Impact of Jilin Province Stroke Emergency Maps on Acute Stroke Care Improvement in Northeast China

Effects of a Planned Web-Based Educational Intervention Based on the Health Belief Model for Patients With Ischemic Stroke in Promoting Secondary Prevention During the COVID-19 Lockdown in China: Quasi-Experimental Study

Background

Some common modified vascular risk factors remain poorly controlled among stroke survivors, and educational programs may help improve these conditions.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a planned web-based educational intervention based on the health belief model (HBM) in promoting secondary prevention among patients with ischemic stroke.

Methods

An evaluation-blinded quasi-experimental trial with a historical control group was conducted. Patients admitted from March to June 2020 were assigned to the historical control group, and patients admitted from July to October 2020 were assigned to the intervention group. The control group received routine health management. The intervention group received 6 additional sessions based on the HBM via Tencent Meeting, an audio and video conferencing application, within 3 months after discharge. Sessions were held every 2 weeks, with each session lasting approximately 40 minutes. These sessions were conducted in small groups, with about 8 to 10 people in each group. The primary outcomes were changes in blood pressure (BP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and the proportion of patients achieving the treatment target. The secondary outcomes were medication adherence, assessed with the Morisky Medicine Adherence Scale (MMAS), and disability, assessed with the modified Rankin scale.

Results

In total, 315 patients experiencing their first-ever stroke were analyzed. More patients in the intervention group had controlled BP (41.9% vs 28.4%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.93; P=.01), LDL-C (83.1% vs 67.7%; aOR 2.66; P=.001), and HbA1c (91.9% vs 83.9%; aOR: 3.37; P=.04) levels as well as a significant postintervention decrease in the systolic BP (adjusted β -3.94; P=.02), LDL-C (adjusted β -0.21; P=.008), and HbA1c (adjusted β -0.27; P<.001), compared with control groups. Significant between-group differences were observed in medication adherence (79.4% vs 63.2%; aOR 2.31; P=.002) but not in favorable functional outcomes.

Conclusions

A web-based education program based on the HBM may be more effective than current methods used to educate patients having strokes on optimal vascular risk factors and medication adherence.

Safety and efficacy of remote ischemic conditioning combined with endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion of anterior circulation: A multicenter, randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial (SERIC-EVT): Study protocol

RATIONALE/AIM

Many patients undergoing successful recanalization after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) do not have a good outcome; additional neuroprotection might benefit this group. Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) stimulates endogenous protective mechanisms and may have a neuroprotective in acute brain ischemia. The safety and efficacy of RIC combined with endovascular thrombectomy (SERIC-EVT) trial is investigating the safety and efficacy of RIC for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who underwent EVT due to large vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation.

METHODS

SERIC-EVT is a multicenter, randomized, parallel-controlled, and blinded endpoint clinical trial. Patients are recruited from 10 hospitals in Jilin Province, Northeast China. Patients with anterior circulation AIS undergoing EVT due to large vessel occlusion are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to RIC or sham-RIC. Participants will receive standard medical treatment and an inflation pressure of 200 mmHg (RIC group) or 60 mmHg (sham-RIC group) twice daily for seven consecutive days.

STUDY OUTCOMES

The primary outcome is the proportion of patients with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0-2 on day 90. Secondary outcome measures include the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, Barthel Index, and mRS scores obtained at 24 h, 7 days, 30 ± 3 days, and 90 ± 3 days post-EVT, recanalization rate, expanded Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage post-EVT. Mortality and all adverse events, including skin changes and pain scores, within the first 90 days will be used as safety outcome measures.

SAMPLE SIZE ESTIMATES

Based on previous studies, we estimate a 14% difference in functional independence (the mRS ⩽2) between RIC and sham-RIC groups. Considering a significance level of 5% and power of 80%, and one-fifth of patients lost to follow up, the planned sample size is 498 patients (249 per group).

DISCUSSION

RIC might be a strategy that improves 3-month clinical outcomes in AIS patients who have undergone EVT due to large vessel occlusion of anterior circulation. SERIC-EVT will determine whether this is the case.

Safety and efficacy of remote ischemic conditioning combined with intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke: A multicenter, randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial (SERIC-IVT) Study design and protocol

RATIONALE

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) combined with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) may improve functional outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

AIM

To assess the efficacy and safety of RIC combined with IVT for AIS.

METHODS AND DESIGN

SERIC-IVT is a multicenter, randomized, parallel-controlled, blinded endpoint clinical trial. A total of 558 patients with AIS who underwent IVT therapy will be randomly assigned 1:1 to receive RIC or sham-RIC plus standard medical therapy. The cuff pressures of the RIC group and the sham-RIC group will be 200 mm Hg and 60 mm Hg, respectively, performed twice a day for seven consecutive days.

STUDY OUTCOMES

The primary efficacy outcome is the proportion of patients with a favorable functional outcome as defined as a modified Rankin Scale ⩽ 1 at 90 days. Safety outcomes include mortality and adverse events within 90 days.

SAMPLE SIZE ESTIMATES

A sample size of 558 patients with AIS (279 in each group) will allow detection of a shift of 13.14% toward favorable functional outcome at 90 days (modified Rankin Scale ⩽ 1) with 5% significance and 80% power.

DISCUSSION

RIC is a promising adjuvant treatment for AIS. SERIC-IVT will inform on whether RIC treatment combined with IVT improves functional outcomes in AIS patients and identify any safety issues.

The Assessment of Endovascular Therapies in Ischemic Stroke: Management, Problems and Future Approaches

Ischemic stroke accounts for over 80% of all strokes and is one of the leading causes of mortality and permanent disability worldwide. Intravenous administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is an approved treatment strategy for acute ischemic stroke of large arteries within 4.5 h of onset, and mechanical thrombectomy can be used for large arteries occlusion up to 24 h after onset. Improving diagnostic work up for acute treatment, reducing onset-to-needle time and urgent radiological access angiographic CT images (angioCT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are real problems for many healthcare systems, which limits the number of patients with good prognosis in real world compared to the results of randomized controlled trials. The applied endovascular procedures demonstrated high efficacy, but some cellular mechanisms, following reperfusion, are still unknown. Changes in the morphology and function of mitochondria associated with reperfusion and ischemia-reperfusion neuronal death are still understudied research fields. Moreover, future research is needed to elucidate the relationship between continuously refined imaging techniques and the variable structure or physical properties of the clot along with vascular permeability and the pleiotropism of ischemic reperfusion lesions in the penumbra, in order to define targeted preventive procedures promoting long-term health benefits.