[Treatment of arterial and venous brain ischemia. Experts' recommendations: stroke management in the intensive care unit]

Prognostic value of early EEG abnormalities in severe stroke patients requiring mechanical ventilation: a pre-planned analysis of the SPICE prospective multicenter study

INTRODUCTION

Prognostication of outcome in severe stroke patients necessitating invasive mechanical ventilation poses significant challenges. The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic significance and prevalence of early electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities in adult stroke patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

METHODS

This study is a pre-planned ancillary investigation within the prospective multicenter SPICE cohort study (2017-2019), conducted in 33 intensive care units (ICUs) in the Paris area, France. We included adult stroke patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, who underwent at least one intermittent EEG examination during their ICU stay. The primary endpoint was the functional neurological outcome at one year, determined using the modified Rankin scale (mRS), and dichotomized as unfavorable (mRS 4-6, indicating severe disability or death) or favorable (mRS 0-3). Multivariable regression analyses were employed to identify EEG abnormalities associated with functional outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the 364 patients enrolled in the SPICE study, 153 patients (49 ischemic strokes, 52 intracranial hemorrhages, and 52 subarachnoid hemorrhages) underwent at least one EEG at a median time of 4 (interquartile range 2-7) days post-stroke. Rates of diffuse slowing (70% vs. 63%, p = 0.37), focal slowing (38% vs. 32%, p = 0.15), periodic discharges (2.3% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.9), and electrographic seizures (4.5% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.4) were comparable between patients with unfavorable and favorable outcomes. Following adjustment for potential confounders, an unreactive EEG background to auditory and pain stimulations (OR 6.02, 95% CI 2.27-15.99) was independently associated with unfavorable outcomes. An unreactive EEG predicted unfavorable outcome with a specificity of 48% (95% CI 40-56), sensitivity of 79% (95% CI 72-85), and positive predictive value (PPV) of 74% (95% CI 67-81). Conversely, a benign EEG (defined as continuous and reactive background activity without seizure, periodic discharges, triphasic waves, or burst suppression) predicted favorable outcome with a specificity of 89% (95% CI 84-94), and a sensitivity of 37% (95% CI 30-45).

CONCLUSION

The absence of EEG reactivity independently predicts unfavorable outcomes at one year in severe stroke patients requiring mechanical ventilation in the ICU, although its prognostic value remains limited. Conversely, a benign EEG pattern was associated with a favorable outcome.

The clinical analysis and treatment strategy of endovascular treatment for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis combined with intracerebral hemorrhage

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) combined with intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH) is a special subgroup, and whether intrasinus thrombolysis (IST) or mechanical thrombectomy (MT) therapy should be carried out is controversial because of previous hemorrhage and possible delayed hemorrhage.The aim of this study was to analyze the safety and effectiveness of endovascular treatment of CVST with ICH and further discuss the treatment strategy. This is a retrospective study of 56 cases admitted from January 2010 to June 2019 diagnosed with CVST combined with ICH, and all were treated with endovascular treatment including IST with or without MT. We reviewed the clinical, radiological, and outcome data of all patients. The percentage of cases that showed complete and partial recanalization were 67.8% and 26.9% after endovascular treatment. ICH exacerbation occurred in 5 cases during thrombolysis. The percentage of cases with good outcome was 87.5% at discharge. 51 cases were followed up at sixth month. 49 cases had a mRS score of 0–2,and 2 cases had a mRS score of 3–4 at sixth month.Our data suggest that endovascular treatment may improve clinical and radiological outcome in most patients of CVST with ICH, but confirmation in prospective, controlled studies is warranted.

The efficiency analysis of thrombolytic rt-PA combined with intravascular interventional therapy in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion

In order to further optimize the treatment strategy for the patients with acute basilar artery occlusion, we were dedicated to study the therapeutic effects and influential factors in the process of treated basilar artery occlusion with thrombolytic combined vascular interventional therapy. 75 patients with acute basilar artery occlusion treated with arterial thrombolytic therapy were analyzed retrospectively. In accordance with the discharge records of patients, their short-term curative effect with 24-hour treatment and 14-days treatment were evaluated. Our data showed that the survival condition of the patients with acute acute basilar artery occlusion were visibly improved by combination thrombolytic and interventional therapy. Moreover, their BI scores were remarkably improved, while NIHSS and mRS scores were evidently reduced. These data proved that our treatment strategy was able to improve the survival condition of patients with acute basilar artery occlusion. Furthermore, our data showed that coagulation related factors remarkably improved in the patients, when they treated by combination thrombolytic therapy with interventional therapy. In addition, our results suggested that the patients' bilateral Babinski(+), revascularization and coma symptom were closely related to their prognosis after treated the patients with combination thrombolytic and vascular interventional therapy, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05, p<0.05, p<0.05). Besides, our data also displayed that the with stent assisted angioplasty was significantly superior to the patients with balloon angioplasty, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Anyhow, combination thrombolytic with interventional therapy can effectively promote the prognosis of the patients with acute basilar artery occlusion. The coma symptom, bilateral Babinski(+), and revascularization in the patients with acute basilar artery occlusion have an appreciable impact on the patients' prognosis.