Patterns and Predictors of Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation Related Cerebral Microbleeds.

OBJECTIVES: Recent case-reports have described an atypical cerebral microbleed (CMB) topography after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence, radiographic patterns, and clinical correlates of possibly-ECMO-related (PER) CMB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 307 consecutive patients receiving ECMO support at our tertiary-care University Hospital (2013-2018). PER CMB were defined as CMB present in corpus-callosum and/or middle cerebellar peduncle with/without involvement of other lobar/deep structures. Leukoaraiosis was quantified using the Wahlund age-related white matter changes scale. Patient characteristics were compared between cohorts with and without PER CMB. RESULTS: Forty patients (median age 60 years; 33% vv-ECMO and 67% va-ECMO) received at-least one MRI-brain within 3 months of ECMO support. CMB were present in 77.5% (n = 31) patients with 39% (n = 12), 17% (n = 5), and 44% (n = 14) having low (< 10 CMB), moderate (10-30 CMB), and high (> 30 CMB) burden respectively. Among CMB-positive patients, 71% (n = 22) had PER CMB, with 91% of such cases demonstrating involvement of splenium. Leukoaraiosis did not corelate to PER CMB presence (p = 0.267) or burden (ρ = 0.09). Patients with PER CMB had higher rates of ischemic stroke (50 vs. 33%), intracranial hemorrhage (41 vs. 17%), and all-cause mortality (27 vs. 17%); with survivors demonstrating no differences in their discharge disposition or modified Rankin Score. CONCLUSIONS: Post-ECMO cerebral microbleeds have a distinct distribution pattern that commonly involves the splenium of corpus-callosum. Their etiopathogenesis may be independent of microvascular lipohyalinosis. This requires further study in a larger sample-size.

Rapid Implementation of Outpatient Teleneurology in Rural Appalachia: Barriers and Disparities.

OBJECTIVE: To describe rapid implementation of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess for disparities in video visit implementation in the Appalachian region of the United States. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of consecutive patients seen in the first 4 weeks of telehealth implementation was identified from the Neurology Ambulatory Practice at a large academic medical center. Telehealth visits defaulted to video, and when unable, phone-only visits were scheduled. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the telehealth visit type: video or phone only. Clinical variables were collected from the electronic medical record including age, sex, race, insurance status, indication for visit, and rural-urban status. Barriers to scheduling video visits were collected at the time of scheduling. Patient satisfaction was obtained by structured postvisit telephone call. RESULTS: Of 1,011 telehealth patient visits, 44% were video and 56% phone only. Patients who completed a video visit were younger (39.7 vs 48.4 years, p < 0.001), more likely to be female (63% vs 55%, p < 0.007), be White or Caucasian (p = 0.024), and not have Medicare or Medicaid insurance (p < 0.001). The most common barrier to scheduling video visits was technology limitations (46%). Although patients from rural and urban communities were equally likely to be scheduled for video visits, patients from rural communities were more likely to consider future telehealth visits (55% vs 42%, p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Rapid implementation of ambulatory telemedicine defaulting to video visits successfully expanded video telehealth. Emerging disparities were revealed, as older, male, Black patients with Medicare or Medicaid insurance were less likely to complete video visits.

Patient Experiences With Ambulatory Telehealth in Neurology: Results of a Mixed-Methods Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess patient experiences with rapid implementation of ambulatory telehealth during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: A mixed-methods study was performed to characterize the patients' experience with neurology telehealth visits during the first 8 weeks of the COVID-19 response. Consecutive patients who completed a telehealth visit were contacted by telephone. Assenting patients completed a survey quantifying satisfaction with the visit followed by a semistructured telephone interview. Qualitative data were analyzed using the principles of thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 2,280 telehealth visits were performed, and 753 patients (33%) were reached for postvisit feedback. Of these, 47% of visits were by video and 53% by telephone. Satisfaction was high, with 77% of patients reporting that all needs were met, although only 51% would consider telehealth in the future. Qualitative themes were constructed, suggesting that positive patient experiences were associated not only with the elimination of commute time and associated costs but also with a positive physician interaction. Negative patient experiences were associated with the inability to complete the neurologic examination. Overall, patients tended to view telehealth as a tool that should augment, and not replace, in-person visits. CONCLUSION: In ambulatory telehealth, patients valued convenience, safety, and physician relationship. Barriers were observed but can be addressed.

Neurotoxicity of antibodies in cancer therapy: A review.

The objective of this manuscript is to identify the neurological side effect profile associated with different classes of antibodies used in cancer pharmacotherapy and to estimate the frequency in which these neurotoxicity occurs. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using OVID MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for articles written between January of 2010 till August of 2018. The spectrum of neurotoxicity was searched using expanded terminology, medical subject headings, truncation, spelling variations and database specific controlled vocabulary. 2134 citations were retrieved that were narrowed down to 151 when SORT 1 or SORT 2 critical appraisal tool was applied to articles with human subjects. Meta-analysis using random effect model was done to estimate the prevalence of neurological symptoms per class of antibody described in SORT1 and SORT2 articles. It was found that the most common neurotoxicity per antibody class are as follows; Bi-specific T-cell engagers was headache 38% [35-40%; I2 0%]; anti-CD20, neuropathy, 16% [7-24%, I2 65%]; anti-CD30, neuropathy 57% [46-68%, I2 72%]; anti-CD52, neuropathy 5-15%; anti-CTL4, headache 12% [7-16%, I2 49%]; anti-EGFR, headache 25% [11-38%, I2 92%]; anti-Her2, neuropathy 33% [18-49%, I2 98%]; anti-PD1 and PDL1, headache 3% [2-5%, I2 85%]; and anti-VEGF, headache 25% [16-35%, I2 73%]. Therefore, all classes of antibodies used in cancer pharmacotherapy have associated neurotoxicity with a wide spectrum of effects afflicting the nervous system as a whole. The specific side effects and the frequency at which they occur differ per class of antibody. Broader and more severe symptoms were noted to effect patients with preexisting brain lesions.

Basal ganglia hemorrhage in a case report following spinal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial hemorrhage is a rare but potentially severe complication of spinal surgery. Most reported post-operative ICH cases consist of cerebellar hemorrhage. There are fewer reported cases of supratentorial ICH following spinal surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old woman underwent spinal surgery complicated by bilateral supratentorial intraparenchymal basal ganglia hemorrhage with both intraventricular extension and subarachnoid hemorrhage in both cerebral hemispheres. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of neurological deterioration post-operatively following spinal surgery should alert physicians to the possibility of intracranial hemorrhage in order to facilitate rapid and optimal management. To our knowledge, this is the first case reporting basal ganglia hemorrhage following spinal surgery. Moreover, consideration should be given to the possibility of this complication prior to recommendation of elective spinal surgery.

A mHealth-based care model for improving hypertension control in stroke survivors: Pilot RCT.

PURPOSE: Hypertension (HTN) is significantly under-treated in stroke survivors. We examined usability and efficacy of a mHealth -based care model for improving post-stroke HTN control (Funding: AHRQ R21HS021794). METHODS: We used a RCT design. Planned study duration was 90 days. Intervention arm (IA) participants measured their BP daily using a smart phone and wireless BP monitor. This was transmitted automatically to the study database. Investigators (Physician + PharmD) made bi-weekly medication adjustments to achieve the BP goal. Control arm (CA) participants received a digital BP monitor and usual care. We examined Usability (measured with Marshfield System Usability Survey) and HTN control efficacy using an ITT (intent-to-treat) and as-treated (AT) analyses. RESULTS: Fifty participants (IA = 28; CA = 22) completed the study. The Marshfield survey question, "I thought the system was easy to use" mean score was 4.6, (5 = strongly agree). Mean SBP declined significantly between enrollment and study completion in the IA. In ITT, IA SBP declined 9.88 mm, p = 0.005. In AT, IA SBP declined 10.81 mm, p = 0.0036. CA SBP decline was 5-6 mm Hg (not significant). In the ITT, baseline HTN control (SBP < 140 mm Hg) was 50% in IA and CA. At study completion, HTN was controlled in 82% (23/28) of IA and 64% (14/22) of CA (p = 0.14). In the AT, HTN was controlled in 89% (23/26) of IA and 58% (14/24) of CA, (p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: A mHealth-based HTN care model had excellent usability and provided better HTN control than usual care in stroke survivors. CLINICAL TRIAL: gov: NCT01875094.

Hyperglycemia in acute ischemic stroke: Is it time to re-evaluate our understanding?

Among 700,000 new and recurrent ischemic stroke patients per year, forty percent are hyperglycemic on admission. In-vitro, hyperglycemia is toxic to neurons. Acute ischemic stroke patients who are hyperglycemic on admission experience higher morbidity and mortality. Results of multiple trials have provided no evidence supporting benefit in achieving normoglycemia. On the contrary, there is some evidence that tight glycemic control in acute brain injury is associated with poor outcome. Current consensus derived guidelines from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recommend an upper limit of blood glucose of 140-180mg/dl, as there is no evidence to support strict control. The lack of improved outcomes with normoglycemia in this population dictates reconsideration of assumptions regarding the underlying pathophysiology of hyperglycemia. Review of the current data suggests there are two distinct pathophysiologic entities of hyperglycemia in acute ischemic stroke patients: diabetic and non-diabetic. We propose that the lack of positive results from well-designed intention-to-treat trials in hyperglycemic acute ischemic stroke patients could be attributed to treating these distinct groups as one.

Phantom-based standardization of CT angiography images for spot sign detection.

PURPOSE: The CT angiography (CTA) spot sign is a strong predictor of hematoma expansion in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, CTA parameters vary widely across centers and may negatively impact spot sign accuracy in predicting ICH expansion. We developed a CT iodine calibration phantom that was scanned at different institutions in a large multicenter ICH clinical trial to determine the effect of image standardization on spot sign detection and performance. METHODS: A custom phantom containing known concentrations of iodine was designed and scanned using the stroke CT protocol at each institution. Custom software was developed to read the CT volume datasets and calculate the Hounsfield unit as a function of iodine concentration for each phantom scan. CTA images obtained within 8 h from symptom onset were analyzed by two trained readers comparing the calibrated vs. uncalibrated density cutoffs for spot sign identification. ICH expansion was defined as hematoma volume growth >33%. RESULTS: A total of 90 subjects qualified for the study, of whom 17/83 (20.5%) experienced ICH expansion. The number of spot sign positive scans was higher in the calibrated analysis (67.8 vs 38.9% p < 0.001). All spot signs identified in the non-calibrated analysis remained positive after calibration. Calibrated CTA images had higher sensitivity for ICH expansion (76 vs 52%) but inferior specificity (35 vs 63%) compared with uncalibrated images. CONCLUSION: Normalization of CTA images using phantom data is a feasible strategy to obtain consistent image quantification for spot sign analysis across different sites and may improve sensitivity for identification of ICH expansion.

Intracranial vascular calcification is protective from vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage was noted in some studies to be less frequent and less severe in older age. One hypothesis is that atherosclerosis makes arteries too stiff to spasm. The objective of this study was to assess the association between intracranial calcification, a marker for atherosclerosis, and vasospasm. Charts and nonenhanced computed tomography scans of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage were retrospectively reviewed. Transcranial Doppler studies were used to categorize vasospasm using mean flow velocity: mild vasospasm 120-199 cm/second and severe ≥ 200 cm/second. Calcification of the intracranial internal carotid artery was quantified by calculating the volume and density of the calcified lesions. A total of 172 patients met study criteria (mean age, 54 ± 13 years; 88 women). Patients who had calcification (n = 90; 52%) were significantly older (61 ± 12 years vs. 46 ± 10 years; P < .0001). Mean calcification score was 532 ± 853. Calcification score was directly associated with age (P < .0001) and inversely associated with mean flow velocity (P = .0027). Only the highest tertile was independently associated with less vasospasm (odds ratio, .34; 95% confidence interval, .12-.93). There was an interaction between calcification score and age in which age greater than 65 years was only protective of vasospasm when combined with the highest calcification tertile. We conclude that intracranial calcification is associated with lower rates of vasospasm. The amount of visualized calcification inversely influences the severity of vasospasm. Calcification, and the underlying presumed atherosclerosis, maybe 1 mechanism by which vasospasm has lower frequency and severity in older age.

Human herpesvirus 6 is associated with status epilepticus and hyponatremia after umbilical cord blood transplantation.

Status epilepticus after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) is rare. The authors report a case involving a 65-year-old man with nonconvulsive status epilepticus 34 days after umbilical cord blood transplantion for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cerebrospinal fluid and serum were positive for human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6). Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed symmetric T2 hyper-intensity bilaterally in the mesial temporal lobes, and T2 hyperintensi-ties and restricted diffusion of bilateral putamina. Despite aggressive anticonvulsive therapy, his seizures only abated with initiation of ganciclovir therapy. The patient completed six weeks of combination antiviral therapy (ganciclovir and foscarnet). His cognitive function gradually improved and, after prolonged rehabilitation, the patient was discharged home with residual intermittent memory loss but otherwise functional. HHV6 should be considered in the differential diagnosis of nonconvulsive status epilepticus after alloHCT, especially in patients with hyponatremia. Empirical antiviral therapy targeting HHV6 should be administered to these patients.

L'état de mal épileptique est rare après une greffe de cellules souches hématopoïétiques allogéniques (GCSallo). Les auteurs rendent compte du cas d'un homme de 65 ans présentant un état de mal épileptique non convulsif 34 jours après avoir subi une greffe de sang de cordon pour soigner une leucémie lymphocytaire chronique. Le liquide céphalorachidien et le sérum étaient positifs à l'herpèsvirus humain type 6 (HVH6). L'imagerie par résonance magnétique du cerveau a révélé un signal hyperintense symétrique et bilatéral des lobes temporaux mésiaux en T2, ainsi que des signaux hyperintenses en T2 et une diffusion bilatérale restreinte du putamen. Malgré un traitement énergique aux anticonvulsivants, les convulsions n'ont diminué qu'après l'amorce d'un traitement au ganciclovir. Le patient a été mis sous bithérapie antivirale (ganciclovir et foscarnet) pendant six semaines. Sa fonction cognitive s'est améliorée graduellement et, après une réadaptation prolongée, il a obtenu son congé à domicile. Il présentait une perte de mémoire résiduelle intermittente, mais était autrement fonctionnel. Il faut envisager un HVH6 dans le diagnostic différentiel de l'état de mal épileptique non convulsif après une GCSallo, particulièrement chez les patients présentant une hyponatrémie. Il faut administrer une anti-virothérapie empirique qui cible l'HVH6 chez ces patients.

Clinical-radiological severity mismatch phenomenon: patients with severe neurological deficits without matching infarction on computed tomographic scan.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine the long-term outcome of patients with severe persistent neurological deficits without a large infarction on computed tomographic (CT) scan. METHODS: We analyzed the prospectively collected data as part of the randomized, placebo controlled trial in patients with ischemic stroke presenting within 3 hours of symptom onset. Volume of infarction was measured from CT scan acquired at 3 months. Favorable outcome defined by no significant or slight disability on a modified Rankin scale at 12 months. We determined the outcome of patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS score) ≥ 10 at 24 hours. RESULTS: Of the 277 patients with NIHSS score ≥ 10 at 24 hours, 88 (32%) met the criteria of clinical-radiological severity mismatch. Compared with patients with NIHSS score ≥ 10 with infarct volume ≥ 20 cc, the patients with NIHSS score ≥ 10 and infarct volume <20 cc were older but there were no differences in the gender, race or vascular risk factors. Patients with clinical-radiological severity mismatch were more likely to have a favorable outcome at 12 months compared with those without mismatch (odd ratio 4.3, 95% confidence interval 1.5-12.6, P = .0063) after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that approximately one-fourth of patients with severe neurological deficits have clinical-radiological severity mismatch. Such patients appear to have a high rate of favorable outcomes at 1 year.

Outcome of the 'Drip-and-Ship' Paradigm among Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: Results of a Statewide Study.

BACKGROUND: The 'drip-and-ship' paradigm denotes a treatment regimen in patients in whom intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is initiated at the emergency department (ED) of a community hospital, followed by transfer within 24 h to a comprehensive stroke center. Although the drip-and-ship paradigm has the potential to increase the number of patients who receive IV rt-PA, comparative outcomes have not been assessed at a population-based level. METHODS: Statewide estimates of thrombolysis, associated in-hospital outcomes, and hospitalization charges were obtained from 2008-2009 Minnesota Hospital Association data for all patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Patients who were assigned the drip-and-ship code [International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) V45.88] were classified under the drip-and-ship paradigm. Patients who underwent thrombolysis (ICD-9-CM code 99.10) without drip-and-ship code were classified as primary ED arrival. Patient outcomes were analyzed after stratification into patients treated with IV rt-PA through primary ED arrival or drip-and-ship paradigm. RESULTS: Of the 21,024 admissions, 602 (2.86%) received IV rt-PA either through primary ED arrival (n = 473) or the drip-and-ship paradigm (n = 129). IV rt-PA was administered in 30 hospitals, of which 13 hospitals used the drip-and-ship paradigm; the number of patients treated with the drip-and-ship paradigm varied from 1 to 40 between the 13 hospitals. The rates of secondary intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage were higher in patients treated with IV rt-PA through primary ED arrival compared with those treated with the drip-and-ship paradigm (8.5 vs. 3.1%, respectively; p = 0.038). The in-hospital mortality rate was similar among ischemic stroke patients receiving IV rt-PA through primary ED arrival or the drip-and-ship paradigm (5.9 vs. 7.0%, respectively). The mean hospital charges were USD 65,669 for primary ED arrival and USD 47,850 for drip-and-ship-treated patients (p < 0.001). The rate of admission to a certified stroke center as final destination for acute hospitalization was higher in patients treated by drip-and-ship paradigm compared with those treated by primary ED arrival mode (p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the drip-and-ship paradigm compare favorably with IV rt-PA treatment through primary ED arrival in this statewide study. Our results support the recommendations of various professional organizations that the drip-and-ship method of IV rt-PA administration for stroke may be an effective option for increasing the utilization of IV rt-PA on a large scale.

Agreement in endovascular thrombolysis patient selection based on interpretation of presenting CT and CT-P changes in ischemic stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the agreement in patient selection based on computed tomography (CT) and CT-perfusion (CT-P) imaging interpretation between stroke specialists in stroke patients considered for endovascular treatment. METHODS: All endovascular-treated acute ischemic stroke patients were identified through a prospective database from two comprehensive stroke centers; 25 consecutively treated patients were used for this analysis. Initial CT images and CT-P data were independently interpreted by five board eligible/certified vascular neurologists with additional endovascular training to decide whether or not to select the patient for endovascular treatment. The CT/CT-P images were evaluated separately and used as the sole imaging decision making criteria, 2 weeks apart from each other (memory wash-out period). For each set of imaging data inter-rater and intra-rater agreement scores were obtained using Cohen's kappa statistic to assess the proportion of agreement beyond chance. RESULTS: Kappa values for the treatment decisions based on CT images was 0.43 (range 0.14-0.8) (moderate agreement), and for the decisions based on CTP images was 0.29 (range 0.07-0.67) (fair agreement) among the five subjects. There was substantial variability within the group and between images interpretation. Observed agreement on decision to treat with endovascular therapy was found to be 75% with CT images and 59% with CT-P images (with no adjustment for chance). Kappa values for intra-rater agreement were -0.14 (ranged -0.27-0.27) (poor agreement). CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable lack of agreement, even among stroke specialists, in selecting acute ischemic stroke patients for endovascular treatment based on CT-P changes. This mandates a careful evaluation of CT-P for patient selection before widespread adoption.

Comparison of acute nonthrombolytic and thrombolytic treatments in ischemic stroke patients 80 years or older.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of acute ischemic stroke patients 80 years or older treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (i.v. rt-PA), or endovascular intervention with or without i.v. rt-PA, or nonthrombolytic medical treatment. METHODS: This study was a retrospective, nonrandomized, observational study of patients, admitted within 9 hours of symptom onset, at 3 academic, university-affiliated hospitals. The main outcome measures were neurologic improvement, defined by improvement in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at 7 days or discharge of 4 or more, or achieving a score of 0; symptomatic and asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage; favorable outcome (discharge modified Rankin score 0-2); and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients received i.v. rt-PA, 46 received endovascular intervention with or without i.v. rt-PA, and 66 received nonthrombolytic medical treatment. I.v. rt-PA-treated patients had a significantly clinically higher chance of favorable outcome (odds ratio [OR], 5.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-17.5), when compared with nonthrombolytic medical treatment. A significantly higher rate of neurologic improvement was observed among the i.v. rt-PA (7.2; 95% CI, 2.7-19.5) and endovascularly treated patients (5.8; 95% CI, 2-16.8) when compared with nonthrombolytic medical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A prominently higher rate of neurologic improvement and favorable clinical outcome was observed among acute ischemic stroke patients 80 years or older treated with i.v. rt-PA or endovascular intervention when compared with nonthrombolytic medical treatment, supporting the use of acute thrombolytic therapies in this patient population when contraindications are not present.

Approach to the patient with transient alteration of consciousness.

Evaluating transient impairment of consciousness is critical to diagnose epileptic seizures, syncope, parasomnias, organic encephalopathies, and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Effective evaluation of episodic unconscious events demands interactive interviewing of the patient and witnesses of the events, with judgment as to historians' observational abilities. When generalized tonic-clonic seizures have been witnessed by medical staff or other reliable observers, a search for concomitant nonconvulsive events and for comorbid illnesses often elucidates diagnoses unsuspected by the referring physician. Consultation for stupor-coma should not miss a potentially reversible acute severe encephalopathy, particularly when reversibility requires timely therapy. Perspicacious analyses of complex cognitive-motor phenomena support judicious application of diagnostic procedures, including brief or prolonged EEG and video-EEG, EKG tilt-table testing, EKG loop monitoring, and brain imaging.

Thrombolytic treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke related to underlying arterial dissection in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcomes related to thrombolytic treatment of an acute ischemic stroke secondary to an arterial dissection in a large national cohort. DESIGN: Retrospective database study. SETTING: Nationwide Inpatient Sample data files from 2005 to 2008. PATIENTS: We determined the frequency of underlying arterial dissection among patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with thrombolytic treatment and associated in-hospital outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All the in-hospital outcomes were analyzed after adjusting for potential confounders using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Of the 47,899 patients with ischemic stroke who received thrombolytic treatment, 488 (1%) had an underlying dissection. The intracranial hemorrhage rates did not differ between patients with ischemic stroke with or without underlying dissection who received thrombolytic treatment (6.9% vs 6.4%). After adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, congestive heart failure, and hospital teaching status, presence of dissection was associated with higher rates of moderate disability (odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-4.6; P < .001) at discharge. The interaction terms between dissection and thrombolytic treatment among all patients with ischemic stroke for predicting in-hospital mortality (P = .84) and minimal disability (P = .13) were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The adjusted rate of favorable outcomes is lower among patients with ischemic stroke with underlying arterial dissection following thrombolytic treatment compared with those without underlying dissections. However, the observed lower rates are not influenced by thrombolytic treatment.

Association of serum glucose concentrations during acute hospitalization with hematoma expansion, perihematomal edema, and three month outcome among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: There is some evidence that hyperglycemia increases the rate of poor outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We explored the relationship between various parameters of serum glucose concentrations measured during acute hospitalization and hematoma expansion, perihematomal edema, and three month outcome among subjects with ICH. METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of a multicenter prospective study recruiting subjects with ICH and elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥170 mmHg who presented within 6 h of symptom onset was performed. The serum glucose concentration was measured repeatedly up to 5 times over 3 days after admission and change over time was characterized using a summary statistic by fitting the linear regression model for each subject. The admission glucose, glucose change between admission and 24 hour glucose concentration, and estimated parameters (slope and intercept) were entered in the logistic regression model separately to predict the functional outcome as measured by modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 90 days (0-3 vs. 4-6); hematoma expansion at 24 h (≤33 vs. >33%); and relative perihematomal edema expansion at 24 h (≤40 vs. >40%). RESULTS: A total of 60 subjects were recruited (aged 62.0 ±15.1 years; 56.7% men). The mean of initial glucose concentration (±standard deviation) was 136.7 mg/dl (±58.1). Thirty-five out of 60 (58%) subjects had a declining glucose over time (negative slope). The risk of poor outcome (mRS 4-6) in those with increasing serum glucose levels was over two-fold relative to those who had declining serum glucose levels (RR = 2.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 6.75). The RRs were 2.59 (95% CI: 1.27, 5.30) for hematoma expansion >33%; and 1.25 (95% CI: 0.73, 2.13) for relative edema expansion >40%. CONCLUSIONS: Decline in serum glucose concentration correlated with reduction in proportion of subjects with hematoma expansion and poor clinical outcome. These results provide a justification for a randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of aggressive serum glucose reduction in reducing death and disability among patients with ICH.