Routing to Endovascular Treatment of Ischemic Stroke in Korea: Recognition of Need for Process Improvement

Automated identification of thrombectomy amenable vessel occlusion on computed tomography angiography using deep learning

Introduction

We developed and externally validated a fully automated algorithm using deep learning to detect large vessel occlusion (LVO) in computed tomography angiography (CTA).

Method

A total of 2,045 patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent CTA were included in the development of our model. We validated the algorithm using two separate external datasets: one with 64 patients (external 1) and another with 313 patients (external 2), with ischemic stroke. In the context of current clinical practice, thrombectomy amenable vessel occlusion (TAVO) was defined as an occlusion in the intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA), or in the M1 or M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). We employed the U-Net for vessel segmentation on the maximum intensity projection images, followed by the application of the EfficientNetV2 to predict TAVO. The algorithm's diagnostic performance was evaluated by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).

Results

The mean age in the training and validation dataset was 68.7 ± 12.6; 56.3% of participants were men, and 18.0% had TAVO. The algorithm achieved AUC of 0.950 (95% CI, 0.915-0.971) in the internal test. For the external datasets 1 and 2, the AUCs were 0.970 (0.897-0.997) and 0.971 (0.924-0.990), respectively. With a fixed sensitivity of 0.900, the specificities and PPVs for the internal test, external test 1, and external test 2 were 0.891, 0.796, and 0.930, and 0.665, 0.583, and 0.667, respectively. The algorithm demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of approximately 0.95 in both internal and external datasets, specifically for cases involving intracranial ICA or M1-MCA occlusion. However, the diagnostic performance was somewhat reduced for isolated M2-MCA occlusion; the AUC for the internal and combined external datasets were 0.903 (0.812-0.944) and 0.916 (0.816-0.963), respectively.

Conclusion

We developed and externally validated a fully automated algorithm that identifies TAVO. Further research is needed to evaluate its effectiveness in real-world clinical settings. This validated algorithm has the potential to assist early-career physicians, thereby streamlining the treatment process for patients who can benefit from endovascular treatment.

Interactive Direct Interhospital Transfer Network System for Acute Stroke in South Korea

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interhospital transfer is an essential practical component of regional stroke care systems. To establish an effective stroke transfer network in South Korea, an interactive transfer system was constructed, and its workflow metrics were observed.

METHODS

In March 2019, a direct transfer system between primary stroke hospitals (PSHs) and comprehensive regional stroke centers (CSCs) was established to standardize the clinical pathway of imaging, recanalization therapy, transfer decisions, and exclusive transfer linkage systems in the two types of centers. In an active case, the time metrics from arrival at PSH ("door") to imaging was measured, and intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular treatment (EVT) were used to assess the differences in clinical situations.

RESULTS

The direct transfer system was used by 27 patients. They stayed at the PSH for a median duration of 72 min (interquartile range [IQR], 38-114 min), with a median times of 15 and 58 min for imaging and subsequent processing, respectively. The door-to-needle median times of subjects treated with IVT at PSHs (n=5) and CSCs (n=2) were 21 min (IQR, 20.0-22.0 min) and 137.5 min (IQR, 125.3-149.8 min), respectively. EVT was performed on seven subjects (25.9%) at CSCs, which took a median duration of 175 min; 77 min at the PSH, 48 min for transportation, and 50 min at the CSC. Before EVT, bridging IVT at the PSH did not significantly affect the door-to-puncture time (127 min vs. 143.5 min, p=0.86).

CONCLUSIONS

The direct and interactive transfer system is feasible in real-world practice in South Korea and presents merits in reducing the treatment delay by sharing information during transfer.

Comparison of Factors Associated With Direct Versus Transferred-in Admission to Government-Designated Regional Centers Between Acute Ischemic Stroke and Myocardial Infarction in Korea

BACKGROUND

There has been no comparison of the determinants of admission route between acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We examined whether factors associated with direct versus transferred-in admission to regional cardiocerebrovascular centers (RCVCs) differed between AIS and AMI.

METHODS

Using a nationwide RCVC registry, we identified consecutive patients presenting with AMI and AIS between July 2016 and December 2018. We explored factors associated with direct admission to RCVCs in patients with AIS and AMI and examined whether those associations differed between AIS and AMI, including interaction terms between each factor and disease type in multivariable models. To explore the influence of emergency medical service (EMS) paramedics on hospital selection, stratified analyses according to use of EMS were also performed.

RESULTS

Among the 17,897 and 8,927 AIS and AMI patients, 66.6% and 48.2% were directly admitted to RCVCs, respectively. Multivariable analysis showed that previous coronary heart disease, prehospital awareness, higher education level, and EMS use increased the odds of direct admission to RCVCs, but the odds ratio (OR) was different between AIS and AMI (for the first 3 factors, AMI > AIS; for EMS use, AMI < AIS). EMS use was the single most important factor for both AIS and AMI (OR, 4.72 vs. 3.90). Hypertension and hyperlipidemia increased, while living alone decreased the odds of direct admission only in AMI; additionally, age (65-74 years), previous stroke, and presentation during non-working hours increased the odds only in AIS. EMS use weakened the associations between direct admission and most factors in both AIS and AMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Various patient factors were differentially associated with direct admission to RCVCs between AIS and AMI. Public education for symptom awareness and use of EMS is essential in optimizing the transportation and hospitalization of patients with AMI and AIS.

Annual Case Volume and One-Year Mortality for Endovascular Treatment in Acute Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND

The association between endovascular treatment (EVT) case volume per hospital and clinical outcomes has been reported, but the exact volume threshold has not been determined. This study aimed to examine the case volume threshold in this context.

METHODS

National audit data on the quality of acute stroke care in patients admitted via emergency department, within 7 days of onset, in hospitals that treated ≥ 10 stroke cases during the audit period were analyzed. Ischemic stroke cases treated with EVT during the last three audits (2013, 2014, and 2016) were selected for the analysis. Annual EVT case volume per hospital was estimated and analyzed as a continuous and a categorical variable (in quartiles). The primary outcome measure was 1-year mortality as a surrogate of 3-month functional outcome. As post-hoc sensitivity analysis, replication of the study results was examined using the 2018 audit data.

RESULTS

We analyzed 1,746 ischemic stroke cases treated with EVT in 120 acute care hospitals. The median annual EVT case volume was 12.0 cases per hospital, and mortality rates at 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year were 12.7%, 16.6%, and 23.3%, respectively. Q3 and Q4 had 33% lower odds of 1-year mortality than Q1. Adjustments were made for predetermined confounders. Annual EVT case volume cut-off value for 1-year mortality was 15 cases per year (P < 0.02). The same cut-off value was replicated in the sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSION

Annual EVT case volume was associated with 1-year mortality. The volume threshold per hospital was 15 cases per year.

Emergency Cervical Carotid Artery Stenting After Intravenous Thrombolysis in Patients With Hyperacute Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND

Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rtPA) is the mainstay of treatment for acute ischemic stroke to recanalize thrombosed intracranial vessels within 4.5 hours. Emergency carotid artery stenting for the treatment of acute stroke due to steno-occlusion of the proximal internal carotid artery (ICA) can improve symptoms, prevent neurological deterioration, and reduce recurrent stroke risk. The feasibility and safety of the combination therapy of IV rtPA and urgent carotid artery stenting have not been established.

METHODS

From November 2005 to October 2020, we retrospectively assessed patients who had undergone emergent carotid artery stenting after IV rtPA for hyperacute ischemic stroke due to steno-occlusive proximal ICA lesion. Hemorrhagic transformation, successful recanalization, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days, and stent patency at 3 and 12 months or longer were evaluated. Favorable outcome was defined as a 90-days mRS score of ≤ 2.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients with hyperacute stroke had undergone emergent carotid artery stenting after IV rtPA therapy. Their median age was 70 (67.5-73.5) years (94.7% men). Among 15 patients with an additional intracranial occlusion after flow restoration in the proximal ICA, a modified TICI grade ≥ 2b was achieved in 11 patients (73.3%). Hemorrhagic transformation occurred in five patients (26.3%); mortality rate was 5.7%. Eleven patients (57.9%) had favorable outcomes at 90 days. Stent patients (94.1%) maintained stent patency for ≥ 12 months.

CONCLUSION

We showed that emergent carotid artery stenting after IV rtPA therapy for hyperacute stroke caused by atherosclerotic proximal ICA steno-occlusion was feasible and safe.

Behavioral and Disease-Related Characteristics of Patients with Acute Stroke during the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic

This study aimed to evaluate the behavioral and disease-related characteristics of patients with acute stroke during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This retrospective study was conducted using the Korean Stroke Registry database from a single cerebrovascular specialty hospital. We categorized the COVID-19 pandemic (February 2020 to June 2021) into three waves according to the number of COVID-19 cases recorded and the subjective fear index of the general population and matched them with the corresponding pre-COVID-19 (January 2019 to January 2020) periods. The total number of acute stroke hospitalizations during the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods was 402 and 379, respectively. The number of acute stroke hospitalizations recorded during the regional outbreak of COVID-19 was higher than that recorded during the corresponding pre-COVID-19 period (97 vs. 80). Length of hospital stay was significantly longer during the COVID-19 pandemic than during the pre-COVID-19 period (11.1 and 8.5 days, respectively; p = 0.003). There were no significant differences in the time from onset to hospital arrival, rate of acute intravenous/intra-arterial (IV/IA) treatments, and door-to-IV/IA times between the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods. This study suggests that specialty hospitals can effectively maintain the quality of healthcare through the management of acute time-dependent diseases, even during pandemics.

The effects of socioeconomic and geographic factors on chronic phase long-term survival after stroke in South Korea

The stroke incidence has increased rapidly in South Korea, calling for a national-wide system for long-term stroke management. We investigated the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and geographic factors on chronic phase survival after stroke. We retrospectively enrolled 6994 patients who experienced a stroke event in 2009 from the Korean National Health Insurance database. We followed them up from 24 to 120 months after stroke onset. The endpoint was all-cause mortality. We defined SES using a medical-aid group and four groups divided by health insurance premium quartiles. Geographic factors were defined using Model 1 (capital, metropolitan, city, and county) and Model 2 (with or without university hospitals). The higher the insurance premium, the higher the survival rate tended to be (P < 0.001). The patient survival rate was highest in the capital city and lowest at the county level (P < 0.001). Regions with a university hospital(s) showed a higher survival rate (P = 0.006). Cox regression revealed that the medical-aid group was identified as an independent risk factor for chronic phase mortality. Further, NHIP level had a more significant effect than geographic factors on chronic stroke mortality. From these results, long-term nationwide efforts to reduce inter-regional as well as SES discrepancies affecting stroke management are needed.

Sex and Economic Disparity Related to Reperfusion Therapies for Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke in South Korea across a 10-Year Period: A Nationwide Population-Based Study Using the National Health Insurance Database

A complete enumeration study was conducted to evaluate trends related to reperfusion therapies (intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular treatment (EVT)) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in South Korea, according to sex, economic status, and age, over a 10-year period retrospectively, using the National Health Information Database (NHIS-2020-1-481). This study included AIS patients aged ≥20 years who were hospitalized in a general hospital or tertiary hospital for ≥4 days and underwent brain imaging during the same period. Study participants were classified by sex, economic status (Medical Aid beneficiaries and National Health Insurance beneficiaries) and age (20-44, 45-64, 65-79, and ≥80 years). Women showed a significantly lower OR (Odds ratio) than men in IVT (OR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.73-0.77), EVT (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93-0.99), and any therapy (OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.80-0.84). The Medical Aid beneficiaries showed significantly lower OR in IVT (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.88-0.95), EVT (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.98), and either therapy (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.90-0.95) than the National Health Insurance beneficiaries. This study showed sex and economic disparity related to reperfusion therapies in patients with AIS in Korea.

Effect of Transport Time on the Use of Reperfusion Therapy for Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke in Korea

BACKGROUND

We investigated the association between geographic proximity to hospitals and the administration rate of reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS

We identified patients with acute ischemic stroke who visited the hospital within 12 hours of symptom onset from a prospective nationwide multicenter stroke registry. Reperfusion therapy was classified as intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), endovascular therapy (EVT), or combined therapy. The association between the proportion of patients who were treated with reperfusion therapy and the ground transport time was evaluated using a spline regression analysis adjusted for patient-level characteristics. We also estimated the proportion of Korean population that lived within each 30-minute incremental service area from 67 stroke centers accredited by the Korean Stroke Society.

RESULTS

Of 12,172 patients (mean age, 68 ± 13 years; men, 59.7%) who met the eligibility criteria, 96.5% lived within 90 minutes of ground transport time from the admitting hospital. The proportion of patients treated with IVT decreased significantly when stroke patients lived beyond 90 minutes of the transport time (P = 0.006). The proportion treated with EVT also showed a similar trend with the transport time. Based on the residential area, 98.4% of Korean population was accessible to 67 stroke centers within 90 minutes.

CONCLUSION

The use of reperfusion therapy for acute stroke decreased when patients lived beyond 90 minutes of the ground transport time from the hospital. More than 95% of the South Korean population was accessible to 67 stroke centers within 90 minutes of the ground transport time.