The network of Shanghai Stroke Service System (4S): A public health-care web-based database using automatic extraction of electronic medical records

Low-dose vs. standard-dose alteplase for Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke: A propensity score analysis

Background and purpose

Previous studies have stimulated debates on low-dose alteplase administration in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) among the Asian population. We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of low-dose alteplase in Chinese patients with AIS using a real-world registry.

Methods

We analyzed data from the Shanghai Stroke Service System. Patients receiving alteplase intravenous thrombolysis within 4.5 hours were included. These patients were divided into the low-dose alteplase group (0.55-0.65 mg/kg) and the standard-dose alteplase group (0.85-0.95 mg/kg). Baseline imbalances were adjusted by using the propensity score matching. The primary outcome was mortality or disability, which was defined as the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score ranging from 2 to 6 at discharge. The secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and functional independence (mRS score 0-2).

Results

From January 2019 to December 2020, a total of 1,334 patients were enrolled and 368 (27.6%) were treated with low-dose alteplase. The median age of the patients was 71 years, and 38.8% were female. Our study showed that the low-dose group had significantly higher rates of death or disability (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.12, 1.98]) and less functional independence (aOR = 0.71, 95%CI [0.52, 0.97]) than the standard-dose group. There was no significant difference in sICH or in-hospital mortality between the standard-dose and low-dose alteplase groups.

Conclusions

Low-dose alteplase was related to a poor functional outcome without lowering the risk of sICH, compared with standard-dose alteplase for AIS patients in China.

Effect of stroke screening survey on intravenous thrombolysis and long-term outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients: the real-world evidence from Shanghai, China

Background

The stroke screening survey (SSS) is an essential strategy for stroke prevention. However, previous studies rarely discussed the effect of SSS on the acute phase treatment procedure for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and the long-term prognosis outcomes. This study aims to investigate the effect of SSS on intravenous thrombolysis and long-term outcomes in AIS patients.

Methods

The stroke patients included were collected from Jiading Residences Community Health Records and Shanghai Stroke Service System database, from January 2017 to December 2019. Patients were divided into two groups, according to whether they have been screened before the event (onset and death). Demographic characteristics and treatment information of patients in the two groups were compared by the Mann-Whitney test and Chi-square test. The demographic differences between groups were adjusted with Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to evaluate the effect of SSS on door-to-needle time (DNT). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve with a log-rank test and multiple Cox regression model were used to evaluate the effect of SSS on long-term lifetime.

Results

A total of 1,236 patients with AIS were collected, including 468 (37.86%) female, 126 (10.19%) patients with intravenous thrombolysis, 241 (23.30%) patients died from all-cause mortality by January 8, 2020. A total of 124 (10.03%) patients have been screened before AIS onset, and 261 (21.17%) patients had undergone SSS after AIS onset. The baseline information indicated that patients with previous screening were older than the patients without at the time of onset [75 (70, 83) vs. 73 (65, 82), P=0.017], as well as more likely to have a history of hypertension (90.32% vs. 78.51%, P=0.002) and diabetes (50.00% vs. 25.81%, P<0.001). PSM results showed that patients with previous screening were associated with less severe onset situation [3 (1, 9) vs. 3 (1, 5), P=0.001] and shorter DNT [30 (24, 49) vs. 44 (31.5, 49), P=0.037] when compared to patients without. Additionally, patients with SSS had a lower hazard ratio of 0.567 (95% CI: 0.380–0.847, P=0.006) on all-cause mortality.

Conclusions

For AIS patients, the SSS is associated with less severe onset situation, shorter DNT, and longer long-term lifetime.

Earlier Acupuncture Enhancing Long-Term Effects on Motor Dysfunction in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Retrospective Cohort Study

Stroke is the leading fatal disease in China. This retrospective study aimed to explore the optimal acupuncture intervention time for long-term efficacy on motor dysfunction in patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke through 1-year of follow-up. Three hundred and nine patients collected at Longhua Hospital from January 2016 to December 2017 were classified into 3 groups based on the acupuncture intervention time, including groups A (within 2 days), B (within 3–7 days) and C (within 8–14 days). All patients had received standard treatment combined with acupuncture therapy. Specifically, acupuncture was performed at the acupoints including LI4 (Hegu), ST40 (Fenglong), DU20 (Baihui), and motor area of the scalp, followed by 2 electroacupuncture protocols based on different muscle tensions once a day for 5 days consecutively. The time-effect relationship was assessed using both the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and the modified Barthel index (MBI) on the 90th day and 1st year, respectively. Meanwhile, the modified Rankin scale (mRS), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and fibrinogen (FIB) were also measured during the 1-year follow-up. The favorable outcome rate was 74.4%. One-way univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences in FMA and MBI on the 90th day among the 3 groups ([Formula: see text] < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed in FMA, MBI or mRS at the 1st year between groups A and B. The levels of hs-CRP and FIB ([Formula: see text] < 0.05) were markedly reduced. Binary logistic regression analysis suggested that patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) (odds ratio (OR): 3.156), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (OR: 2.563), diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR: 2.174) or stroke history (OR: 1.883) were more inclined to recover poorly from nerve function deficit ([Formula: see text] < 0.05). Earlier acupuncture intervention may have a better long-term effect on motor dysfunction and inflammation during the 1-year follow-up. Moreover, acupuncture within 2 days is probably the optimal treatment time for early recovery on the 90th day.

Who may benefit from lower dosages of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator? Results from a cluster data analysis

Background

The risk of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) after thrombolysis is low but severe. Lower dose of alteplase may reduce the risk of sICH. We aim to identify subsets of patients who could benefit from lower dose of alteplase compared with standard dose.

Methods

Data from two observational registries were pooled together. A total of 3479 patients who had acute ischaemic stroke were entered into the interaction tree model. The response variable was the rate of sICH per the definition of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Study. Clinical improvement was measured by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and defined as NIHSS 0 or 1 or an improvement of more than 4 points (within 7 days or at discharge). Rare event logistic regression was performed to analyse the OR of safety outcome.

Results

To optimise the interaction effect between tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) dosage (standard/lower) and patient subgroups, three subgroups based on the severity of stroke were identified: (1) NIHSS ≤4, (2) NIHSS between 5 and 14, and (3) NIHSS ≥15. The estimated difference of OR of having sICH was 2.71 (95% CI 0.80 to 7.69, p=0.10) for mild, 0.13 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.68, p=0.01) for moderate, and 0.65 (95% CI 0.19 to 2.55, p=0.52) for severe, respectively. In addition, patients who had moderate stroke treated with lower dose had comparable efficacy outcome (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.71 to 2.13, p=0.45).

Conclusion

Our analysis demonstrated that in patients who had moderate stroke, lower doses of alteplase are associated with significant sICH reduction and non-inferior performance in efficacy, compared with those in the standard dose group.

Trial registration number

The TIMS-China was a national prospective stroke registry on thrombolytic therapy using intravenous tPA in patients who had acute ischaemic stroke. The results were initially published in 2012 without a clinical trial registration number. The Shanghai Stroke Service System was registered at www.clinicaltrial.gov (NCT02735226).

China's response to the rising stroke burden

Zixiao Li and colleagues discuss why the number of strokes is growing in China and how the country is taking steps to reduce the rate and improve care