an essential requirement of hospital-based stroke registries. We determined the accuracy of acute stroke diagnoses in Michigan hospitals participating in a prototype of the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry. METHODS: From May through November 2002, registry teams (ie, nurse and physician) from 15 Michigan hospitals prospectively identified all suspect acute stroke admissions and classified them as stroke or nonstroke. Medical chart data were abstracted for a random sample of 120 stroke and 120 nonstroke admissions. A blinded independent physician panel then classified each admission as stroke, nonstroke, or unclassifiable, and the overall accuracy of the registry was determined. RESULTS: The physician panel reached consensus on 219 (91.3%) of 240 admissions. The panel identified 105 stroke admissions, 93 of which had been identified by the registry teams (sensitivity = 88.6%). The panel identified 114 nonstroke admissions, all of which had been identified as nonstrokes by the registry teams (specificity = 100%). The positive and negative predictive value of the registry teams' designation was 100% and 90.5%, respectively. The registry teams' assessment of stroke subtype agreed with that of the panel in 78.5% of cases. Most discrepancies were related to the distinction between ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of hospitals participating in a hospital-based stroke registry to identify acute stroke admissions was very good; hospitals tended to underreport rather than to overreport stroke admissions. Stroke registries should periodically conduct studies to ensure that the accuracy of case ascertainment is maintained.

Resource utilization and outcome at a university versus a community teaching hospital in tPA treated stroke patients: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Comparing patterns of resource utilization between hospitals is often complicated by biases in community and patient populations. Stroke patients treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) provide a particularly homogenous population for comparison because of strict eligibility criteria for treatment. We tested whether resource utilization would be similar in this homogenous population between two hospitals located in a single Midwestern US community by comparing use of diagnostic testing and associated outcomes following treatment with t-PA. METHODS: Medical records from 206 consecutive intravenous t-PA-treated stroke patients from two teaching hospitals (one university, one community-based) were reviewed. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics and outcome were analyzed, as were the frequency of use of CT, MRI, MRA, echocardiography, angiography, and EEG. RESULTS: Seventy-nine and 127 stroke patients received t-PA at the university and community hospitals, respectively. The two patient populations were demographically similar. There were no differences in stroke severity. All outcomes were similar at both hospitals. Utilization of CT scans, and non-invasive carotid and cardiac imaging studies were similar at both hospitals; however, brain MR, TEE, and catheter angiography were used more frequently at the university hospital. EEG was obtained more often at the community hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of advanced brain imaging and invasive diagnostic testing was greater at the university hospital, but was not associated with improved clinical outcomes. This could not be explained on the basis of stroke severity or patient characteristics. This variation of practice suggests substantial opportunities exist to reduce costs and improve efficiency of diagnostic resource use as well as reduce patient exposure to risk from diagnostic procedures.

In-hospital stroke in a statewide stroke registry.

BACKGROUND: In-hospital stroke (IHS) represents 5-15% of all hospitalized acute stroke cases, and is associated with poor outcomes. IHS represents an important area for prevention since many cases occur in high-risk patients undergoing cardiovascular procedures. Our objectives were to compare the quality of care, treatments, and outcomes of IHS with out-of-hospital stroke (OHS) cases. METHODS: A 6-month prospective cohort of IHS and OHS stroke cases from a statewide acute stroke registry of 15 representative hospitals was assembled. Data were abstracted on demographic, clinical characteristics, in-hospital care (including tPA treatment), discharge instructions, and in-hospital outcomes (mortality and modified Rankin Scale [mRS] at discharge). RESULTS: 177 (6.5%) of the 2,743 cases in the registry were IHS cases. 40% of IHS cases were admitted with a cardiovascular or neurologically related problem, and 68% underwent an invasive diagnostic or surgical procedure prior to their stroke. IHS cases were less likely to have the cerebral vasculature examined or to have a lipid panel drawn. Compared to OHS, IHS had higher case fatality (14.6 vs. 6.9%; p = 0.04), greater functional impairment (mRS >or=4) (61 vs. 36%; p < 0.001), and were less likely to be discharged home (23 vs. 52%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective registry, 1 in 15 acute stroke cases occurred in the hospital, and almost 70% had an invasive procedure undertaken prior to their stroke event. In-hospital cases received similar quality of care as OHS cases, but had significantly worse outcomes.

Determining intravenous rt-PA eligibility in the Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to assess the agreement of Emergency Department (ED) attendings, ED residents, and neurology residents compared with stroke neurologists in the assessment of intravenous rt-PA eligibility. METHODS: A convenience sample of patients presenting with possible stroke symptoms to the University of Michigan Hospital ED from June 2003 to July 2004 was identified. A physician from each of four groups: ED attending, ED resident, neurology resident, and stroke neurology attending independently evaluated each patient for eligibility for intravenous (i.v.) rt-PA. Accuracy, sensitivity, and positive predictive value (PPV) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by physician type, compared with the stroke neurologist, for eligibility for i.v. rt-PA. RESULTS: Exactly 36 (49%) out of the 73 evaluated patients were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke and 11 were deemed eligible for treatment with i.v. tPA by the stroke neurologist. Agreement with the stroke neurologist for rt-PA eligibility was 93% [95% CI: 84%, 98%] (sensitivity = 82% [48%, 98%], PPV = 82% [48%, 99%]) for the ED attendings, 79% [65%, 90%] (sensitivity = 75% [35%, 97%], PPV = 43% [18% 71%]) for the ED residents, and 84% [73%, 92%] (sensitivity = 100% [74%, 100%], PPV = 52% [31%, 73%]) for the neurology residents. There were two false positive cases identified by ED attendings, eight, by ED residents, and 11 by neurology residents. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the agreement between ED attendings and stroke neurologists for determination of rt-PA eligibility is good. There is room for improvement, however, in the determination of acute stroke therapy eligibility in the ED setting especially among trainees.

The Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry: initial results from four prototypes.

BACKGROUND: This paper summarizes the experiences of the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry first four prototype registries in Georgia (GA), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), and Ohio (OH), and includes information on their sampling design, case ascertainment, and data collection methods, as well as some key findings. METHODS: Using a combination of different sampling methods, each prototype obtained a representative statewide sample of hospitals. Acute stroke admissions were identified through prospective (MA, MI) or retrospective (GA, OH) methods. A common set of case definitions and data elements were used by each registry. Weighted site-specific frequencies and 95% confidence intervals were generated for each outcome. A summary estimate, representing a weighted average of the four site-specific estimates, was also calculated. RESULTS: Of the total 6867 admissions, 1487 (21.6%) were from the GA registry, 1206 (17.6%) from MA, 2566 (37.4%) from MI, and 1608 (23.4%) from the OH prototype. Just less than 60% of admissions were ischemic strokes (site-specific estimates ranged from 52% to 70%), with transient ischemic attack (18.5%) and intracerebral hemorrhage (8.8%) making up most of the remainder. Twenty-one percent of patients admitted were younger than 60 years of age, and 55.3% were women. The proportion of black subjects varied from 7.1% (MI) to 30.6% (GA). Twenty-three percent of admissions arrived at the emergency department within 3 hours of onset. Overall 4.5% of ischemic stroke admissions were treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator; site-specific treatment rates were 3.0% (GA), 3.2% (OH), 3.4% (MI), and 8.5% (MA). Only a small minority of treated patients (range, 10.8% [OH] to 19.6% [MI]) received recombinant tissue plasminogen activator within the recommended 1 hour door-to-needle time. A minority of eligible subjects were screened for dysphagia (45.4%), underwent lipid testing (33.6%), or received smoking-cessation counseling (21.4%). In contrast, compliance with antithrombotic treatments at discharge was high (91.5%). CONCLUSIONS: A minority of acute stroke patients are treated according to established guidelines. Quality improvement interventions, targeted primarily at the healthcare systems level, are needed to improve acute stroke care in the United States.

Acute stroke care in the US: results from 4 pilot prototypes of the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry is being developed to improve the quality of acute stroke care. This article describes key features of acute stroke care from 4 prototype registries in Georgia (Ga), Massachusetts (Mass), Michigan (Mich), and Ohio. METHODS: Each prototype developed its own sampling scheme to obtain a representative sample of hospitals. Acute stroke admissions were identified using prospective (Mass, Mich) or retrospective (Ga, Ohio) methods. All prototypes used a common set of case definitions and data elements. Weighted site-specific frequencies were generated for each outcome. RESULTS: A total of 6867 admissions from 98 hospitals were included; the majority were ischemic strokes (range, 52% to 70%) with transient ischemic attack and intracerebral hemorrhage comprising the bulk of the remainder. Between 19% and 26% of admissions were younger than age 60 years, and between 52% and 58% were female. Black subjects varied from 7.1% (Mich) to 30.6% (Ga). Between 20% and 25% of admissions arrived at the emergency department within 3 hours of onset. Treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) was administered to between 3.0% (Ga) and 8.5% (Mass) of ischemic stroke admissions. Of 118 subjects treated with intravenous rtPA, <20% received it within 60 minutes of arrival. Compliance with secondary prevention practices was poorest for smoking cessation counseling and best for antithrombotics. CONCLUSIONS: A minority of acute stroke patients are treated according to established guidelines. Quality improvement interventions, targeted primarily at the health care systems level, are needed to improve acute stroke care in the United States.

Screening for obstructive sleep apnea in stroke patients: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common after acute ischemic stroke and predicts poor stroke recovery, but whether screening for OSA and treatment by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) improves neurological outcome is unknown. We used a cost-effectiveness model to estimate the magnitude of benefit that would be necessary to make polysomnography (PSG) and OSA treatment cost-effective in stroke patients. METHODS: A decision tree modeled 2 alternative strategies: PSG followed by 3 months of CPAP for those found to have OSA versus no screening. The primary outcome was the utility gained through OSA screening and treatment in relation to 2 common willingness-to-pay thresholds of $50,000 and $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). RESULTS: Screening resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $49,421 per QALY. Screening is cost-effective as long as the treatment of stroke patients with OSA by CPAP improves patient utilities by >0.2 for a willingness-to-pay of $50,000 per QALY and 0.1 for a willingness-to-pay of $100,000 per QALY. CONCLUSIONS: A clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of CPAP in improving stroke outcome is warranted from a cost-effectiveness standpoint.

Hospital surveillance of acute stroke treatment in Michigan.

INTRODUCTION: Modern management of acute stroke, including the use of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), requires hospitals to be better prepared for rapid diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: Surveillance of practice of acute stroke treatment by Michigan hospitals was performed in 1998. We determined variation in hospital preparedness for treatment by number of emergency department visits. Factors associated with hospital use of t-PA were analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Surveys were returned by 97 (55%) hospitals. Hospitals with a greater number of emergency department visits were significantly more likely to have a clinical pathway, to have given t-PA, and to be better prepared for stroke treatment. After multivariate analysis, greater number of stroke patients per year (P < .001) and availability of skilled intensive care department staff (P = .056) were associated with hospital t-PA use. CONCLUSIONS: Specific hospital characteristics are associated with t-PA use. Consideration of these may be used to devise new strategies for improved delivery of acute stroke treatment.

Varicella-zoster vasculitis presenting with intracranial hemorrhage.

Cerebral vasculitis presenting with intracranial hemorrhage is a rare but known entity. We discuss here the case of a 61-year-old woman presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral angiography showed vasculitic changes involving the small and medium-sized vessels. She also had a concomitant herpes zoster rash on her back. A 3-month follow-up angiogram revealed partial resolution of the vasculitic changes.

Safety of tissue plasminogen activator for acute stroke in menstruating women.

BACKGROUND: Menses is a theoretical contraindication to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment. We sought to establish the safety of intravenous tPA in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in women who are actively menstruating. SUMMARY OF REPORT: We provide a case report and review of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) database for women coded as actively menstruating. Nine subjects were coded as actively menstruating in the NINDS trial (4 placebo and 5 in the treatment). One subject in the treatment group who had a 1-year history of dysfunctional uterine bleeding required emergent uterine artery ligation. We also report a case of a woman requiring transfusion after intravenous tPA administration for acute ischemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous tPA may be administered relatively safely in women who are menstruating and should be used with caution in women with a history of dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Potential patients should be advised that they might require transfusion for increased menstrual flow.

Improving delivery of acute stroke therapy: The TLL Temple Foundation Stroke Project.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Only a small minority of acute stroke patients receive approved acute stroke therapy. We performed a community and professional behavioral intervention project to increase the proportion of stroke patients treated with approved acute stroke therapy. METHODS: This study used a quasi-experimental design. Intervention and comparison communities were compared at baseline and during educational intervention. The communities were based in 5 nonurban East Texas counties. The multilevel intervention worked with hospitals and community physicians while changing the stroke identification skills, outcome expectations, and social norms of community residents. The primary goal was to increase the proportion of patients treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) from 1% to 6% of all cerebrovascular events in the intervention community. RESULTS: We prospectively evaluated 1733 patients and validated 1189 cerebrovascular events. Intravenous rTPA treatment increased from 1.38% to 5.75% among all cerebrovascular event patients in the intervention community (P=0.01) compared with a change from 0.49% to 0.55% in the comparison community (P=1.00). Among the ischemic stroke patients, an increase from 2.21% to 8.65% was noted in the intervention community (P=0.02). The comparison group did not appreciably change (0.71% to 0.86%, P=1.00). Of eligible intravenous rTPA candidates, treatment increased in the intervention community from 14% to 52% (P=0.003) and was unchanged in the comparison community (7% to 6%, P=1.00). CONCLUSIONS: An aggressive, multilevel stroke educational intervention program can increase delivery of acute stroke therapy. This may have important public health implications for reducing disability on a national level.

Educating North America: lessons learned.

Delayed patient presentation to the emergency department plays a major role in the underuse of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) for acute ischemic stroke, and multiple studies have been performed to examine factors that contribute to patient delay. Although many have hypothesized that educational interventions could increase the number of patients presenting in time to receive acute stroke therapy, only a handful of studies have examined the impact of such intervention on patient behavior. This article proposes that behavioral interventions for acute stroke can and should be designed and evaluated scientifically.