Tenecteplase for Stroke at 4.5 to 24 Hours with Perfusion-Imaging Selection.

BACKGROUND: Thrombolytic agents, including tenecteplase, are generally used within 4.5 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. Information on whether tenecteplase confers benefit beyond 4.5 hours is limited. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving patients with ischemic stroke to compare tenecteplase (0.25 mg per kilogram of body weight, up to 25 mg) with placebo administered 4.5 to 24 hours after the time that the patient was last known to be well. Patients had to have evidence of occlusion of the middle cerebral artery or internal carotid artery and salvageable tissue as determined on perfusion imaging. The primary outcome was the ordinal score on the modified Rankin scale (range, 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater disability and a score of 6 indicating death) at day 90. Safety outcomes included death and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. RESULTS: The trial enrolled 458 patients, 77.3% of whom subsequently underwent thrombectomy; 228 patients were assigned to receive tenecteplase, and 230 to receive placebo. The median time between the time the patient was last known to be well and randomization was approximately 12 hours in the tenecteplase group and approximately 13 hours in the placebo group. The median score on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days was 3 in each group. The adjusted common odds ratio for the distribution of scores on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days for tenecteplase as compared with placebo was 1.13 (95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 1.57; P = 0.45). In the safety population, mortality at 90 days was 19.7% in the tenecteplase group and 18.2% in the placebo group, and the incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was 3.2% and 2.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Tenecteplase therapy that was initiated 4.5 to 24 hours after stroke onset in patients with occlusions of the middle cerebral artery or internal carotid artery, most of whom had undergone endovascular thrombectomy, did not result in better clinical outcomes than those with placebo. The incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was similar in the two groups. (Funded by Genentech; TIMELESS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03785678.).

Can non-contrast head CT and stroke severity be used for stroke triage? A population-based study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients may benefit from endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) up to 24 h since last known normal (LKN). Advanced imaging is required for patient selection. Small or rural hospitals may not have sufficient CT technician and radiology support to rapidly acquire and interpret images. We estimated transfer rates using non-contrast head CT and stroke severity to select patients to be transferred to larger centers for evaluation. METHODS: We identified all AIS among residents of the study region in 2010. Only cases age ≥ 18 with baseline mRS 0-2 that presented to an ED were included. Among cases that presented between 6 and 24 h from LKN, those without evidence of acute infarct on head CT and with initial NIHSS ≥6 or ≥ 10 were identified. RESULTS: Of 1359 AIS cases, 448 (33.0%) presented between 6 and 24 h, of which 383 (85.5%) showed no evidence of acute infarct on CT. Of cases with no acute infarct on CT, 89/383 (23.2%) had NIHSS ≥6, of which 66 (74.2%) initially presented to a hospital without thrombectomy capabilities; and 51/383 (13.3%) had NIHSS ≥10, of which 40 (78.4%) presented to a non-thrombectomy hospital. CONCLUSIONS: In our population, 40-66 AIS patients annually (0.8-1.3/week, or 3-5 patients/100,000 persons/year) may present to non-thrombectomy hospitals and need to be transferred using non-contrast CT and stroke severity as screening tools. Such an approach may sufficiently mitigate the impact of delays in treatment on outcomes, without overburdening the referring nor accepting hospitals.

The Trouble with Swallowing: Dysphagia as the Presenting Symptom in Lateral Medullary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Posterior circulation strokes account for approximately one-fourth of all ischemic strokes, but are frequently misdiagnosed by emergency providers. Current standard stroke screening tools such as the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale are weighted toward anterior circulation stroke diagnosis. Lateral medullary syndrome, a type of posterior circulation stroke, can be particularly challenging to diagnose due to nonspecific presenting symptoms, such as dysphagia. CASE REPORT: This report describes a 65-year-old man who presented with dysphagia, dizziness, and hoarseness. An initial neurological examination did not reveal any gross deficits, and imaging to evaluate for posterior circulation stroke was not obtained. The patient presented the following day with worsening symptoms, prompting imaging that revealed a large cerebellar ischemic infarction. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Although dysphagia frequently occurs in lateral medullary syndrome, it is rarely the presenting symptom in the emergency department. In patients with cerebrovascular risk factors who present with dysphagia, a complete neurological examination should be performed and noncontrast computed tomography (CT) of the head should be obtained if a neurological deficit is appreciated. Due to their poor sensitivity, CT scans can frequently miss posterior circulation strokes, therefore magnetic resonance imaging should be considered if provider suspicion remains high. Emergency providers are encouraged to have a high level of suspicion for this rare but debilitating stroke syndrome to avoid misdiagnosis and delayed care.

Effect of COVID-19 on Emergent Stroke Care: A Regional Experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Anecdotal evidence suggests that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic mitigation efforts may inadvertently discourage patients from seeking treatment for stroke with resultant increased morbidity and mortality. Analysis of regional data, while hospital capacities for acute stroke care remained fully available, offers an opportunity to assess this. We report regional Stroke Team acute activations and reperfusion treatments during COVID-19 mitigation activities. METHODS: Using case log data prospectively collected by a Stroke Team exclusively serving ≈2 million inhabitants and 30 healthcare facilities, we retrospectively reviewed volumes of consultations and reperfusion treatments for acute ischemic stroke. We compared volumes before and after announcements of COVID-19 mitigation measures and the prior calendar year. RESULTS: Compared with the 10 weeks prior, stroke consultations declined by 39% (95% CI, 32%-46%) in the 5 weeks after announcement of statewide school and restaurant closures in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Results compared with the prior year and time trend analyses were consistent. Reperfusion treatments also appeared to decline by 31% (95% CI, 3%-51%), and specifically thrombolysis by 33% (95% CI, 4%-55%), but this finding had less precision. CONCLUSIONS: Upon the announcement of measures to mitigate COVID-19, regional acute stroke consultations declined significantly. Reperfusion treatment rates, particularly thrombolysis, also appeared to decline qualitatively, and this finding requires further study. Urgent public education is necessary to mitigate a possible crisis of avoiding essential emergency care due to COVID-19.

Prehospital Prediction of Large Vessel Occlusion in Suspected Stroke Patients.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Recent advances in endovascular thrombectomy have made acute ischemic stroke due to a large vessel occlusion more treatable than ever. Rapid access to treatment remains paramount and multiple large vessel occlusion prediction scales have been created to enhance prehospital identification and triage of these patients. This review summarizes the current state of large vessel occlusion prediction scales, proposes a set of ideal scale features, and discusses the future of these scales and prehospital neurological emergency response systems. RECENT FINDINGS: A meta-analysis of the available data concluded that none of the currently published scales are more accurate than the others. However, other studies provide insight into important qualitative features beyond accuracy. At present, only a few large vessel occlusion prediction scales have been studied in the necessary prehospital suspected stroke patient population. Among these small studies, 26-51% of patients identified by scales had large vessel occlusions and 63-84% qualified for triage to a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Valuable scale features include binary scoring, inclusion of gaze deviation and arm weakness, exclusion of neglect, and prehospital validation in a suspected stroke cohort. Patients with neurological emergencies that mimic large vessel occlusion, such as intracranial hemorrhage, may also benefit from triage to Comprehensive Stroke Centers. Prehospital triage is more complex than ever and guidelines, tools, and systems continue to evolve.

Pre and intrahospital workflow for acute stroke treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With the recent demonstration of the effectiveness of rapid recanalization of large vessel occlusions in acute ischemic stroke, it is important to assess the current status of pre and intrahospital workflow for acute stroke. RECENT FINDINGS: We will review trends in the evaluation and treatment of acute stroke and offer suggestions for how best to advance the workflow for acute stroke care in the coming years. SUMMARY: Future research is needed for: field use of clinical scores for predicting large vessel occlusions, telemedicine to facilitate prehospital triage, and pre and intrahospital processes for optimizing stroke care delivery.

Insulation failure with externalized conductor of a Linox SD lead: a case report.

A 53-year-old man with a dual-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator presented to the electrophysiology (EP) lab for an EP study in evaluation of supraventricular tachycardia despite medical therapy. Fluoroscopic imaging during placement of diagnostic catheters demonstrated insulation failure with an externalized conductor on the right ventricular defibrillator lead just distal to the proximal defibrillator coil. Device interrogation revealed normal pacing, and shock impedances, normal sensing, and stable pacing thresholds.