Diagnostic value of transcranial doppler to predict delayed cerebral ischemia after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage : To predict delayed cerebral ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a technique to assess blood flow velocity in the cerebral arteries. TCD is frequently used to monitor aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients. This study compares TCD-criteria for vasospasm and its association with Delayed Cerebral Ischemia (DCI). An overall score based on flow velocities of various intracranial arteries was developed and evaluated. METHODS: A retrospective diagnostic accuracy study was conducted between 1998 and 2017 with 621 patients included. Mean flow velocity (MFV) of the cerebral artery was measured between 2-5 days and between 6-9 days after ictus. Cutoff values from the literature, new cutoff values, and a new composite score (Combined Severity Score) were used to predict DCI. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were determined, and logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: The Combined Severity Score showed an AUC 0.64 (95%CI 0.56-.71) at days 2-5, with sensitivity 0.53 and specificity 0.74. The Combined Severity Score had an adjusted Odds Ratio of 3.41 (95CI 1.86-6.32) for DCI. MCA-measurements yielded the highest AUC to detect DCI at day 2-5: AUC 0.65 (95%CI 0.58-0.73). Optimal cutoff MFV of 83 cm/s for MCA resulted in sensitivity 0.73 and specificity 0.50 at days 2-5. CONCLUSION: TCD-monitoring of aSAH patients may be a valuable strategy for DCI risk stratification. Lower cutoff values can be used in the early phase after the ictus (day 2-5) than are commonly used now. The Combined Severity Score incorporating all major cerebral arteries may provide a meaningful contribution to interpreting TCD measurements.

Carotid stenosis in logistic restraints Optimizing treatment of significant carotid artery stenosis in times of logistic restraints as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 confronted medical care with many challenges. During the pandemic, several resources were limited resulting in renouncing or postponing medical care like carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for patients with significant carotid artery stenosis. Although according to international guidelines CEA is the first choice, carotid artery stenting (CAS) could potentially be a reasonable alternative especially during logistical restraints. PURPOSE: To evaluate outcomes of CAS versus CEA before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hypothesis was that a CAS first approach yielded comparable outcomes compared to a CEA first approach. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with significant carotid artery stenosis treated with CEA or CAS between September 2018 and March 2023. Each consecutive period of 1.5 year marked a new (treatment) period: pre-COVID (CEA first strategy), during COVID (CAS first strategy) and post COVID (patient tailored approach). Primary outcome was the composite endpoint of stroke, TIA or death within 30 days. Secondary outcome consisted of the rate of technical success, cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome, myocardial infarction or other cardiac complications needing intervention, bleeding of the surgical site needing intervention, nerve palsy, unintended IC admission, pseudoaneurysm, restenosis or occlusion. RESULTS: A total of 318 patients were included. Out of 137 patients treated with CEA, 55, 36 and 46 were treated pre-COVID, during COVID and post-COVID, respectively. Out of 181 CAS procedures, 38, 59 and 84, respectively, were performed in each time period. Primary outcome occurred in 5.5%, 0% and 2.2% in the CEA group and 0%, 1.7% and 3.6% in the CAS group (p = .27; p = 1.00; p = 1.00, respectively). Overall technical success was 100% for CEA and 99.4% for CAS (p = 1.00). Rate of restenosis was the only secondary outcome measure which was significantly better after CAS compared to CEA in the pre- and post-COVID period (CEA vs CAS, 12.7% vs 7.9% and 23.9% vs 4.8% with a p-value of .03 and .03, respectively). Hospital presentation to treatment interval did not differ significantly during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Outcomes were comparable between CAS versus CEA in patients with significant carotid artery stenosis before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. CAS showed better results in terms of other complications (i.e., restenosis rate) in the pre- and post-COVID period compared to CEA. Our results may support a CAS first approach when no relevant contra-indications exist without exposing the patient to complications associated with an open surgical approach. Discussion in a multidisciplinary team is advised.

Outcomes of Decompressive Surgery for Patients With Severe Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: DECOMPRESS2 Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Decompressive neurosurgery is recommended for patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) who have large parenchymal lesions and impending brain herniation. This recommendation is based on limited evidence. We report long-term outcomes of patients with CVT treated by decompressive neurosurgery in an international cohort. METHODS: DECOMPRESS2 (Decompressive Surgery for Patients With Cerebral Venous Thrombosis, Part 2) was a prospective, international cohort study. Consecutive patients with CVT treated by decompressive neurosurgery were evaluated at admission, discharge, 6 months, and 12 months. The primary outcome was death or severe disability (modified Rankin Scale scores, 5-6) at 12 months. The secondary outcomes included patient and caregiver opinions on the benefits of surgery. The association between baseline variables before surgery and the primary outcome was assessed by multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 118 patients (80 women; median age, 38 years) were included from 15 centers in 10 countries from December 2011 to December 2019. Surgery (115 craniectomies and 37 hematoma evacuations) was performed within a median of 1 day after diagnosis. At last assessment before surgery, 68 (57.6%) patients were comatose, fixed dilated pupils were found unilaterally in 27 (22.9%) and bilaterally in 9 (7.6%). Twelve-month follow-up data were available for 113 (95.8%) patients. Forty-six (39%) patients were dead or severely disabled (modified Rankin Scale scores, 5-6), of whom 40 (33.9%) patients had died. Forty-two (35.6%) patients were independent (modified Rankin Scale scores, 0-2). Coma (odds ratio, 2.39 [95% CI, 1.03-5.56]) and fixed dilated pupil (odds ratio, 2.22 [95% CI, 0.90-4.92]) were predictors of death or severe disability. Of the survivors, 56 (78.9%) patients and 61 (87.1%) caregivers expressed a positive opinion on surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Two-thirds of patients with severe CVT were alive and more than one-third were independent 1 year after decompressive surgery. Among survivors, surgery was judged as worthwhile by 4 out of 5 patients and caregivers. These results support the recommendation to perform decompressive neurosurgery in patients with CVT with impending brain herniation.

Time to Treatment With Intravenous Thrombolysis Before Thrombectomy and Functional Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis.

Importance: The benefit of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for acute ischemic stroke declines with longer time from symptom onset, but it is not known whether a similar time dependency exists for IVT followed by thrombectomy. Objective: To determine whether the benefit associated with IVT plus thrombectomy vs thrombectomy alone decreases with treatment time from symptom onset. Design, Setting, and Participants: Individual participant data meta-analysis from 6 randomized clinical trials comparing IVT plus thrombectomy vs thrombectomy alone. Enrollment was between January 2017 and July 2021 at 190 sites in 15 countries. All participants were eligible for IVT and thrombectomy and presented directly at thrombectomy-capable stroke centers (n = 2334). For this meta-analysis, only patients with an anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion were included (n = 2313). Exposure: Interval from stroke symptom onset to expected administration of IVT and treatment with IVT plus thrombectomy vs thrombectomy alone. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome analysis tested whether the association between the allocated treatment (IVT plus thrombectomy vs thrombectomy alone) and disability at 90 days (7-level modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score range, 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]; minimal clinically important difference for the rates of mRS scores of 0-2: 1.3%) varied with times from symptom onset to expected administration of IVT. Results: In 2313 participants (1160 in IVT plus thrombectomy group vs 1153 in thrombectomy alone group; median age, 71 [IQR, 62 to 78] years; 44.3% were female), the median time from symptom onset to expected administration of IVT was 2 hours 28 minutes (IQR, 1 hour 46 minutes to 3 hours 17 minutes). There was a statistically significant interaction between the time from symptom onset to expected administration of IVT and the association of allocated treatment with functional outcomes (ratio of adjusted common odds ratio [OR] per 1-hour delay, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.72 to 0.97], P = .02 for interaction). The benefit of IVT plus thrombectomy decreased with longer times from symptom onset to expected administration of IVT (adjusted common OR for a 1-step mRS score shift toward improvement, 1.49 [95% CI, 1.13 to 1.96] at 1 hour, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.04 to 1.49] at 2 hours, and 1.04 [95% CI, 0.88 to 1.23] at 3 hours). For a mRS score of 0, 1, or 2, the predicted absolute risk difference was 9% (95% CI, 3% to 16%) at 1 hour, 5% (95% CI, 1% to 9%) at 2 hours, and 1% (95% CI, -3% to 5%) at 3 hours. After 2 hours 20 minutes, the benefit associated with IVT plus thrombectomy was not statistically significant and the point estimate crossed the null association at 3 hours 14 minutes. Conclusions and Relevance: In patients presenting at thrombectomy-capable stroke centers, the benefit associated with IVT plus thrombectomy vs thrombectomy alone was time dependent and statistically significant only if the time from symptom onset to expected administration of IVT was short.

Sex differences in outcomes after endovascular treatment in posterior circulation stroke: results from the MR CLEAN Registry.

BACKGROUND: Women with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) have been reported to have worse outcomes after endovascular treatment (EVT) than men. Whether these disparities also exist in LVO of the posterior circulation is yet uncertain. We assessed sex differences in clinical, technical, and safety outcomes of EVT in posterior circulation LVO. METHODS: We used data of patients with posterior circulation LVO included in the Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands (MR CLEAN) Registry (2014-2018). Primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days assessed with multivariable ordinal regression analysis. Secondary outcomes included favorable functional outcome (mRS ≤3), functional independence (mRS ≤2), death within 90 days, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score 24-48 hours postintervention, complications, successful reperfusion (extended Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia 2B-3), and procedure duration analyzed with multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses. RESULTS: We included 264 patients (42% women). Compared with men, women were older (median age 68 vs 63 years), more often had prestroke disability (mRS ≥1: 37% vs 30%), and received intravenous thrombolytics less often (45% vs 56%). Clinical outcomes were similar between sexes (adjusted (common) OR (aOR) 0.82, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.34; favorable functional outcome 50% vs 43%, aOR 1.31, 95% CI 0.77 to 2.25; death 32% vs 29%, aOR 0.98, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.84). In addition, NIHSS score after 24-48 hours (median 7 vs 9), successful reperfusion (77% vs 73%), and complications did not differ between men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes in women treated with EVT for posterior circulation LVO were similar compared with men despite less favorable baseline characteristics in women. Therefore men and women may benefit equally from EVT.

Immediate Carotid Artery Stenting or Deferred Treatment in Patients With Tandem Carotid Lesions Treated Endovascularly for Acute Ischaemic Stroke.

Fifteen to 20% of patients with an acute ischaemic stroke have a tandem lesion defined by the combination of an intracranial large vessel thrombo-embolic occlusion and a high grade stenosis or occlusion of the ipsilateral internal carotid artery. These patients tend to have worse outcomes than patients with isolated intracranial occlusions, with higher rates of disability and death. The introduction of endovascular thrombectomy to treat the intracranial lesion clearly improved the outcome compared with treatment with intravenous thrombolysis alone. However, the best treatment strategy for managing the extracranial carotid artery lesion in patients with tandem lesions remains unknown. Current guidelines recommend carotid endarterectomy for patients with transient ischaemic attack or non-disabling stroke and moderate or severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery, within two weeks of the initial event, to prevent major stroke recurrence and death. Alternatively, the symptomatic carotid artery could be treated by endovascular placement of a stent during endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). This would negate the need for a second procedure, immediately reduce the risk of stroke recurrence, increase patient satisfaction, and could be cost effective. However, the administration of dual antiplatelet therapy could potentially increase the risk of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. Randomised controlled trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of immediate carotid artery stenting during EVT in acute stroke patients with tandem lesions are currently ongoing and will impact the current guidelines regarding the treatment of patients with acute ischaemic stroke due to these tandem lesions.

Endovascular treatment of patients with stroke caused by anterior cerebral artery occlusions.

BACKGROUND: Occlusion of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) is uncommon but may lead to significant disability. The benefit of endovascular treatment (EVT) for ACA occlusions remains uncertain. METHODS: We included patients treated with EVT and compared patients with ACA occlusions with patients who had internal carotid artery (ICA) or proximal (M1/M2) middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusions from the MR CLEAN Registry. Primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale score (mRS). Secondary outcomes were functional independence (mRS 0-2), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, delta-NIHSS (baseline minus NIHSS score at 24-48 h), and successful recanalization (expanded thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (eTICI) score 2b-3). Safety outcomes were symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), periprocedural complications, and mortality. RESULTS: Of 5193 patients, 11 (0.2%) had primary ACA occlusions. Median NIHSS at baseline was lower in patients with ACA versus ICA/MCA occlusions (11, IQR 9-14; versus 15, IQR 11-19). Functional outcome did not differ from patients with ICA/MCA occlusions. Functional independence was 4/11 (36%) in patients with ACA versus 1949/4815 (41%) in ICA/MCA occlusions; median delta-NIHSS was - 1 (IQR - 7 to 2) and - 4 (IQR - 9 to 0), respectively. Successful recanalization was 4/9 (44%), versus 3083/4787 (64%) in ICA/MCA occlusions. Mortality was 3/11 (27%) versus 1263/4815 (26%). One patient with ACA occlusion had sICH; no other complications occurred. CONCLUSION: In this cohort ACA occlusions were uncommon. Functional outcome did not differ between patients with ACA occlusions and ICA/MCA occlusions. Prospective research is needed to determine feasibility, safety, and outcomes of EVT for ACA occlusions.

Risk assessment of vascular complications following manual therapy and exercise for the cervical region: diagnostic accuracy of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists framework (The Go4Safe project).

QUESTION: What is the diagnostic accuracy of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) framework to assess the risk of vascular complications in patients seeking physiotherapy care for neck pain and/or headache? DESIGN: Cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and fifty patients seeking physiotherapy for neck pain and/or headache in primary care. METHODS: Nineteen physiotherapists performed the index test according to the IFOMPT framework. Patients were classified as having a high, intermediate or low risk of vascular complications, following manual therapy and/or exercise, derived from the estimated risk of the presence of vascular pathology. The reference test was a consensus medical decision reached by a vascular neurologist and an interventional neurologist, with input from a neuroradiologist. The neurologists had access to clinical data and magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine, including an angiogram of the cervical arteries. OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic accuracy measures were calculated for 'no contraindication' (ie, the low-risk category) and 'contraindication' (ie, the high-risk and intermediate-risk categories) for manual therapy and/or exercise. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, likelihood ratios and the area under the curve were calculated. RESULTS: Manual therapy and/or exercise were contraindicated in 54.7% of the patients. The sensitivity of the IFOMPT framework was low (0.50, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.61) and its specificity was moderate (0.63, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.75). The positive and negative likelihood ratios were weak at 1.36 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.99) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.60 to 1.05), respectively. The area under the curve was poor (0.57, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.65). CONCLUSION: The IFOMPT framework has poor diagnostic accuracy when compared with a reference standard consisting of a consensus medical decision.

Cost-effectiveness of tenecteplase versus alteplase for acute ischemic stroke.

INTRODUCTION: Alteplase is widely used as an intravenous thrombolytic drug in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Recently however, tenecteplase, a modified form of tissue plasminogen activator, has been shown to increase early recanalization rate and has proven to be non-inferior with a similar safety profile compared to alteplase. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of 0.25 mg/kg tenecteplase versus 0.9 mg/kg alteplase for intravenous thrombolysis in AIS patients from the Dutch healthcare payer perspective. METHODS: A Markov decision-analytic model was constructed to assess total costs, total quality-adjusted life year (QALY), an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) of two treatments at willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds of €50,000/QALY and €80,000/QALY over a 10-year time horizon. One-way sensitivity analysis, probabilistic sensitivity analysis, and scenario analysis were conducted to test the robustness of results. Clinical data were obtained from large randomized controlled trials and real-world data. RESULTS: Treatment with tenecteplase saved €21 per patient while gaining 0.05 QALYs, resulting in INMB of €2381, clearly rendering tenecteplase cost-effective compared to alteplase. Importantly, tenecteplase remained the cost-effective alternative in all scenarios, including AIS patients due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis proved tenecteplase to be cost-effective with a 71.0% probability at a WTP threshold of €50,000/QALY. CONCLUSIONS: Tenecteplase treatment was cost-effective for all AIS patients (including AIS patients with LVO) compared to alteplase. The finding supports the broader use of tenecteplase in acute stroke care, as health outcomes improve at acceptable costs while having practical advantages, and a similar safety profile.

'Drive the doctor' for endovascular thrombectomy in a rural area: a simulation study.

BACKGROUND: Patients who present in a primary stroke center (PSC) with ischemic stroke are usually transferred to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) in case of a large vessel occlusion (LVO) for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) treatment, the so-called 'drip-and-ship' (DS) model. The 'drive-the-doctor' (DD) model modifies the DS model by allowing mobile interventionalists (MIs) to transfer to an upgraded PSC acting as a thrombectomy capable stroke center (TSC), instead of transferring patients to a CSC. Using simulation we estimated time savings and impact on clinical outcome of DD in a rural region. METHODS: Data from EVT patients in northern Netherlands was prospectively collected in the MR CLEAN Registry between July 2014 - November 2017. A Monte Carlo simulation model of DS patients served as baseline model. Scenarios included regional spread of TSCs, pre-hospital patient routing to 'the nearest PSC' or 'nearest TSC', MI's notification after LVO confirmation or earlier prehospital, and MI's transport modalities. Primary outcomes are onset to groin puncture (OTG) and predicted probability of favorable outcome (PPFO) (mRS 0-2). RESULTS: Combining all scenarios OTG would be reduced by 28-58 min and PPFO would be increased by 3.4-7.1%. Best performing and acceptable scenario was a combination of 3 TSCs, prehospital patient routing based on the RACE scale, MI notification after LVO confirmation and MI's transfer by ambulance. OTG would reduce by 48 min and PPFO would increase by 5.9%. CONCLUSIONS: A DD model is a feasible scenario to optimize acute stroke services for EVT eligible patients in rural regions. Key design decisions in implementing the DD model for a specific region are regional spread of TSCs, patient routing strategy, and MI's notification moment and transport modality.

Simulation modelling to study the impact of adding comprehensive stroke centres. Can we deliver endovascular thrombectomy sooner?

OBJECTIVES: Regional accessibility and distribution of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) capable facilities, that is, comprehensive stroke centres (CSCs), may significantly influence time to treatment. We analysed the impact of adding CSCs in the north of the Netherlands, a region with roughly 1.7 million inhabitants currently served by one CSC and eight primary stroke centres (PSCs). DESIGN: Monte Carlo simulation modelling was used to establish new CSCs in our region by hypothetically upgrading existing PSCs to CSCs and ensuing adjustments in health services set-up. SETTING: One CSC and eight PSCs in the north of the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: 165 patients with acute stroke treated with EVT and underwent interhospital transfer between PSC and CSC (drip and ship patients). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Time from onset to groin (OTG) puncture and predicted probability of favourable outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0-2) after 90 days. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess uncertainty in workflow efficiency of CSCs. RESULTS: Adding one or two CSCs would reduce the OTG time up to approximately 17 min and increases the predicted probability of favourable outcome by approximately 2%. Sensitivity analyses revealed that 'slow-acting' CSCs may reduce OTG by 3-5 min compared with 24-32 min for 'fast-acting' CSCs. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that adding one or two CSCs in the north of the Netherlands would have modest impact. Improving workflow efficiencies seems to be more potent when aiming to improve existing acute stroke care systems.

Cost-effectiveness of Direct Transfer to Angiography Suite of Patients With Suspected Large Vessel Occlusion.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) deemed eligible for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) are transferred from the emergency room to the angiography suite to undergo the procedure. Recently, the strategy of direct transfer of patients with suspected LVO to the angiography suite (DTAS) has been shown to improve functional outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the DTAS strategy vs initial transfer of patients with suspected LVO (Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation score >4 and NIH Stroke Scale >10) to the emergency room (ITER). METHODS: A decision-analytic Markov model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the DTAS strategy vs the ITER strategy from a Dutch health care perspective with a 10-year time horizon. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) using Dutch thresholds of $59,135 (€50,000) and $94,616 (€80,000) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Uncertainty of input parameters was assessed using 1-way sensitivity analysis, scenario analysis, and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: The DTAS strategy yielded 0.65 additional QALYs at an additional $16,089, resulting in an ICER of $24,925/QALY compared with the ITER strategy. The ICER varied from $27,169 to $38,325/QALY across different scenarios. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the DTAS strategy had a 91.8% and 97.0% likelihood of being cost-effective at a decision threshold of $59,135/QALY and $94,616/QALY, respectively. DISCUSSION: The cost-effectiveness of the DTAS strategy over ITER is robust for patients with suspected LVO. Together with recently published clinical results, this means that implementation of the DTAS strategy may be considered to improve the workflow and outcome of EVT.

The Diagnostic Value of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Predict Delayed Cerebral Ischemia and Unfavorable Outcome After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive tool to monitor cerebral regional oxygen saturation. Impairment of microvascular circulation with subsequent cerebral hypoxia during delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is associated with poor functional outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Therefore, NIRS could be useful to predict the risk for DCI and functional outcome. However, only limited data are available on NIRS regional cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2) distribution in SAH. The aim of this study was to compare the distribution of NIRS rSO2 values in patients with nontraumatic SAH with the occurrence of DCI and functional outcome at 2 months. In addition, the predictive value of NIRS rSO2 was compared with the previously validated SAFIRE grade (derived from Size of the aneurysm, Age, FIsher grade, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies after REsuscitation). METHODS: In this study, the rSO2 distribution of patients with and without DCI after SAH was compared. The optimal cutoff points to predict DCI and outcome were assessed, and its predictive value was compared with the SAFIRE grade. RESULTS: Of 41 patients, 12 developed DCI, and 9 had unfavorable outcome at 60 days. Prediction of DCI with NIRS had an area under the curve of 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.62-0.92; P = 0.0028) with an optimal cutoff point of 65% (sensitivity 1.00; specificity 0.45). Prediction of favorable outcome with NIRS had an area under the curve of 0.86 (95% confidence interval 0.74-0.98; P = 0.0003) with an optimal cutoff point of 63% (sensitivity 1.00; specificity 0.63). Regression analysis showed that NIRS rSO2 score is complementary to the SAFIRE grade. CONCLUSIONS: NIRS rSO2 monitoring in patients with SAH may improve prediction of DCI and clinical outcome after SAH.

Alternative Arterial Access Routes for Endovascular Thrombectomy in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Study from the MR CLEAN Registry.

Background: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) through femoral access is difficult to perform in some patients with acute ischemic stroke due to challenging vasculature. We compared outcomes of EVT through femoral versus alternative arterial access. Methods: In this observational study, we included patients from the MR CLEAN Registry who underwent EVT for acute ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation between 2014 and 2019 in the Netherlands. Patients who underwent EVT through alternative and femoral access were matched on propensity scores in a 1:3 ratio. The primary endpoint was favorable functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≤ 2) at 90 days. Secondary endpoints were early neurologic recovery, mortality, successful intracranial reperfusion and puncture related complications. Results: Of the 5197 included patients, 17 patients underwent EVT through alternative access and were matched to 48 patients who underwent EVT through femoral access. Alternative access was obtained through the common carotid artery (n = 15/17) and brachial artery (n = 2/17). Favorable functional outcome was less often observed after EVT through alternative than femoral access (18% versus 27%; aOR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.05-2.74). The rate of successful intracranial reperfusion was higher for alternative than femoral access (88% versus 58%), although mortality (59% versus 31%) and puncture related complications (29% versus 0%) were more common after alternative access. Conclusions: EVT through alternative arterial access is rarely performed in the Netherlands and seems to be associated with worse outcomes than standard femoral access. A next step would be to compare the additional value of EVT through alternative arterial access after failure of femoral access.

Role of intravenous alteplase on late lesion growth and clinical outcome after stroke treatment.

Several acute ischemic stroke mechanisms that cause lesion growth continue after treatment which is detrimental to long-term clinical outcome. The potential role of intravenous alteplase treatment (IVT), a standard in stroke care, in cessing the physiological processes causing post-treatment lesion development is understudied. We analyzed patients from the MR CLEAN-NO IV trial with good quality 24-hour and 1-week follow-up Non-Contrast CT scans. We delineated hypo- and hyper-dense regions on the scans as lesion. We performed univariable logistic and linear regression to estimate the influence of IVT on the presence (growth > 0 ml) and extent of late lesion growth. The association between late lesion growth and mRS was assessed using ordinal logistic regression. Interaction analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of IVT on this association. Of the 63/116 were randomized to included patients, IVT. Median growth was 8.4(-0.88-26) ml. IVT was not significantly associated with the presence (OR: 1.24 (0.57-2.74, p = 0.59) or extent (ß = 5.1(-8.8-19), p = 0.47) of growth. Late lesion growth was associated with worse clinical outcome (aOR: 0.85(0.76-0.95), p < 0.01; per 10 ml). IVT did not influence this association (p = 0.18). We did not find evidence that IVT influences late lesion growth or the relationship between growth and worse clinical outcome. Therapies to reduce lesion development are necessary.

Endovascular treatment versus no endovascular treatment after 6-24 h in patients with ischaemic stroke and collateral flow on CT angiography (MR CLEAN-LATE) in the Netherlands: a multicentre, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular treatment for anterior circulation ischaemic stroke is effective and safe within a 6 h window. MR CLEAN-LATE aimed to assess efficacy and safety of endovascular treatment for patients treated in the late window (6-24 h from symptom onset or last seen well) selected on the basis of the presence of collateral flow on CT angiography (CTA). METHODS: MR CLEAN-LATE was a multicentre, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial done in 18 stroke intervention centres in the Netherlands. Patients aged 18 years or older with ischaemic stroke, presenting in the late window with an anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion and collateral flow on CTA, and a neurological deficit score of at least 2 on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale were included. Patients who were eligible for late-window endovascular treatment were treated according to national guidelines (based on clinical and perfusion imaging criteria derived from the DAWN and DEFUSE-3 trials) and excluded from MR CLEAN-LATE enrolment. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive endovascular treatment or no endovascular treatment (control), in addition to best medical treatment. Randomisation was web based, with block sizes ranging from eight to 20, and stratified by centre. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days after randomisation. Safety outcomes included all-cause mortality at 90 days after randomisation and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage. All randomly assigned patients who provided deferred consent or died before consent could be obtained comprised the modified intention-to-treat population, in which the primary and safety outcomes were assessed. Analyses were adjusted for predefined confounders. Treatment effect was estimated with ordinal logistic regression and reported as an adjusted common odds ratio (OR) with a 95% CI. This trial was registered with the ISRCTN, ISRCTN19922220. FINDINGS: Between Feb 2, 2018, and Jan 27, 2022, 535 patients were randomly assigned, and 502 (94%) patients provided deferred consent or died before consent was obtained (255 in the endovascular treatment group and 247 in the control group; 261 [52%] females). The median mRS score at 90 days was lower in the endovascular treatment group than in the control group (3 [IQR 2-5] vs 4 [2-6]), and we observed a shift towards better outcomes on the mRS for the endovascular treatment group (adjusted common OR 1·67 [95% CI 1·20-2·32]). All-cause mortality did not differ significantly between groups (62 [24%] of 255 patients vs 74 [30%] of 247 patients; adjusted OR 0·72 [95% CI 0·44-1·18]). Symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage occurred more often in the endovascular treatment group than in the control group (17 [7%] vs four [2%]; adjusted OR 4·59 [95% CI 1·49-14·10]). INTERPRETATION: In this study, endovascular treatment was efficacious and safe for patients with ischaemic stroke caused by an anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion who presented 6-24 h from onset or last seen well, and who were selected on the basis of the presence of collateral flow on CTA. Selection of patients for endovascular treatment in the late window could be primarily based on the presence of collateral flow. FUNDING: Collaboration for New Treatments of Acute Stroke consortium, Dutch Heart Foundation, Stryker, Medtronic, Cerenovus, Top Sector Life Sciences & Health, and the Netherlands Brain Foundation.

Cost-effectiveness of improvement strategies for reperfusion treatments in acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Reducing delays along the acute stroke pathway significantly improves clinical outcomes for acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for reperfusion treatments. The economic impact of different strategies reducing onset to treatment (OTT) is crucial information for stakeholders in acute stroke management. This systematic review aimed to provide an overview on the cost-effectiveness of several strategies to reduce OTT. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science until January 2022. Studies were included if they reported 1/ stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis and/or endovascular thrombectomy, 2/ full economic evaluation, and 3/ strategies to reduce OTT. The Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards statement was applied to assess the reporting quality. RESULTS: Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria, of which thirteen were based on cost-utility analysis with the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per quality-adjusted life year gained as the primary outcome. Studies were performed in twelve countries focusing on four main strategies: educational interventions, organizational models, healthcare delivery infrastructure, and workflow improvements. Sixteen studies showed that the strategies concerning educational interventions, telemedicine between hospitals, mobile stroke units, and workflow improvements, were cost-effective in different settings. The healthcare perspective was predominantly used, and the most common types of models were decision trees, Markov models and simulation models. Overall, fourteen studies were rated as having high reporting quality (79%-94%). CONCLUSIONS: A wide range of strategies aimed at reducing OTT is cost-effective in acute stroke care treatment. Existing pathways and local characteristics need to be taken along in assessing proposed improvements.

Influence of the interventionist's experience on outcomes of endovascular thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke: results from the MR CLEAN Registry.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the interventionist's experience and outcomes of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke of the anterior circulation, is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of the interventionist's level of experience on clinical, imaging, and workflow outcomes. Secondly, to determine which of the three experience definitions is most strongly associated with these outcome measures. METHODS: We analysed data from 2700 patients, included in the MR CLEAN Registry. We defined interventionist's experience as the number of procedures performed in the year preceding the intervention (EXPfreq), total number of procedures performed (EXPno), and years of experience (EXPyears). Our outcomes were the baseline-adjusted National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at 24-48 hours post-EVT, recanalization (extended Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (eTICI) score ≥2B), and procedural duration. We used multilevel regression models with interventionists as random intercept. For EXPfreq and EXPno results were expressed per 10 procedures. RESULTS: Increased EXPfreq was associated with lower 24-48 hour NIHSS scores (adjusted (a)ß:-0.46, 95% CI -0.70 to -0.21). EXPno and EXPyears were not associated with short-term neurological outcomes. Increased EXPfreq and EXPno were both associated with recanalization (aOR=1.20, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.31 and aOR=1.08, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.12, respectively), and increased EXPfreq, EXPno, and EXPyears were all associated with shorter procedure times (aß:-3.08, 95% CI-4.32 to -1.84; aß:-1.34, 95% CI-1.84 to -0.85; and aß:-0.79, 95% CI-1.45 to -0.13, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of interventionist's experience are associated with better outcomes after EVT, in particular when experience is defined as the number of patients treated in the preceding year. Every 20 procedures more per year is associated with approximately one NIHSS score point decrease, an increased probability for recanalization (aOR=1.44), and a 6-minute shorter procedure time.

Influence of time metrics on the treatment effect of intravenous alteplase prior to endovascular treatment in MR CLEAN-NO IV.

BACKGROUND: We assessed whether the treatment effect of intravenous alteplase (IVT) prior to endovascular treatment (EVT) on functional outcome is modified by time metrics. METHODS: We used data from all patients included in MR CLEAN-NO IV, a randomized trial of IVT followed by EVT versus EVT alone in patients who presented directly to EVT-capable hospitals. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale score at 90 days. We used ordinal regression with a multiplicative interaction term to assess if the effect of IVT is modified by onset-to-randomization (OTR), onset-to-IV-needle (OTN), door-to-groin (DTG) or needle-to-groin (NTG) times. Secondary outcomes included successful reperfusion (extended Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction Scale 2b-3) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). RESULTS: In 539 included patients (266 allocated to IVT+EVT and 273 to EVT alone), median workflow times were OTR: 93 (IQR 71-145) min; OTN: 98 (IQR 75-156) min; DTG: 64 (IQR 51-78) min; and NTG: 28 (IQR 20-41) min. There was a significant association between worse outcomes and longer time intervals for all metrics except NTG. We found no interaction between any of the time metrics and IVT for the effect on functional outcome (p values for interaction: OTR=0.40, OTN=0.39, DTG=0.61, NTG=0.56). We also did not observe any significant interaction for successful reperfusion or sICH. CONCLUSION: In MR CLEAN-NO IV, the effect of IVT prior to EVT was not modified by OTR, OTN, DTG or NTG times. Our results do not support the use of these metrics to guide IVT treatment decisions prior to EVT in comprehensive stroke centres. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN80619088.

Management of extracranial carotid artery stenosis during endovascular treatment for acute ischaemic stroke: results from the MR CLEAN Registry.

BACKGROUND: The optimal management of ipsilateral extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis during endovascular treatment (EVT) is unclear. We compared the outcomes of two different strategies: EVT with vs without carotid artery stenting (CAS). METHODS: In this observational study, we included patients who had an acute ischaemic stroke undergoing EVT and a concomitant ipsilateral extracranial ICA stenosis of ≥50% or occlusion of presumed atherosclerotic origin, from the Dutch Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands (MR CLEAN) Registry (2014-2017). The primary endpoint was a good functional outcome at 90 days, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score ≤2. Secondary endpoints were successful intracranial reperfusion, new clot in a different vascular territory, symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage, recurrent ischaemic stroke and any serious adverse event. RESULTS: Of the 433 included patients, 169 (39%) underwent EVT with CAS. In 123/168 (73%) patients, CAS was performed before intracranial thrombectomy. In 42/224 (19%) patients who underwent EVT without CAS, a deferred carotid endarterectomy or CAS was performed. EVT with and without CAS were associated with similar proportions of good functional outcome (47% vs 42%, respectively; adjusted OR (aOR), 0.90; 95% CI, 0.50 to 1.62). There were no major differences between the groups in any of the secondary endpoints, except for the increased odds of a new clot in a different vascular territory in the EVT with CAS group (aOR, 2.96; 95% CI, 1.07 to 8.21). CONCLUSIONS: Functional outcomes were comparable after EVT with and without CAS. CAS during EVT might be a feasible option to treat the extracranial ICA stenosis but randomised studies are warranted to prove non-inferiority or superiority.