Background: It is unknown if ambulance paramedics adequately assess neurological deficits used for prehospital stroke scales to detect anterior large-vessel occlusions. We aimed to compare... Show moreBackground: It is unknown if ambulance paramedics adequately assess neurological deficits used for prehospital stroke scales to detect anterior large-vessel occlusions. We aimed to compare prehospital assessment of these stroke-related deficits by paramedics with in-hospital assessment by physicians.Methods: We used data from 2 prospective cohort studies: the LPSS (Leiden Prehospital Stroke Study) and PRESTO study (Prehospital Triage of Patients With Suspected Stroke). In both studies, paramedics scored 9 neurological deficits in stroke code patients in the field. Trained physicians scored the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at hospital presentation. Patients with transient ischemic attack were excluded because of the transient nature of symptoms. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rs) was used to assess correlation between the total prehospital assessment score, defined as the sum of all prehospital items, and the total NIHSS score. Correlation, sensitivity and specificity were calculated for each prehospital item with the corresponding NIHSS item as reference.Results: We included 2850 stroke code patients. Of these, 1528 had ischemic stroke, 243 intracranial hemorrhage, and 1079 stroke mimics. Correlation between the total prehospital assessment score and NIHSS score was strong (rs=0.70 [95% CI, 0.68-0.72]). Concerning individual items, prehospital assessment of arm (rs=0.68) and leg (rs=0.64) motor function correlated strongest with corresponding NIHSS items, and had highest sensitivity (arm 95%, leg 93%) and moderate specificity (arm 71%, leg 70%). Neglect (rs=0.31), abnormal speech (rs=0.50), and gaze deviation (rs=0.51) had weakest correlations. Neglect and gaze deviation had lowest sensitivity (52% and 66%) but high specificity (84% and 89%), while abnormal speech had high sensitivity (85%) but lowest specificity (65%).Conclusions: The overall prehospital assessment of stroke code patients correlates strongly with in-hospital assessment. Prehospital assessment of neglect, abnormal speech, and gaze deviation differed most from in-hospital assessment. Focused training on these deficits may improve prehospital triage. Show less
Duvekot, M.H.C.; Garcia, B.L.; Dekker, L.; Nguyen, T.M.; Wijngaard, I.R. van den; Laat, K.F. de; ... ; Venema, E. 2023
Background and purposeDirect transportation to a thrombectomy-capable intervention center is beneficial for patients with ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO), but can delay... Show moreBackground and purposeDirect transportation to a thrombectomy-capable intervention center is beneficial for patients with ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO), but can delay intravenous thrombolytics (IVT). The aim of this modeling study was to estimate the effect of prehospital triage strategies on treatment delays and overtriage in different regions.MethodsWe used data from two prospective cohort studies in the Netherlands: the Leiden Prehospital Stroke Study and the PRESTO study. We included stroke code patients within 6 h from symptom onset. We modeled outcomes of Rapid Arterial oCclusion Evaluation (RACE) scale triage and triage with a personalized decision tool, using drip-and-ship as reference. Main outcomes were overtriage (stroke code patients incorrectly triaged to an intervention center), reduced delay to endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), and delay to IVT.ResultsWe included 1798 stroke code patients from four ambulance regions. Per region, overtriage ranged from 1-13% (RACE triage) and 3-15% (personalized tool). Reduction of delay to EVT varied by region between 24 ± 5 min (n = 6) to 78 ± 3 (n = 2), while IVT delay increased with 5 (n = 5) to 15 min (n = 21) for non-LVO patients. The personalized tool reduced delay to EVT for more patients (25 ± 4 min [n = 8] to 49 ± 13 [n = 5]), while delaying IVT with 3-14 min (8-24 patients). In region C, most EVT patients were treated faster (reduction of delay to EVT 31 ± 6 min (n = 35), with RACE triage and the personalized tool.ConclusionsIn this modeling study, we showed that prehospital triage reduced time to EVT without disproportionate IVT delay, compared to a drip-and-ship strategy. The effect of triage strategies and the associated overtriage varied between regions. Implementation of prehospital triage should therefore be considered on a regional level. Show less
Introduction We investigated the impact of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting lockdown on reperfusion treatments and door-to-treatment times during the first surge... Show moreIntroduction We investigated the impact of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting lockdown on reperfusion treatments and door-to-treatment times during the first surge in Dutch comprehensive stroke centers. Furthermore, we studied the association between COVID-19-status and treatment times. Methods We included all patients receiving reperfusion treatment in 17 Dutch stroke centers from May 11th, 2017, until May 11th, 2020. We collected baseline characteristics, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission, onset-to-door time (ODT), door-to-needle time (DNT), door-to-groin time (DGT) and COVID-19-status at admission. Parameters during the lockdown (March 15th, 2020 until May 11th, 2020) were compared with those in the same period in 2019, and between groups stratified by COVID-19-status. We used nationwide data and extrapolated our findings to the increasing trend of EVT numbers since May 2017. Results A decline of 14% was seen in reperfusion treatments during lockdown, with a decline in both IVT and EVT delivery. DGT increased by 12 min (50 to 62 min, p-value of < 0.001). Furthermore, median NIHSS-scores were higher in COVID-19 - suspected or positive patients (7 to 11, p-value of 0.004), door-to-treatment times did not differ significantly when stratified for COVID-19-status. Conclusions During the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, a decline in acute reperfusion treatments and a delay in DGT was seen, which indicates a target for attention. It also appeared that COVID-19-positive or -suspected patients had more severe neurologic symptoms, whereas their EVT-workflow was not affected. Show less
Introduction: Early detection of large vessel occlusion (LVO) is essential to facilitate fast endovascular treatment. CT angiography (CTA) is used to detect LVO in suspected stroke patients. We... Show moreIntroduction: Early detection of large vessel occlusion (LVO) is essential to facilitate fast endovascular treatment. CT angiography (CTA) is used to detect LVO in suspected stroke patients. We aimed to assess the accuracy of CTA evaluations in daily clinical practice in a large cohort of suspected stroke patients. Patients and methods: We used data from the PRESTO study, a multicenter prospective observational cohort study that included suspected stroke patients between August 2018 and September 2019. Baseline CTAs were re-evaluated by an imaging core laboratory and compared to the local assessment. LVO was defined as an occlusion of the intracranial internal carotid artery, M1 segment, or basilar artery. Medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) was defined as an A1, A2, or M2 occlusion. We calculated the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity to detect LVO and LVO+MeVO, using the core laboratory evaluation as reference standard. Results: We included 656 patients. The core laboratory detected 89 LVOs and 74 MeVOs in 155 patients. Local observers missed 6 LVOs (7%) and 28 MeVOs (38%), of which 23 M2 occlusions. Accuracy of LVO detection was 99% (95% CI: 98-100%), sensitivity 93% (95% CI: 86-97%), and specificity 100% (95% CI: 99-100%). Accuracy of LVO+MeVO detection was 95% (95% CI: 93-96%), sensitivity 79% (95% CI: 72-85%), and specificity 99% (95% CI: 98-100%). Discussion and Conclusion: CTA evaluations in daily clinical practice are highly accurate and LVOs are adequately recognized. The detection of MeVOs seems more challenging. The evolving EVT possibilities emphasize the need to improve CTA evaluations in the acute setting. Show less
LeCouffe, N.E.; Kappelhof, M.; Treurniet, K.M.; Rinkel, L.A.; Bruggeman, A.E.; Berkhemer, O.A.; ... ; MR CLEAN-NO IV Investigators 2021
Alteplase with EVT versus EVT Alone for Stroke Trials involving Asian patients with acute stroke have suggested that endovascular treatment alone is not inferior to the usual practice of... Show moreAlteplase with EVT versus EVT Alone for Stroke Trials involving Asian patients with acute stroke have suggested that endovascular treatment alone is not inferior to the usual practice of thrombolysis before endovascular treatment. This trial involving European patients did not show noninferiority or superiority of endovascular treatment alone.Background The value of administering intravenous alteplase before endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke has not been studied extensively, particularly in non-Asian populations. Methods We performed an open-label, multicenter, randomized trial in Europe involving patients with stroke who presented directly to a hospital that was capable of providing EVT and who were eligible for intravenous alteplase and EVT. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive EVT alone or intravenous alteplase followed by EVT (the standard of care). The primary end point was functional outcome on the modified Rankin scale (range, 0 [no disability] to 6 [death]) at 90 days. We assessed the superiority of EVT alone over alteplase plus EVT, as well as noninferiority by a margin of 0.8 for the lower boundary of the 95% confidence interval for the odds ratio of the two trial groups. Death from any cause and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage were the main safety end points. Results The analysis included 539 patients. The median score on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days was 3 (interquartile range, 2 to 5) with EVT alone and 2 (interquartile range, 2 to 5) with alteplase plus EVT. The adjusted common odds ratio was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62 to 1.15; P=0.28), which showed neither superiority nor noninferiority of EVT alone. Mortality was 20.5% with EVT alone and 15.8% with alteplase plus EVT (adjusted odds ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.84 to 2.30). Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 5.9% and 5.3% of the patients in the respective groups (adjusted odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.60 to 2.81). Conclusions In a randomized trial involving European patients, EVT alone was neither superior nor noninferior to intravenous alteplase followed by EVT with regard to disability outcome at 90 days after stroke. The incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was similar in the two groups. (Funded by the Collaboration for New Treatments of Acute Stroke consortium and others; MR CLEAN-NO IV ISRCTN number, .) Show less
Background Due to the time-sensitive effect of endovascular treatment, rapid prehospital identification of large-vessel occlusion in individuals with suspected stroke is essential to optimise... Show moreBackground Due to the time-sensitive effect of endovascular treatment, rapid prehospital identification of large-vessel occlusion in individuals with suspected stroke is essential to optimise outcome. Interhospital transfers are an important cause of delay of endovascular treatment. Prehospital stroke scales have been proposed to select patients with large-vessel occlusion for direct transport to an endovascular-capable intervention centre. We aimed to prospectively validate eight prehospital stroke scales in the field.Methods We did a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study of adults with suspected stroke (aged >= 18 years) who were transported by ambulance to one of eight hospitals in southwest Netherlands. Suspected stroke was defined by a positive Face-Arm-Speech-Time (FAST) test. We included individuals with blood glucose of at least 2.5 mmol/L. People who presented more than 6 h after symptom onset were excluded from the analysis. After structured training, paramedics used a mobile app to assess items from eight prehospital stroke scales: Rapid Arterial oCclusion Evaluation (RACE), Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS), Cincinnati Stroke Triage Assessment Tool (C-STAT), GazeFace-Arm-Speech-Time (G-FAST), Prehospital Acute Stroke Severity (PASS), Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS), Conveniently-Grasped Field Assessment Stroke Triage (CG-FAST), and the FAST-PLUS (Face-Arm-Speech-Time plus severe arm or leg motor deficit) test. The primary outcome was the clinical diagnosis of ischaemic stroke with a proximal intracranial large-vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation (aLVO) on CT angiography. Baseline neuroimaging was centrally assessed by neuroradiologists to validate the true occlusion status. Prehospital stroke scale performance was expressed as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and was compared with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores assessed by clinicians at the emergency department. This study was registered at the Netherlands Trial Register, NL7387.Findings Between Aug 13,2018, and Sept 2,2019,1039 people (median age 72 years [IQR 61-811]) with suspected stroke were identified by paramedics, of whom 120 (12%) were diagnosed with aLVO. Of all prehospital stroke scales, the AUC for RACE was highest (0.83, 95% CI 0.79-0.86), followed by the AUC for G-FAST (0-80,0.76-0-84), CG-FAST (0.80, 0.76-0-84), LAMS (0.79, 0.75-0.83), CPSS (0.79, 0.75-0.83), PASS (0.76, 0.72-0.80), C-STAT (0.75, 0-71-0.80), and FAST-PLUS (0.72, 0.67-0.76). The NIHSS as assessed by a clinician in the emergency department did somewhat better than the prehospital stroke scales with an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI 0.83-0.89).Interpretation Prehospital stroke scales detect aLVO with acceptable-to-good accuracy. RACE, G-FAST, and CG-FAST are the best performing prehospital stroke scales out of the eight scales tested and approach the performance of the clinician-assessed NIHSS. Further studies are needed to investigate whether use of these scales in regional transportation strategies can optimise outcomes of patients with ischaemic stroke. Copyright (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Show less
Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. Stroke can be divided in ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is most often caused by an acute... Show moreStroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. Stroke can be divided in ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic stroke is most often caused by an acute occlusion of one of the cerebral arteries. Acute stroke treatment aims at resolving these acute artery occlusions. This can be done with intravenous thrombolysis or with locally applied therapy, i.e. intra-arterial, with thrombolytics or mechanical thrombectomy. This thesis focuses on the evolution of intra-arterial stroke treatment in the Netherlands. It captures the period before publication of the large randomised controlled trials that would eventually lead to implementation of intra-arterial treatment as standard treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large cerebral artery occlusion. Show less
