Frequency of Screening and Prevalence of Neurosyphilis in Stroke Population

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-306
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Targa Martins ◽  
Raphael Machado Castilhos ◽  
Pablo Silva da Silva ◽  
Leticia Scaranto Costa
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Venereal Disease ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Positive Serology ◽  
Csf Analysis ◽  
Stroke Population ◽  
Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Stroke Center ◽  
Ischemic Attack

Background and Aims: Syphilis and stroke are high prevalent diseases in south Brazil and estimates of concomitance and possible role of syphilis in acute stroke are lacking. Our aims are to estimate the prevalence of syphilis and neurosyphilis (NS) in a cohort of tertiary stroke center. Methods: We reviewed all hospital records of stroke/transitory ischemic attack (TIA) using International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, at discharge, frequency of syphilis screen, serology positivity, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and prevalence of NS in this stroke population applying CDC criteria. Results: Between 2015 and 2016, there were 1,436 discharges for cerebrovascular events and in 78% (1,119) of these cases, some syphilis screening was performed. We have found a frequency of positive serology for syphilis of 13% (143/1,119), and higher stroke severity was the main determinant for non-screening. Applying standard NS criteria, 4.7% (53/1,119) cases with CSF analysis had NS diagnosis: 8 based on CSF-Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) positive and 45 based on abnormal CSF white cells or protein, but CSF VDRL negative. NS VDRL positive cases were younger, had higher serum VDRL title, had more frequent HIV infection, and received NS treatment more often. Demographic and clinical characteristics were not different between NS VDRL negative and non-NS cases. Conclusion: Positive syphilis serology is frequent in patients with acute stroke/TIA in our region. Acute post-stroke CSF abnormalities make the diagnosis of NS difficult in the context of CSF VDRL negative.

Abstract P855: Importance of Compliance in Dysphagia Screening in Acute Stroke Care

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patty Noah ◽  
Melanie Henderson ◽  
Rebekah Heintz ◽  
Russell Cerejo ◽  
Christopher T Hackett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Aspiration Pneumonia ◽  
Hemorrhagic Stroke ◽  
Oral Intake ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Stroke Center

Introduction: Dysphagia occurs in up to two thirds of stroke patients and can lead to serious complications such as aspiration pneumonia, which is also linked to increased morbidity and mortality. Evidence-based guidelines recommend a bedside dysphagia assessment before oral intake in stroke patients regardless of initial stroke severity. Several studies have described registered nurses’ competency in terms of knowledge and skills regarding dysphagia screening. We aimed to examine the rate of aspiration pneumonia compared to the rate of dysphagia screening. Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data at a single tertiary stroke center was carried out between January 2017 and June 2020. Data comparison was completed utilizing ICD-10 diagnosis codes to identify aspiration pneumonia in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. The data was reviewed to compare the compliance of a completed dysphagia screen prior to any oral intake to rate of aspiration pneumonia. Chi square tests were used to assess proportion differences in completed dysphagia screen and proportion of aspiration pneumonia diagnosis in the ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. Results: We identified 3320 patient that met inclusion criteria. 67% were ischemic strokes, 22% were intracerebral hemorrhages and 11% were subarachnoid hemorrhages. Compliance with dysphagia screening decreased from 94.2% (n=1555/1650) in 2017-2018 to 74.0% (n=1236/1670) in 2019-2020, OR=0.17 (95%CI 0.14 - 0.22), p < 0.0001. Aspiration pneumonias increased from 58 (3.5%) in 2017-2018 to 77 (4.6%) in 2019-2020, but this difference was not statistically significant, OR=0.75 (95%CI 0.53 - 1.07), p = 0.11. Conclusion: We noted that the decrease in compliance with completing a dysphagia screen in patients with acute stroke prior to any oral intake was associated with a higher trend of aspiration pneumonia.

scholarly journals Historic Stroke Motor Severity Score Predicts Progression in TIA/Minor Stroke

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Christine Camden ◽  
Michael D. Hill ◽  
Andrew M. Demchuk ◽  
Alexandre Y. Poppe ◽  
Nan Shobha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severity Score ◽  
Recurrent Stroke ◽  
Minor Stroke ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Early Improvement ◽  
Stroke Population ◽  
Early Neurological Deterioration ◽  
Ischemic Attack ◽  
Symptom Progression

Background:transient ischemic attack (tIA) and minor stroke have a high risk of early neurological deterioration, and patients who experience early improvement are at risk of deterioration. We generated a score for quantifying the worst reported motor and speech deficits and assessed whether this predicted outcome.Methods:510 tIA or minor stroke (NIHSS>4) patients were included. the Historical Stroke Severity Score (HSSS) prospectively quantified the patient's description of the worst motor or speech deficits. the HSSS was rated at the time of first assessment with more severe deficits scoring higher. Motor HSSS included assessments of arm and leg motor power (score total 0-5). Speech HSSS assessed severity of dysarthria and aphasia (total 0-3). the association between motor and speech HSSS and symptom progression was assessed during the 90-day follow-up period.Results:the proportion of patients in each category of the motor HSSS was 0: 43% (216/510), 1: 22%(110/510), 2: 17% (89/510), 3: 7% (37/510), 4: 5% (28/510) and 5: 6% (30/510). Motor HSSS was associated with symptom progression (p=0.004) but not recurrent stroke. Speech HSSS was not associated with either progression or recurrent stroke. Motor HSSS predicted disability (p=0.002) and intracranial occlusion (p=0.012). Disability increased with increasing motor HSSS.Conclusions:taking a detailed history about the severity of motor deficits, but not speech, predicted outcome in tIA and minor stroke patients. A score based on the patient's description of the severity of motor symptoms predicted symptom progression, intracranial occlusion and functional outcome, but not recurrent stroke in a tIA and minor stroke population.

Abstract WMP65: A Dichotomized Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Score is Correlated With Revascularization Therapy in Acute Stroke

Stroke ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher T Richards ◽  
Eddie Markul ◽  
Leslee Stein-Spencer ◽  
Shyam Prabhakaran
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Large Vessel ◽  
Youden Index ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Urban City ◽  
Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Stroke Center

Introduction: Early revascularization improves outcomes in patients with acute stroke, and prehospital identification of patients with large vessel occlusions can result in preferential transport to centers with endovascular capability. Several stroke severity scales have been developed to assist with prehospital triage, but emergency medical services (EMS) provider training on new assessment scales presents challenges. Hypothesis: A dichotomized Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS) with a cut-off of 2 correlates with acute stroke revascularization in a large US city. Methods: Patients with confirmed stroke arriving via EMS between August 2012 and April 2014 at a high-volume stroke center in a large urban city with a single municipal EMS provider were identified. Demographics, prehospital CPSS, initial NIH stroke scale score (NIHSS) at hospital arrival, and type of revascularization (intravenous tissue plasminogen activator [IVtPA] or endovascular) were captured. Spearman’s rank correlation and Mann-Whitney U Test were performed after applying skewness/kurtosis tests. The Youden index was used to identify the optimal cut-off for the dichotomized CPSS. Multivariate logistic regression controlling for age, sex, and race determined the odds ratio (OR) for revascularization. Results: A total of 144 patients were included; 51% were male, 57% were white, and 33% were black. The mean age was 68.8 years (SD 16.1). A total of 31 patients (21.5%) underwent revascularization, most often with IVtPA alone (n=30). CPSS was ≥2 in 42% of patients, and the median NIHSS in patients with CPSS <2 vs CPSS ≥2 was 2 vs 8 (p<0.0001). CPSS and NIHSS in patients presenting within 4.5 hours were strongly correlated (Spearman's rho = 0.57, p<0.0001). The optimum CPSS cut-off that predicted revascularization was 2, with a sensitivity of 0.79, specificity of 0.81, and a Youden index of 0.61. CPSS ≥2 was strongly associated with revascularization (adjusted OR 14.5, 95% CI 5.0-42.4). Conclusions: Prehospital dichotomized CPSS with a cut-off of 2 is well correlated with acute stroke revascularization in a large US city. Further studies should investigate how the dichotomized CPSS performs in the prehospital identification of stroke patients with large vessel occlusions.

scholarly journals Nationwide Analysis of Endovascular Thrombectomy Provider Specialization for Acute Stroke

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 3651-3657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura K. Stein ◽  
Stanley Tuhrim ◽  
Nathalie Jette ◽  
Johanna Fifi ◽  
J Mocco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Endovascular Thrombectomy ◽  
Classification Of Diseases ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Modern Era

Background and Purpose: Determine the extent of cerebrovascular expertise among the specialties of proceduralists providing endovascular thrombectomy (ET) for emergent large vessel occlusion stroke in the modern era of acute stroke among Medicare beneficiaries Methods: Retrospective cohort study using validated International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision , Clinical Modification codes to identify admissions with acute ischemic stroke and treatment with ET. We identified proceduralist specialty by linking the National Provider Identifier provided by Medicare to the specialty listed in the National Provider Identifier database, grouping into radiology, neurology, neurosurgery, other surgical, and internal medicine. We calculated the number of proceduralists and hospitals who performed ET, ET team specialty composition by hospital, and number of proceduralists who performed ET at multiple hospitals. Results: Forty-two percent (n=5612) of ET were performed by radiology-background proceduralists, with unclear knowledge of how many were cerebrovascular specialists. Neurosurgery- and neurology-background interventionalists performed fewer but substantial numbers of cases, accounting for 24% (n=3217) and 23% (n=3124) of total cases, respectively. ET teams included a neurology- or neurosurgery-background proceduralist at 65% (n=407) of hospitals that performed ET and included both in 26% (n=160) of teams. Conclusions: Almost two-thirds of ET teams nationwide include a neurology- or neurosurgery-background proceduralist and higher volume centers in urban areas were more likely to have neurology- or neurosurgery-background proceduralists with cerebrovascular expertise on their team. It is unclear how many radiology-background interventionalists are cerebrovascular specialists versus generalists. Significant work remains to be done to understand the impact of proceduralist specialty, training, and cerebrovascular expertise on ET outcomes.

Targets for improving dispatcher identification of acute stroke

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-416
Author(s):  
Olli S Mattila ◽  
Tuukka Puolakka ◽  
Juhani Ritvonen ◽  
Saana Pihlasviita ◽  
Heini Harve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Final Diagnosis ◽  
Unique Identifier ◽  
Accurate Identification ◽  
Clinical Trial Registration ◽  
Speech Disturbance ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Stroke Center ◽  
Ischemic Attack

Background Accurate identification of acute stroke by Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMD) is essential for timely and purposeful deployment of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and a prerequisite for operating mobile stroke units. However, precision of EMD stroke recognition is currently modest. Aims We sought to identify targets for improving dispatcher stroke identification. Methods Dispatch codes and EMS patient records were cross-linked to investigate factors associated with an incorrect dispatch code in a prospective observational cohort of 625 patients with a final diagnosis of acute stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), transported to our stroke center as candidates for recanalization therapies. Call recordings were analyzed in a subgroup that received an incorrect low-priority dispatch code indicating a fall or unknown acute illness ( n = 46). Results Out of 625 acute stroke/TIA patients, 450 received a high-priority stroke dispatch code (sensitivity 72.0%; 95% CI, 68.5–75.5). Independent predictors of dispatcher missed acute stroke included a bystander caller (aOR, 3.72; 1.48–9.34), confusion (aOR, 2.62; 1.59–4.31), fall at onset (aOR, 1.86; 1.24–2.78), and older age (aOR [per year], 1.02; 1.01–1.04). Of the analyzed call recordings, 71.7% revealed targets for improvement, including failure to recognize a Face Arm Speech Time (FAST) test symptom (21/46 cases, 18 with speech disturbance), or failure to thoroughly evaluate symptoms (12/46 cases). Conclusions Based on our findings, efforts to improve dispatcher stroke identification should primarily focus on improving recognition of acute speech disturbance, and implementing screening of FAST-symptoms in emergency phone calls revealing a fall or confusion. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT02145663.

scholarly journals Impact of National Lockdown on the Hyperacute Stroke Care and Rapid Transient Ischaemic Attack Outpatient Service in a Comprehensive Tertiary Stroke Centre During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucio D'Anna ◽  
Maddison Brown ◽  
Sikdar Oishi ◽  
Natalya Ellis ◽  
Zoe Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Outpatient Service ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Reperfusion Therapy ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Stroke Center ◽  
Ischemic Attack ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is having major implications for stroke services worldwide. We aimed to study the impact of the national lockdown period during the COVID-19 outbreak on stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) care in London, UK.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from a quality improvement registry of consecutive patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke and TIA to the Stroke Department, Imperial College Health Care Trust London during the national lockdown period (between March 23rd and 30th June 2020). As controls, we evaluated the clinical reports and stroke quality metrics of patients presenting with stroke or TIA in the same period of 2019.Results: Between March 23rd and 30th June 2020, we documented a fall in the number of stroke admissions by 31.33% and of TIA outpatient referrals by 24.44% compared to the same period in 2019. During the lockdown, we observed a significant increase in symptom onset-to-door time in patients presenting with stroke (median = 240 vs. 160 min, p = 0.020) and TIA (median = 3 vs. 0 days, p = 0.002) and a significant reduction in the total number of patients thrombolysed [27 (11.49%) vs. 46 (16.25%, p = 0.030)]. Patients in the 2020 cohort presented with a lower median pre-stroke mRS (p = 0.015), but an increased NIHSS (p = 0.002). We registered a marked decrease in mimic diagnoses compared to the same period of 2019. Statistically significant differences were found between the COVID and pre-COVID cohorts in the time from onset to door (median 99 vs. 88 min, p = 0.026) and from onset to needle (median 148 vs. 126 min, p = 0.036) for thrombolysis whilst we did not observe any significant delay to reperfusion therapies (door-to-needle and door-to-groin puncture time).Conclusions: National lockdown in the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant decrease in acute stroke admission and TIA evaluations at our stroke center. Moreover, a lower proportion of acute stroke patients in the pandemic cohort benefited from reperfusion therapy. Further research is needed to evaluate the long-term effects of the pandemic on stroke care.

scholarly journals Delays in Stroke Onset to Hospital Arrival Time During COVID-19

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 2228-2231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay-Cheong Teo ◽  
William C.Y. Leung ◽  
Yuen-Kwun Wong ◽  
Roxanna K.C. Liu ◽  
Anna H.Y. Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Arrival Time ◽  
Treatment Time ◽  
Stroke Onset ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Hospital Arrival ◽  
Ischemic Attack

Background and Purpose: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents a global public health crisis, disrupting emergency healthcare services. We determined whether COVID-19 has resulted in delays in stroke presentation and affected the delivery of acute stroke services in a comprehensive stroke center in Hong Kong. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients with transient ischemic attack and stroke admitted via the acute stroke pathway of Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, during the first 60 days since the first diagnosed COVID-19 case in Hong Kong (COVID-19: January 23, 2020–March 24, 2020). We compared the stroke onset to hospital arrival (onset-to-door) time and timings of inpatient stroke pathways with patients admitted during the same period in 2019 (pre–COVID-19: January 23, 2019–March 24, 2019). Results: Seventy-three patients in COVID-19 were compared with 89 patients in pre–COVID-19. There were no significant differences in age, sex, vascular risk factors, nor stroke severity between the 2 groups ( P >0.05). The median stroke onset-to-door time was ≈1-hour longer in COVID-19 compared with pre–COVID-19 (154 versus 95 minutes, P =0.12), and the proportion of individuals with onset-to-door time within 4.5 hours was significantly lower (55% versus 72%, P =0.024). Significantly fewer cases of transient ischemic attack presented to the hospital during COVID-19 (4% versus 16%, P =0.016), despite no increase in referrals to the transient ischemic attack clinic. Inpatient stroke pathways and treatment time metrics nevertheless did not differ between the 2 groups ( P >0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusions: During the early containment phase of COVID-19, we noted a prolongation in stroke onset to hospital arrival time and a significant reduction in individuals arriving at the hospital within 4.5 hours and presenting with transient ischemic attack. Public education about stroke should continue to be reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract T MP86: A Prospective Study of the Effect of Dehydration on Stroke Severity and Short Term Outcome

Stroke ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona N Bahouth ◽  
Argye Hillis ◽  
Rebecca Gottesman
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Urine Specific Gravity ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Lesion Volume ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Outcome ◽  
Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽  
Stroke Center

Background: Many ischemic stroke patients present to the hospital in a state of dehydration. We hypothesized that patients who were dehydrated at the time of acute stroke would have more severe stroke and worse short term outcomes. Methods: We enrolled consecutive ischemic stroke patients within 12 hours from their last normal neurological exam at a single academic health system. Patients with renal failure or who were unable to undergo MRI were excluded. Surrogate markers for dehydration were defined as BUN/Creatinine ratio >15 and urine specific gravity >1.010. Stroke severity was determined based on clinical examination (NIHSS score) and lesion volume measured on diffusion weighted MRI. The primary outcome of interest was change in NIHSS from admission to discharge. Results: We surveyed 383 ischemic stroke admissions to our comprehensive stroke center. Of these, 168 met inclusion criteria with 126/168 (75%) having complete laboratory and MRI data. 44% of our patients were dehydrated at the time of admission, with no difference in demographics between the dehydrated and hydrated groups. Baseline NIHSS (6.7 vs 7.3; p=0.63) and lesion volumes (12 vs 16; p=0.48) were similar in the two groups. 42% of dehydrated patients were in the worst short term quartile of NIHSS change, as compared with 17% of the hydrated group (p=0.02). Dehydration remained a significant predictor of having the worst NIHSS change, after adjustment for age, initial NIHSS, lesion volume, and admission glucose (OR=4.34, 95% CI 1.75-10.76). Conclusions: Nearly half of acute stroke patients admitted to the hospital are dehydrated by surrogate laboratory markers. Acute stroke patients with markers of dehydration demonstrate greater worsening in NIHSS scores as compared with hydrated patients, independent of infarct size. Results suggest an opportunity for an inexpensive and globally available treatment to optimize functional outcomes of the stroke patient.

scholarly journals Delirium in an Acute Stroke Setting, Occurrence, and Risk Factors

Stroke ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 3265-3268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Shaw ◽  
Bogna Drozdowska ◽  
Martin Taylor-Rowan ◽  
Emma Elliott ◽  
Gillian Cuthbertson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Alcohol Misuse ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Clinical Trial Registration ◽  
Statistical Manual ◽  
Stroke Population ◽  
Risk Factor Data ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Factor Data

Background and Purpose— Delirium is a common and serious complication of acute illness. We describe delirium occurrence in an unselected, acute stroke population. Methods— We collected data from consecutive stroke admissions. We performed comprehensive cognitive assessment within the first week including Diagnostic Statistical Manual-5–based delirium diagnosis. We reported proportion with delirium and the clinical and demographic associations with delirium using multiple logistic regression. Results— Of 708 patients, median age of 71 years (interquartile range, 59–80), we recorded delirium in 187 of 708 (26.4%; 95% CI, 23.0–30.0). Across 395 patients with complete risk factor data (105 delirium), factors independently associated with delirium were: age (odds ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.03–1.08), drug/alcohol misuse (odds ratio, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.10–6.26), and stroke severity (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14–1.31). Conclusions— Delirium is common in acute stroke, affecting 1 in 4. It may be possible to predict those at risk using prestroke and stroke-specific factors. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: researchregistry.com . Protocol: 1147.

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