scholarly journals Experiences of Thrombolytic Therapy for Ischemic Stroke in Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina

ISRN Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Dževdet Smajlović ◽  
Denisa Salihović ◽  
Omer Ć. Ibrahimagić ◽  
Zikrija Dostović ◽  
Leila Avdić ◽  
...  

Aim. To demonstrate our experiences of thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke. Subjects and Methods. Patients with ischemic stroke treated with rt-PA, admitted at the Department of Neurology, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the period between April 1, 2008, and December 31, 2012, were included. Results. Between April 2008 and December 2012, intravenous rt-PA was given to 87 patients with acute ischemic stroke, which represents 3.2% of patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to our department in that period. Hypertension was the leading stroke risk factor. The mean NIHSS score before thrombolysis was 12 (range 4–21). Large artery arteriosclerosis was the most common stroke etiology. The mean door-to-needle time was 72 minutes and onset-to-needle time 152 minutes. Half of patients (44/87) had a significant improvement within the first 24 hours. Parenchymal hemorrhage occurred in 5 patients (6%) and was fatal in two cases. At 3-month follow-up, 45% of patients (39/87) had good outcome (mRS 0 or 1). Sixteen patients were dead at 3 months, and mean baseline stroke severity was significantly higher in patients who died (NIHSS 16.5 versus 11, P=0.003). Conclusion. The number of patients with acute ischemic stroke treated using rt-PA in the Department of Neurology, Tuzla, is lower than in developed countries. Thrombolytic therapy is safe and leads to favorable outcome in half of the patients.

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam de Havenon ◽  
Haimei Wang ◽  
Greg Stoddard ◽  
Lee Chung ◽  
Jennifer Majersik

Background: Increased blood pressure variability (BPV) is detrimental in the weeks to months after ischemic stroke, but it has not been adequately studied in the acute phase. We hypothesized that increased BPV in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients would be associated with worse outcome. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed inpatients at our hospital between 2010-2014 with an ICD-9 code of AIS; 213 were confirmed to have AIS by a vascular neurologist. A modified Rankin Score (mRS) after discharge was available in 148/213, at a mean of 86 ± 60 days. In 45/213 the discharge mRS was either 0 or 6, in which case they were included in the final analysis. BPV was measured as the standard deviation (SD) of each patient’s systolic blood pressure readings during the first 24 hours and 5 days of hospitalization (9,844 total readings), or until discharge if discharged in <5 days (Figure 1). The SBP SD was further divided in quartiles. A multivariate ordinal logistic regression with the outcome of mRS, the primary predictor of quartiles of SBP SD, and baseline NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) to control for initial stroke severity. Results: Mean±SD age was 64.2 ± 16.3 years, NIHSS was 12.6 ± 7.9, and mRS was 2.7 ± 2.1. The mean SBP SDs for the first 24 hours and 5 days were 12.1 ± 6.2 mm Hg and 14.1 ± 4.9 mm Hg. In the ordinal logistic regression model, the quartiles of SBP SD for the first 24 hours and 5 days were positively associated with higher mRS (OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.74, p = 0.009; OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.63, p = 0.028). This effect became even more pronounced in patients with the highest quartile of variability (OR = 2.76, 95% CI 1.29 - 5.88, p = 0.009; OR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.01 - 4.36, p = 0.046). Conclusion: In our cohort of 193 patients with AIS, there was a significant association between increased systolic BPV and worse functional outcome, after controlling for initial stroke severity. This data suggests that increased BPV may have a harmful effect for AIS patients, which warrants a prospective observational study.


2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 106-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pil-Wook Chung ◽  
Byung-Woo Yoon ◽  
Yeong-Bae Lee ◽  
Byoung-Soo Shin ◽  
Hahn Young Kim ◽  
...  

Although statins are established therapy for the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke, factors associated with adherence to statin treatment following ischemic stroke are not well known. To address this, we assessed the 6-month statin adherence using 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Of 991 patients, 65.6% were adherent to statin at 6-month after discharge. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that patients’ awareness of hyperlipidemia (OR 1.62; 95% CI 1.07–2.43), large artery stroke subtype (versus non-large artery stroke, OR 1.79; 95% CI 1.19–2.68), and alcohol drinking habits (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.06–2.53) were positively associated, while high statin dose (versus low dose, OR 0.6; 95% CI 0.40–0.90) and higher daily number of medication pills (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.88–0.97) were found to have a negative association with self-reported good adherence to statin medication after acute ischemic stroke. However, stroke severity and diagnosis of hyperlipidemia were not associated with adherence. These results suggest that educational and motivational interventions may enhance statin adherence because modifiable factors were associated with statin adherence.


2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (11) ◽  
pp. 803-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dejana Jovanovic ◽  
Ljiljana Beslac-Bumbasirevic ◽  
Ranko Raicevic ◽  
Jasna Zidverc-Trajkovic ◽  
Marko Ercegovac

Background/Aim. Etiology of ischemic stroke (IS) among young adults varies among countries. The aim of the study was to investigate the causes and risk factors of IS in the young adults of Serbia. Methods. A total of 865 patients with IS, aged 15 to 45 years, were treated throughout the period 1989-2005. Etiologic diagnostic tests were performed on the patient by the patient basis and according to their availability at the time of investigation. The most likely cause of stroke was categorized according to the TOAST (Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) criteria. Results. There were 486 men and 379 women, with 19% of the patients ? 30 years old. Large artery arteriosclerosis and small artery disease were confirmed in 14% of the patients, and embolism and other determined causes in 20%. Undetermined causes made up 32% of the patients, mostly those (26%) with incomplete investigations. Smoking (37%), hypertension (35%) and hyperlipidemia (35%) were the most common risk factors. Rheumatic heart diseases and prosthetic valves were the most common causes of IS. Arterial dissections and coagulation inhibitors deficiency were detected in a small number of patients. Conclusion. Etiology of IS among Serbian young adults shares characteristics of those in both western and less developed countries.


Author(s):  
Elisabeth B Marsh ◽  
Erin Lawrence ◽  
Rafael H Llinas

Background and Objective: The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is the most commonly used metric to evaluate stroke severity and improvement following intervention. Despite its advantages as a rapid, reproducible screening tool, it may be too insensitive to adequately capture functional improvement following treatment. We evaluated the difference in rate of improvement by previously accepted criteria (change of ≥4 NIHSS points) versus physician documentation in patients receiving IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Prospectively collected data on all patients receiving IV tPA over a 15 month period were retrospectively reviewed. NIHSS 24 hours post-treatment and on discharge were extrapolated based on examination and compared to NIHSS on presentation. NIHSS scores at post-discharge follow-up were also recorded. Two reviewers evaluated the medical record and determined improvement based on physician documentation. Using tests of proportion, ‘significant improvement’ by NIHSS was compared to physician documentation at each time point. Results: Forty-one patients were treated with IV tPA. The mean admission NIHSS was 8.6 and improved to 6.4 24 hours post-tPA. Twenty-nine of 41 patients (79%) were “better” by documentation; however only 11/41 (27%) met NIHSS criteria for improvement (p compared to documentation <0.001). On discharge, 20/41 patients (49%) met NIHSS criteria for improvement; however a significant difference between physician documentation remained (p=0.04). The mean post-discharge follow-up NIHSS score was 2.0. 20/21 patients (95%) were “better” compared to 16/21 (76%) meeting NIHSS criteria (p=0.08). Conclusion: The NIHSS may inadequately capture functional improvement post-treatment, especially in the days immediately following intervention.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. E48-E48
Author(s):  
Dževdet Smajlović ◽  
Denisa Salihović ◽  
Leila Avdić ◽  
Zikrija Dostović ◽  
Omer Ć. Ibrahimagić ◽  
...  

BMC Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanchao Zhang ◽  
Xia Zhao ◽  
Shan Xu ◽  
Jing Yuan ◽  
Zhihua Si ◽  
...  

Abstract Backgroud Patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) often experience low serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), but the association of low FT3 with stroke severity, subtype and prognosis has not yet been thoroughly studied, and the molecular events underlying these clinical observation were also unclear. Methods We retrospectively collected 221 cases of AIS and 182 non-AIS cases with detailed clinical data from our department. FT3 concentrations were measured on admission to predict functional outcome within 3 months using multivariable models adjusted for other risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to define the best cutoff value of FT3 of stroke severity, subtypes and neurological outcome. Gene set enrichment, pathway mapping and network analyses of deferentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed. Results FT3 was significantly decreased in AIS patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) > 3 and 3-months modified Rankin Scale (mRS) > 2. The cut-off value of FT3 for NIHSS on admission was 4.30 pmol/L. Also, FT3 level was significantly lower in large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) group and cardioembolism (CE) group than that in small vessel occlusion (SVO). FT3 value served as an independent predictor for neurological outcomes for which the cut-off value of FT3 was 4.38 pmol/l. Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that the biological function of DEGs was mainly enriched in multicellur organism, neuron differentiation and cellular response to hypoxia. The cellular components were involved in extracelluar region, exosome and matrix, and the molecular functions were transcriptional activator activity, DNA binding and nuclear hormone receptor binding. Signal pathways analysis was indicative of neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, thyroid hormone signaling pathway, and protein digestion and absorption these DEGs were involved in. Six related gene were identified as hubs from the protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Three modules were selected from PPI, of which MMP4, ADRA2C and EIF3E were recognized as the seed genes. Conclusions Low FT3 value on admission was associated with stroke severity, subtype and prognosis. In addition, DEGs identified from bioinformatics analysis are likely to be candidates for elucidating clinical outcomes with low FT3, and provide us with therapeutic targets for improving stroke prognosis.


Author(s):  
Yoon-Ho Hong ◽  
Yong-Seok Lee ◽  
Seong-Ho Park

ABSTRACT:Background:Elevation of blood pressure (BP) is common in acute cerebral infarction, with several studies reporting a high plasma catecholamine level or previous hypertension as a contributory factor. However, more comprehensive studies on associated clinical parameters are lacking. Our main aim in undertaking this study was to correlate clinical variables associated with a BPelevation in acute ischemic stroke.Methods:Consecutive patients who were admitted to the emergency room and diagnosed with an acute cerebral infarction within 24 hours after the onset of symptoms were investigated. A BP elevation was defined as a high systolic (³200mmHg) or diastolic (³110 mmHg) pressure. The mean systolic and diastolic BP were compared between the different stroke subtypes, lesion locations (carotid vs. vertebrobasilar), and hemispheric sides. The frequency of symptoms, risk factors, location of the infarct, stroke severity, vascular status and laboratory abnormalities were analyzed in order to build a regression model.Results:One hundred thirty-one patients were recruited (M:F=60:71, mean age 66±12 years) and an elevated BP was identified in 33 patients (25.2%). The mean systolic and diastolic BP did not differ significantly between the stroke subtypes, lesion locations, and hemispheric sides. According to univariate logistic regression, an elevated systolic BP correlated with headache (p=0.01) and underlying hypertension (p=0.02) while an elevated diastolic BP correlated with underlying hypertension (p=0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed previous hypertension (OR 5.21, 95% CI 1.40-19.37) and headache (OR 4.09, 95% CI 1.44-11.66) to be independent predictors of an elevated systolic BP.Conclusions:Headache itself is closely associated with severe systolic BP elevation in acute ischemic stroke. Whether treatment of elevated BP improves headache and clinical outcome is not yet known, necessitating future controlled studies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoj Jagani ◽  
David F Kallmes ◽  
Waleed Brinjikji

Background Predicting recanalization success for patients undergoing endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke is of significant interest. Studies have previously correlated the success of recanalization with the density of the clot. We evaluated clot density and its relationship to revascularization success and stroke etiology. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 118 patients undergoing intra-arterial therapy for acute ischemic stroke. Mean and maximum thrombus density was measured by drawing a circular region of interest on an axial slice of a non-contrast computed tomography scan. T-tests were used to compare clot density to recanalization success or to stroke etiology, namely large artery atherosclerosis and cardioembolism. Recanalization success was compared in four device groups: aspiration, stent retriever, aspiration and stent retriever, and all other. Results There was no significant difference in the mean clot density in patients with successful ( n = 80) versus unsuccessful recanalization ( n = 38, 50.1 ± 7.4 Hounsfield unit (HU) vs. 53 ± 12.7 HU; P = 0.17). Comparing the large artery thromboembolism ( n = 35) to the cardioembolic etiology group ( n = 56), there was no significant difference in mean clot density (51.5 ± 7.7 HU vs. 49.7 ± 8.5 HU; P = 0.31). A subgroup analysis of middle cerebral artery occlusions ( n = 65) showed similar, non-statistically significant differences between groups. There was no difference in the rate of recanalization success in patients with a mean clot density greater than 50 HU or less than 50 HU in each of the four device groups. Conclusions There was no relationship between clot density and revascularization success or stroke etiology in our study. More research is needed to determine if clot density can predict recanalization rates or indicate etiology.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarin Chindaprasirt ◽  
Kittisak Sawanyawisuth ◽  
Paiboon Chattakul ◽  
Panita Limpawattana ◽  
Somsak Tiamkao ◽  
...  

The standard treatment for acute ischemic stroke is thrombolytic therapy. There is limited data on prognostic factors of acute stroke with thrombolytic therapy particularly in Asian population. Acute ischemic stroke patients who were treated with thrombolytic therapy at Srinagarind Hospital between May 2008 and July 2010 were included. Factors associated with Barthel index more than 80 were studied by multiple logistic regression analysis. There were 75 patients included in the study. The mean NIHSS scores before treatment and at 3 months were 9.16 ± 4.82 and 3.83 ± 4.00, respectively, and median Barthel index at 3 months was 86. Only significant predictor for having Barthel index more than 80 points at 3 months was age (adjusted odds ratio 0.929, 95% confidence interval 0.874, 0.988). Four patients developed intracranial hemorrhage after the treatment (5%), and two died (2.6%). In conclusion, age predicts Barthel index in acute stroke patients with rt-PA treatment.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minkyung Kang ◽  
Eung-Joon Lee ◽  
Hae Bong Jeong ◽  
Han-Yeong Jeong ◽  
Tae Jung Kim ◽  
...  

Introduction: Temperature affects human health. It is widely known that mean ambient temperature with both short-term and cumulative lagged effect, is the exposure measure for ischemic stroke. Recently, not only mean temperature, larger diurnal temperature range (DTR, difference between high- and low-daily temperature) was associated with coronary heart disease mortality and ischemic stroke hospitalizations. We hypothesized that a larger DTR results in environmental stress to the human cardiovascular system, thereby increasing the risk for acute ischemic stroke severity. Methods: We used both time-series and case-crossover approaches to assess the relation between DTR and ischemic stroke severity between summer of 2016 and 2018 in Korea. Data were obtained from Korean Stroke Registry and Korean Meteorological Administration. We used exposures averaged over periods varying from 1 to 14 days to assess the effects of DTR on stroke severity. We estimated the relation between DTR and ischemic stroke severity after adjustment for classical stroke risk factor and weather conditions of stroke index day. Results: A 9,249 patients were included in both time-series and case-crossover analyses. The results showed that DTR was significantly associated with stroke severity. The lag effect of DTR was stabilized at about 3-4 days. A 5 °C increase of three-day moving average of DTR corresponded to a 1.67 (95% Confidential Interval, CI 1.64-1.70, p<0.001) and a 5°C increase of DTR of stroke onset day corresponded to a 1.09 (95% CI 1.07-1.12, p<0.001) increase of NIHSS with unidirectional case-crossover analysis after adjustment for classical stroke risk factor and meteorological factor. Discussion: The current study supported our hypothesis that diurnal temperature variation could be a new severity factor for acute ischemic stroke. Moreover, the two different methods we used provided relatively similar results, suggesting that the association between DTR and stroke severity was reasonably robust. Our data added additional evidence that exposure to large DTR was associated with increased burden of stroke. This findings would contribute public health program to prevent unstable thermal environments.


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