Medical demography at stroke centers: Current situation in France

INTRODUCTION

Following the 2010-2014 French national stroke action plan, the number of stroke center (SC) has gradually increased in France, allowing a homogeneous coverage and access to neurovascular care in organized and territorially defined structures. However, operational difficulties within SCs have been progressively reported over the last few years. The objective of this study was to identify the medical staff shortages in SC that may contribute to these difficulties.

METHODS

A survey on the medical staffing level as of January 1, 2021 was sent to all French SC managers. Specific questions related on vacancies, need of interim medical staff, and participation in out-of-hour healthcare services.

RESULTS

Among the 139 SC managers contacted, 122 (88%) filled in the questionnaire. Analysis of the data showed that over 879 physician positions opened, 163 (18.5%) remained vacant for a mean of two years, and that in 51 SCs (41.9%), more than two positions were unfilled. In 13 of these 51 SCs, the out-of-hour healthcare services relied on less than four practitioners, defining a critical situation, and three other SCs had to close temporarily (2) or permanently (1). Moreover, 39.2% of SCs with at least one vacancy used interim physicians, for a median period of 12.5 weeks/year (IQR 5-18).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the significant medical staff shortage in French SCs. In the absence of urgent measures, more SCs will close, jeopardizing the regional network and access to care for stroke patients.

Tenecteplase in acute ischemic stroke: Review of the literature and expert consensus from the French Neurovascular Society

BACKGROUND

Intravenous alteplase is the only thrombolytic treatment approved for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Although no randomized controlled trial (RCT) has shown the superiority of tenecteplase over alteplase in AIS, tenecteplase is increasingly used off-label in Stroke Units. The purpose of the present work was to provide an up-to-date set of expert consensus statements on the use of tenecteplase in AIS.

METHODS

Members of the working group were selected by the French Neurovascular Society. RCTs comparing tenecteplase and alteplase in the treatment of AIS were reviewed. Recent meta-analysis and real-life experience data on tenecteplase published until 30th October 2021 were also analyzed. After a description of the available data, we tried to answer the subsequent questions about the use of tenecteplase in AIS: What dosage of tenecteplase should be preferred? How effective is tenecteplase for cerebral artery recanalization? What is the clinical effectiveness of tenecteplase? What is the therapeutic safety of tenecteplase? What are the benefits associated with tenecteplase ease of use? Then expert consensus statements for tenecteplase use were submitted. In October 2021 the working group was asked to review and revise the manuscript. In November 2021, the current version of the manuscript was approved.

EXPERT CONSENSUS

A set of three expert consensus statements for the use of tenecteplase within 4.5hours of symptom onset in AIS patients were issued: (1) It is reasonable to use tenecteplase 0.25mg/kg when mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is planned. (2) Tenecteplase 0.25mg/kg can be used as an alternative to alteplase 0.9mg/kg in patients with medium- or small-vessel occlusion not retrievable with MT. (3) Tenecteplase 0.25mg/kg could be considered as an alternative to alteplase 0.9mg/kg in patients without vessel occlusion.

CONCLUSIONS

These expert consensus statements could provide a framework to guide the clinical decision-making process for the use of tenecteplase according to admission characteristics of AIS patients. However, existing data are limited, requiring inclusions in ongoing RCTs or real-life registries.

Is off-label thrombolysis safe and effective in a real-life primary stroke center? A retrospective analysis of data from a 5-year prospective database

BACKGROUND

Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) use for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) varies among countries, partly due to guidelines and product labeling changes. The study aim was to identify the characteristics of patients with AIS treated with off-label IVT and to determine its safety when performed in a primary stroke center (PSC).

METHODS

This observational, single-center study included all consecutive patients admitted to Perpignan PSC for AIS and treated with IVT and patients transferred for EVT, between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019. Data of patients treated with IVT according to ("in-label group") or outside ("off-label") the initial guidelines and manufacturer's product specification were compared. Safety was assessed using symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SIH) as the main adverse event.

RESULTS

Among the 892 patients in the database (834 screened by MRI, 93.5%), 746 were treated by IVT: 185 (24.8%) "in-label" and 561 (75.2%) "off-label". In the "off-label" group, 316 (42.4% of the cohort) had a single criterion for "off-label" use, 197 (26.4%) had two, and 48 (6.4%) had three or more criteria, without any difference in IVT safety pattern among them. SIH rates were comparable between the "off-label" and "in-label" groups (2.7% vs. 1.1%, P=0.21); early neurological deterioration and systematic adverse event due to IVT treatment were similar in the 2 groups. "Off-label" patients had higher in-hospital (8.7% vs. 3.8%, P=0.05) and 3-month mortality rates (12.1% vs 5.4%, P<0.01), but this is explained by confounding factors as they were older (76 vs 67 years, P<0.0001) and more dependent (median modified Rankin scale score 0.4 vs 0.1, P<0.0001) at admission.

CONCLUSIONS

"Off-label" thrombolysis for AIS seems to be safe and effective in the routine setting of a primary stroke center.

A regional strategy to decrease the time to thrombectomy in patients with low probability of treatment by thrombolysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The best transportation strategy for patients with suspected large vessel occlusion (LVO) is unknown. Here, we evaluated a new regional strategy of direct transportation to a Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) for patients with suspected LVO and low probability of receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) at the nearest Primary Stroke Center (PSC).

METHODS

Patients could be directly transported to the CSC (bypass group) if they met our pre-hospital bypass criteria: high LVO probability (i.e., severe hemiplegia) with low IVT probability (contraindications) and/or travel time difference between CSC and PSC<15 minutes. The other patients were transported to the PSC according to a "drip-and-ship" strategy. Treatment time metrics were compared in patients with pre-hospital bypass criteria and confirmed LVO in the bypass and drip-and-ship groups.

RESULTS

In the bypass group (n=79), 54/79 (68.3%) patients met the bypass criteria and 29 (36.7%) had confirmed LVO. The positive predictive value of the hemiplegia criterion for LVO detection was 0.49. In the drip-and-ship group (n=457), 92/457 (20.1%) patients with confirmed LVO met our bypass criteria. Among the 121 patients with bypass criteria and confirmed LVO, direct routing decreased the time between symptom discovery and groin puncture by 55 minutes compared with the drip-and-ship strategy (325 vs. 229 minutes, P<0.001), without significantly increasing the time to IVT (P=0.19).

CONCLUSIONS

Our regional strategy led to the correct identification of LVO and a significant decrease of the time to mechanical thrombectomy, without increasing the time to IVT, and could be easily implemented in other territories.

Capacities of atrial fibrillation detection after stroke: a French nationwide survey

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a major contributor to recurrent but preventable ischemic Stroke (IS)/TIA. However, majority of stroke patients suffer from paroxysmal asymptomatic AFib, which implies stroke health system to implement accurate AFib detection strategies to large scale population. Current practices of AFib screening methods provided by Stroke Units (SU) organization and network in France are currently unknown and uncovered by dedicated guidelines.

Purpose

To assess the methodology of Afib screening in French SU.

Methods

A French Nationwide survey was led (September-November 2020) with on-line structured questionnaires sent to individual targeted stroke-physicians (SP) and heads of SU in France.We analyzed qualitative and quantitative availability and current use of AFib detection tools during acute inhospital and outpatient subacute and chronic post-IS phases.

Results

67% of 140 heads of SU and 33% of SP responded across all continental and overseas French regions.Main clinical characteristics that lead to search Afib are: TIA/IS recurrence under antiplatelet therapy (97%), patient's age (74%), proximal occlusion of a major cerebral artery (72%). Afib is highly suspected when there is: recent brain IS in multiple vascular territories (100%), previous IS in another vascular territory (98%), left atrial enlargement (96%), burst of supraventricular tachycardia &lt;30s (94%). In-hospital cardiac monitoring is considered to be mandatory by 90% of SU teams but only 1/3 of those possess telemetry out of intensive care unit. Outpatient cardiac monitoring is considered of major interest/necessary by 100% of SP. When first line 24-hour Holter monitor is normal and Afib is highly suspected, 75% of the SP required outpatient noninvasive monitoring (NIM) for at least 7 days and more than half required insertable cardiac monitor (ISC). ISC are implanted each year by SU for &lt;10 patients in 44% and &lt;50 patients in 94%. The delay IS-ICM implantation is &lt;1 month in 10%, 1–3 months in 52%, 3–6 months in 29% and &gt;6 months in 9%. Accessibility to outpatient monitoring modalities is graded: fairly easy for 24/48h-Holter (85%) and ISC (68%); rather difficult/impossible for 3–7 days NIM (51%), 8–21 days NIM (75%) or e-ECG tools (99%). Main obstacles to monitoring abilities development in SU were lack of: manpower (80%), efficient network with cardiologists (56%), familiarity of techniques (42%); and technical equipment cost (44%). 96.5% of SU teams deem necessary practice decision support flowchart with cardiologist partnership but 19% use for it.

Conclusion

The survey raises concern about lack of a systematic strategy and shortcomings for Afib detection capacities. These results are a call to establish practice-guidelines and to promote an improvement plan for AFib detection (selection of the patients, tools and prioritization of the exams) after TIA/IS in France which will require a strong collaboration between neurologists and cardiologists.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): BMS-Pfizer

Endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke at a primary stroke center: First results of the Perpignan center

INTRODUCTION

Converting a high-volume primary stroke center (PSC) into a stroke center that can perform emergency endovascular treatment (EVT) could reduce the time to thrombectomy. We report the first results of a newly established EVT facility at the Perpignan PSC and their comparison with the targets defined by the established guidelines.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

For this comprehensive observational study, data of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to proximal large vessel occlusion (LVO) and treated by EVT at the Perpignan PSC from December 5, 2019 to September 15, 2020 were extracted from an ongoing prospective database.

RESULTS

During the study period, 37 patients underwent EVT at the Perpignan PSC. The median (range) symptom-onset to recanalization time was 262min (100-485min). The median (range) intra-hospital times were: 20min (2-58min) for door-to-imaging, 57min (30-155min) for imaging-to-puncture, 55min (15-180min) for puncture-to-recanalization, and 137min (59-319min) for door-to-recanalization. At 3 months post-AIS, the favorable outcome (modified Ranking Score: 0-2) rate was 50% and the mortality rate was 19.4%. These results are comparable to those of previous clinical trials, and meet the targets defined by the current consensus statements for EVT.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Our results show the feasibility and safety of EVT in a PSC for patients with AIS due to LVO. The implementation of this strategy may be important for shortening the time to thrombectomy.

Predictors of Favorable Outcome after Endovascular Thrombectomy in MRI: Selected Patients with Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Clinical outcomes after endovascular treatment for acute basilar artery occlusions need further investigation. Our aim was to analyze predictors of a 90-day good functional outcome defined as mRS 0-2 after endovascular treatment in MR imaging-selected patients with acute basilar artery occlusions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed consecutive MR imaging-selected patients with acute basilar artery occlusions endovascularly treated within the first 24 hours after symptom onset. Successful and complete reperfusion was defined as modified TICI scores 2b-3 and 3, respectively. Outcome at 90 days was analyzed in univariate and multivariate analysis regarding baseline patient treatment characteristics and periprocedural outcomes.

RESULTS

One hundred ten patients were included. In 10 patients, endovascular treatment was aborted for failed proximal/distal access. Overall, successful reperfusion was achieved in 81.8% of cases (n = 90; 95% CI, 73.3%-88.6%). At 90 days, favorable outcome was 31.8%, with a mortality rate of 40.9%; the prevalence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 24 hours was 2.7%. The median time from symptom onset to groin puncture was 410 minutes (interquartile range, 280-540 minutes). In multivariable analysis, complete reperfusion (OR = 6.59; 95% CI, 2.17-20.03), lower pretreatment NIHSS (OR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64-0.94), the presence of posterior communicating artery collateral flow (OR = 2.87; 95% CI, 1.05-7.84), the absence of atrial fibrillation (OR = 0.18; 95% CI, 0.03-0.99), and intravenous thrombolysis administration (OR = 2.75; 95% CI, 1.04-7.04) were associated with 90-day favorable outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

In our series of MR imaging-selected patients with acute basilar artery occlusions, complete reperfusion was the strongest predictor of a good outcome. Lower pretreatment NIHSS, the presence of posterior communicating artery collateral flow, the absence of atrial fibrillation, and intravenous thrombolysis administration were associated with favorable outcome.

Angioedema associated with thrombolysis for ischemic stroke: analysis of a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Bradykinin-mediated angioedema (AE) is a complication associated with thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke. Risk factors are unknown and management is discussed.

OBJECTIVES

To clarify risk factors associated with bradykinin-mediated AE after thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS

In a case-control study conducted at a French reference centre for bradykinin angiœdema, patients with thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke and a diagnosis of bradykinin-mediated angiœdema, were compared to controls treated with thrombolysis treatment without angiœdema.

RESULTS

Fifty-three thrombolysis-related AE were matched to 106 control subjects. The sites of attacks following thrombolysis for ischemic stroke mainly included tongue (34/53, 64%) and lips (26/53, 49%). The upper airways were involved in 37 (70%) cases. Three patients required mechanical ventilation. Patients with bradykinin-mediated angiœdema were more frequently women [33 (62%) vs. 44 (42%); P = 0.01], had higher frequency of prior ischemic stroke [12 (23%) vs. 9 (8%); P = 0.01], hypertension [46 (87%) vs. 70 (66%); P = 0.005], were more frequently treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor [37 (70%) vs. 28 (26%); P < 0.001] and were more frequently hospitalized in intensive care medicine [ICU; 11 (21%) vs. 5 (5%); P = 0.004]. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with thrombolysis-related AE were female sex [odds ratio (OR), 3.04; 95% confident interval (CI), 1.32-7.01; P = 0.009] and treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors [(OR), 6.08; 95% (CI), 2.17-17.07; P < 0.001].

CONCLUSIONS

This case-control study points out angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and female sex as risk factors of bradykinin AE associated with thrombolysis for ischemic stroke.

MACVIA-LR (Fighting Chronic Diseases for Active and Healthy Ageing in Languedoc-Roussillon): A Success Story of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing

The Région Languedoc Roussillon is the umbrella organisation for an interconnected and integrated project on active and healthy ageing (AHA). It covers the 3 pillars of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA): (A) Prevention and health promotion, (B) Care and cure, (C) and (D) Active and independent living of elderly people. All sub-activities (poly-pharmacy, falls prevention initiative, prevention of frailty, chronic respiratory diseases, chronic diseases with multimorbidities, chronic infectious diseases, active and independent living and disability) have been included in MACVIA-LR which has a strong political commitment and involves all stakeholders (public, private, patients, policy makers) including CARSAT-LR and the Eurobiomed cluster. It is a Reference Site of the EIP on AHA. The framework of MACVIA-LR has the vision that the prevention and management of chronic diseases is essential for the promotion of AHA and for the reduction of handicap. The main objectives of MACVIA-LR are: (i) to develop innovative solutions for a network of Living labs in order to reduce avoidable hospitalisations and loss of autonomy while improving quality of life, (ii) to disseminate the innovation. The three years of MACVIA-LR activities are reported in this paper.

Results of a 1-year quality-improvement process to reduce door-to-needle time in acute ischemic stroke with MRI screening

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of a 1-year quality-improvement (QI) process to reduce door-to-needle (DTN) time in a secondary general hospital in which multimodal MRI screening is used before tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administration in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

METHODS

The QI process was initiated in January 2015. Patients who received intravenous (iv) tPA<4.5h after AIS onset between 26 February 2015 to 25 February 2016 (during implementation of the QI process; the "2015 cohort") were identified (n=130), and their demographic and clinical characteristics and timing metrics compared with those of patients treated by iv tPA in 2014 (the "2014 cohort", n=135).

RESULTS

Of the 130 patients in the 2015 cohort, 120 (92.3%) of them were screened by MRI. The median DTN time was significantly reduced by 30% (from 84min in 2014 to 59min; P<0.003), while the proportion of treated patients with a DTN time≤60min increased from 21% to 52% (P<0.0001). Demographic and baseline characteristics did not significantly differ between cohorts, and the improvement in DTN time was associated with better outcomes after discharge (patients with a 0-2 score on the modified rankin scale: 59% in the 2015 cohort vs 42.4% in the 2014 cohort; P<0.01). During the 1-year QI process, the median DTN time decreased by 15% (from 65min in the first trimester to 55min in the last trimester; P≤0.04) with a non-significant 1.5-fold increase in the proportion of treated patients with a DTN time≤60min (from 41% to 62%; P=0.09).

CONCLUSION

It is feasible to deliver tPA to patients with AIS within 60min in a general hospital, using MRI as the routine screening modality, making this QI process to reduce DTN time widely applicable to other secondary general hospitals.

Utilisation du rt-PA intraveineux dans l’ischémie cérébrale en Centre Hospitalier Général : l’expérience de l’Hôpital Saint-Jean de Perpignan

INTRODUCTION

Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) has approval for use despite of its authorization for treatment of ischemic stroke within the 3-hour time window in 2003, is rarely used in community hospital (CH). It therefore remains questionable if the positive results of the key studies conducted in specialized centers may be extended to community hospitals less specialized in the management of stroke.

METHODS

We report the results of an observational cohort study including 39 patients treated with intravenous rt-Pa (according to the NINDS rt-PA stroke trail treatment protocol) at St Jean Hospital (Perpignan, France) between March 1, 2002 and August 31, 2005. Results are compared to those of the treated arm of the NINDS study.

RESULTS

1.2p.cent of ischemic stroke were treated with intravenous rt-Pa. Results are similar to those of the NINDS study: The outcome was favorable (modified Rankin score (mRS) with 0 or 1) for 44p.cent of the patients (as compared to 39p.cent in the NINDS study (X2 = 0.34; p = 0.5)) and there was no significant difference in term of death or outcome as assessed by mRS at 3 months (X2 = 0.09; p = 0.75 and X2 = 0.77; p = 0.75, respectively). No symptomatic hemmorrhagic transformation related to the use of rt-Pa was observed.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that rt-PA therapy for ischemic stroke may be as safe and effective in the setting of a community hospital as it is in specialized centers.

[Emergency neurology consultations in the university hospital setting: contribution of the neurologist to inpatient management]

While outpatient management for chronic neurological diseases is well-established, the impact of inpatient neurological examination in emergency room and university hospital remain largely underestimated. We prospectively studied the role of the neurologist in patient management, in a primary care university hospital. Over a period of 12 months, we prospectively recorded the demographics of patients requiring examination in the emergency room, the initial suspected neurological diagnosis of the emergency room, the final diagnosis of the neurology team, and the patients' outcomes. For each patient, the time between admission, the call and the neurological examination were recorded. Neurological examinations were performed in 2220 patients in whom 75.6 p.100 were performed in the emergency room. These latter patients corresponded to 14 p.100 of all patients admitted in the emergency room. Of examined patients, 52 p.100 were male and mean age was 56.9 +/- 21 years. The time between admission and examination was 32 min. (+/- 36 min), irrespective of the day of the week, and depended on the suspected diagnosis: shorter in stroke and status epilepticus (p<0.05), and longer in loss of consciousness and vertigo (p<0.01). Forty-four percent of the examinations took place in the evening and night. The reasons for examinations were: stroke (28.3 p.100), epilepsy (17.7 p.100), headaches (8.4 p.100), loss of consciousness (7.9 p.100), cognitive dysfunctions (4.1 p.100), neuropathies (4 p.100) and miscellaneous (8.1 p.100). Neurological examinations modified neurological diagnosis and treatment in more than 86 p.100 of the patients. Following neurological examination, 17.2 p.100 of the patients were able to go home, while the rest were admitted to the stroke unit (27.2 p.100), the general neurological unit (27.3 p.100) or in other departments (28.3 p.100), of which intensive care unit (5.3 p.100) or neurosurgery (5.9 p.100). Emergency neurologic examination improves neurological diagnosis and has a positive impact both on treatment and, more globally, in patient management.

Seizures and epilepsy following strokes: recurrence factors

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Though there have been many reports on poststroke seizures, there is still much we do not know about them. Using a large cohort of stroke patients we analyzed the characteristics of the seizure(s) and the rate and factors involved in seizure recurrence.

METHODS

Out of the 3,205 patients admitted for a first-ever stroke to our department between 1984 and 1994, we retrospectively studied the data of all patients with a first-ever seizure and analyzed their evolution. Two types of seizure(s) were defined: 'early-onset' seizures (occurring within the 14 days following the stroke) and 'late-onset' ones (after the 14th day).

RESULTS

159 patients were included in the study, i.e. 4.96%. There were 116 ischemic strokes and 43 primary hematomas. Cortical involvement was found in 87% of the patients. Early-onset seizures occurred in 57 patients and late-onset ones in 102 patients, 76% of which were observed within 2 years. Follow-up was performed in 135 patients with a mean follow-up period of 47 months; 68 of them presented a seizure recurrence. A 2nd seizure occurred more often in the patients with late-onset seizures (p < 0.01); recurrence was either single (24 patients) or multiple (44 patients). Univariate analysis demonstrated 3 factors for multiple recurrences: hemorrhagic component, low Rankin scale after the initial seizure and occipital involvement. Multivariate analysis determined 2 factors: occipital involvement and late onset of the 1st seizure as a predictive model of multiple recurrences.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms that poststroke seizures are frequent and must be divided into 2 types: early-onset (</=14 days) and late-onset seizures. It demonstrates that a significantly lower rate of patients with early-onset seizures develop another seizure, i.e. epilepsy, than do patients with late-onset seizures. Other factors are involved in recurrence suggesting that poststroke epilepsy probably occurs in a chronically injured brain. The problem of treatment remain unanswered.

Status epilepticus in stroke: report on a hospital-based stroke cohort

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate occurrence rate, clinical data, and prognostic factors of status epilepticus (SE) after stroke.

METHODS

From 1984 to 1994, 3,205 patients were admitted to the Department of Neurology at our institution with first-time strokes. A total of 159 of these patients had first-time poststroke seizures. Among these 159 patients, cases of SE were identified and evaluated.

RESULTS

SE was recognized in 31 patients (19%). In 17 patients, SE was the first epileptic symptom (initial SE), and in 4 patients, stroke began with SE (S-SE). In the 14 remaining patients, SE occurred after one or more seizure(s). After a mean follow-up period of 47 months, neurologic deterioration occurred after SE in 15 patients. This deterioration was permanent in two patients. Fifteen patients died; in five patients, death was directly related to SE. Eight of the 17 patients with initial SE and all 14 patients with SE after one or more seizure(s) developed other seizures or SE. S-SE, however, was not a predictive factor for additional seizure(s).

CONCLUSIONS

Status epilepticus is common among patients with poststroke seizures. Although the immediate prognosis of patients with status epilepticus is poor, status epilepticus as the presenting sign did not necessarily predict subsequent epilepsy.