Management of cerebrovascular accidents during cardiac catheterization

Mechanical thrombectomy for acute stroke complicating cardiac interventions

INTRODUCTION:

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) complicating cardiac interventions (CI) is well described. The use of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for treatment of emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) in this setting, however, is not widely reported.

METHODS:

Cases of patients undergoing MT for AIS with ELVO at a single institution were reviewed. Cases preceded by recent CI were investigated retrospectively. Data was collected for patient demographics, type of cardiac intervention, stroke characteristics, neurovascular intervention, and patient outcomes.

RESULTS:

Between 2008 and 2017, registry analysis identified nine patients treated with MT for AIS complicating recent CI. Patients were more commonly male with a mean age of 67 years. A large majority had a known cardiac arrhythmia. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) was the most identified CI, followed by valve repair, and cardiac ablations. Mean presenting NIHSS was 18. Most presented with hemiplegia. Seven cases were found to have MCA occlusions. Stent-retrievers were used in 6 cases with excellent recanalization in five MCA cases (TICI 2c or 3) and in two basilar cases. Despite immediate improvements in NIHSS scores in most cases, functional outcomes were poor in 7 cases (mRS of 4-6). Three cases were complicated by hemorrhage and three cases ended in mortality.

CONCLUSION:

AIS with ELVO following recent CI is associated with high rates of mortality and poor functional outcomes despite MT. Further work is needed to understand the key drivers to poor outcomes in this ELVO subgroup.

Stroke After Cardiac Catheterization in Children

BACKGROUND

Children with cardiac disease are at high risk for stroke. Approximately one-quarter of strokes in children with cardiac disease occur in the peri-procedural period; yet, the risk factors, clinical presentation, and treatment of post-catheterization stroke in children have not been well defined.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of patients aged zero to 18 years with a new clinically-apparent arterial ischemic stroke after cardiac catheterization at a tertiary children's hospital from 2006 to 2016. We excluded patients who had cardiac surgery, a cardiac arrest, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a ventricular assist device, or an arrhythmia proximate to their stroke.

RESULTS

Twenty children had a new clinically-apparent post-catheterization arterial ischemic stroke. The median age was one year (range, two days to 16 years). The most common procedures were balloon dilation for pulmonary vein stenosis (n = 6) and systemic pulmonary collateral closure (n = 5). The most common presenting symptoms were arm weakness (n = 10) and seizure (n = 8). The median time from catheterization to symptom discovery was 31.5 hours (interquartile range, 16.2 to 47.8 hours; n = 18). The median Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure score 12 months post-stroke was 0.75 (range, 0 to 2; n = 6).

CONCLUSIONS

Although arterial ischemic stroke after cardiac catheterization is rare, better understanding this entity is important as children with cardiac disease and stroke have ongoing morbidity. Ameliorating this morbidity requires efforts aimed at preventing and rapidly detecting stroke, thereby enabling timely institution of neuroprotective measures and treatment with hyperacute therapies.

Incidence and Clinical Impact of Stroke Complicating Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background—

Stroke is a rare but serious complication of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). So far, scant information is available about the incidence and outcome of patients developing stroke after PCI for stable angina or acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in daily clinical practice in Europe today.

Methods and Results—

Between 2005 and 2008, 46 888 patients undergoing PCI were enrolled into the PCI Registry of the Euro Heart Survey Programme (176 centers in 33 European countries) to document patient’s characteristics, PCI details, and hospital complications in different PCI indications. Stroke was observed in 0.4% of the procedures in the total population, in 0.3% of PCIs in elective patients, and in 0.6% in PCIs performed for ACS. The overall in-hospital mortality was 19.2% for patients who developed stroke (elective PCIs, 10.0%; PCI for ACS, 23.2%) compared with 1.3% for those without stroke (elective PCIs, 0.2%; PCI for ACS, 2.3%). In multivariate analysis hemodynamic instability, age ≥75 years, history of stroke, and congestive heart failure were found to be independent predictors for periprocedural stroke in ACS, whereas only PCI of a bypass graft and renal failure could be identified as independent predictors for stroke in elective patients.

Conclusions—

Stroke as complication of PCI occurs rarely (0.4%) in clinical practice in Europe today. However, peri-interventional stroke is still associated with an exceedingly high in-hospital mortality rate. Most predictors for periprocedural stroke are not modifiable and cannot be diminished before PCI. Therefore, treatment of patients with stroke after PCI needs further research.

Endovascular therapy for cardiac catheterization associated strokes

BACKGROUND

Stroke is one of the most feared complications after cardiac catheterization. Endovascular treatment combining mechanical and pharmacological therapy has been reported as an effective treatment option in selected patients with acute stroke due to large-vessel occlusion. Little is known about safety and clinical outcome when this approach is utilized in cardiac catheterization associated strokes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analyzed clinical and radiological characteristics and outcomes in the endovascular acute stroke treatment databases from two University Hospitals from July 2006 to December 2008 (Cleveland Clinic Foundation) and September 1999 and December 2008 (UPMC Presbyterian hospital), respectively. Of a total of 419 acute stroke interventions, 14 (3.34%) were identified as strokes during or immediately after cardiac catheterization. The mean age was 71 ± 7 years; eight were women (57.1%). Mean National Institute of Health Stroke Scale was 17 (±7.6). Four patients underwent intravenous thrombolysis followed by intraarterial intervention. Median time to treatment was 240 minutes from last time seen normal (range 66-1,365 minutes). Seven patients (50%) had a favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS]≤ 2). In-patient mortality was 42%.

CONCLUSION

In acute strokes following cardiac catheterization, multimodal endovascular therapy is safe and feasible and despite a high mortality is associated with a higher than expected rate of favorable outcomes compared to the natural history of the disease. Despite a significant proportion of patients developing symptoms in hospitals where neurointerventions are available, the median time to treatment was longer than expected. Future efforts should focus on faster implementation of recanalization therapies for this form of acute stroke.

Incidence and predictors of stroke associated with percutaneous coronary intervention

Stroke is a serious complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Clinical characteristics associated with this complication have not been well defined. Data were analyzed from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry. All patients undergoing PCI from January 1, 2004, to March 30, 2007, were included in the analysis (n = 706,782). Stroke is defined in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry as a central neurologic deficit persisting >72 hours with onset starting anytime in the cardiac catheterization laboratory until the time of hospital discharge. Periprocedural stroke developed in 0.22% of patients (n = 1,540). Patients who developed a stroke had a greater prevalence of concomitant medical illnesses and were more likely to present with an acute coronary syndrome. Patients with a stroke had a greater percentage of high-risk coronary lesions and worse PCI angiographic results. In multivariable analysis, known cerebrovascular disease, older age, acute coronary syndromes (unstable angina, ST- and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction), and use of an intra-aortic balloon pump were factors most strongly associated with stroke. In-hospital mortality was 30% for patients who developed a stroke compared with 1% for those without stroke. In conclusion, stroke developing in association with PCI is rare but a devastating complication. Older patients and those with known cerebrovascular disease and acute coronary syndromes appear to be at the highest risk of stroke. The strong association of in-hospital stroke after PCI with acute coronary syndromes is noteworthy.