Abstract TP14: Endovascular Thrombectomy May Improve Outcomes in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke and Pre-Morbid Stroke Disability

Background: Whether Endovascular Thrombectomy (EVT) may improve clinical outcomes in patientswith Pre-Stroke disability as compared to medical management only (MM) is unknown.

Methods: A retrospective analyses of anterior circulation LVOs (ICA, MCA M1/M2) with mRS 2-4presenting 0-24 hrs from last-known-well to a single comprehensive stroke center was performed.Patients were stratified based on the treatment received into EVT and MM. The primary outcome was90-day mRS. Safety (sICH and mortality) was a secondary outcome. Ordinal analysis compared the twogroup for a shift towards less severe disability with EVT and identified variables independentlycorrelated with better and worse outcomes in both EVT and MM.

Results: From Jan 2012 - Aug 2019, 101 patients were identified (EVT=42, MM=59). Baselinecharacteristics were similar in the two groups. EVT resulted in higher rates of mRS 2 and 3 (15% vs 4%,P=0.064) and a shift towards better outcomes (adj cOR 1.142; 95% CI1.050-1.369, p=0.039) as comparedto MM only (Figure 1). There was no significant difference in the composite outcome of sICH andmortality (aOR=0.47, 95% CI 0.307 - 1.810, p=0.167). Higher ASPECTS was associated with betteroutcomes in EVT (adj cOR 1.312 for each point, 95%CI 1.021 - 3.859, p-0.027) while higher NIHSS (adjcOR 0.886 for each point increment in NIHSS, 95%CI 0.793-0.951, p-0.034), left hemispheric strokes (adjcOR 1.615; CI 1.24 - 4.5; p = 0.04) independently correlated with worse outcomes in MM.

Conclusions: EVT may result in better outcomes and avoid worsening disability in patients with Prestrokeimpairment without increasing safety concerns. Those with more severe and left hemisphericstrokes were more likely to have devastating outcomes if not treated with EVT.

Assessment of the Relationship between Body Mass Index and Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism in Hospitalized Overweight and Obese Patients

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To assess whether a positive linear association exists between body mass index (BMI) and incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in overweight and obese hospitalized patients.

DESIGN

Single-center retrospective observational cohort study.

SETTING

Large academic tertiary care medical center.

PATIENTS

A total of 1452 adults hospitalized between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014, who weighed more than 100 kg and had a BMI of 25 kg/m² or greater on admission, and received heparin subcutaneously for VTE prophylaxis. Patients were categorized into four subgroups based on World Health Organization BMI classification: overweight (141 patients), obese class I (305 patients), obese class II (324 patients), and obese class III (682 patients).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The primary outcome was occurrence of VTE in each subgroup; all-cause mortality and length of hospital stay were secondary outcomes. A linear trend test did not show an association between occurrence of VTE and BMI of 25 kg/m² or greater. VTE occurred in 7 (5%) of 141 patients in the overweight group, 5 (2%) of 305 in the obese class I group, 8 (3%) of 324 in the class II group, and 18 (3%) of 682 in the class III group (p=0.573). In addition, no linear association was noted between all-cause mortality or length of hospital stay and BMI of 25 kg/m² or greater. Overall mortality was 10% (146/1452 patients). Ten deaths (7%) occurred in the overweight group, 45 (15%) in the obese class I group, 38 (12%) in the obese class II group, and 53 (8%) in the obese class III group (p=0.067). The median length of hospital stay was 5 days (interquartile range 3-9, p=0.122) for all patients.

CONCLUSION

In overweight and obese hospitalized patients who weighed more than 100 kg and had a BMI of 25 kg/m² or greater, the incidence of VTE did not increase incrementally with increasing severity of obesity.

Impact of practice change in reducing venous thromboembolism in neurocritical overweight patients: 2008-2014

Publications regarding early initiating venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis have been available since the early 1990s. These recommendations became available in current guidelines on and after 2012. The purpose of this study is to review the practice change in reducing the incidence of VTE in brain injury patients from 2008 to 2014. This was a single-center, retrospective, observational, cohort study. Data was extracted from our data base that included patients over 100 kg from January 2008 to August 2014. Included were all patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of acute brain and spinal injury to neurocritical care unit. Clinical endpoints examined were incidence of bleeding and VTE. A total of 509 patients who met the inclusion criteria were divided into two groups: The previous group (n = 212) included patients from 2008 to 2010, and the recent group (n = 297) included patients from 2011 to 2014. The time for initiating VTE prophylaxis from admission was (median, IQR) 73 h (37-140) vs. 34 h (20-46); p < 0.01. There were no differences in major and minor bleeding complications. Discontinuation of VTE prophylaxis for association with progressive bleeding was not documented in any of the study patients. The incidence of VTE was 10 % (22/212) vs. 5 % (15/297); p = 0.02. In hospital LOS in days was 16 (10-26) vs. 7 (4-15); P < 0.01. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, only the time of the initiation VTE prophylaxis after admission was significantly associated with the occurrence of VTE (median, IQR) 70 h (37-158) vs. 36 h (20-63); OR 1.004, 95 % CI 1.001-1.007; P < 0.01. In this 6-year review of data, early initiation of VTE prophylaxis has decreased the incidence of VTE without clinically documented bleeding complications.

Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke With Occlusion of the Middle Cerebral Artery M2 Segment

IMPORTANCE

Randomized clinical trials have shown the superiority of endovascular therapy (EVT) compared with best medical management for acute ischemic strokes with large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the anterior circulation. However, of 1287 patients enrolled in 5 trials, 94 with isolated second (M2) segment occlusions were randomized and 51 of these received EVT, thereby limiting evidence for treating isolated M2 segment occlusions as reflected in American Heart Association guidelines.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate EVT safety and effectiveness in M2 occlusions in a cohort of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This multicenter retrospective cohort study pooled patients with acute ischemic strokes and LVO isolated to M2 segments from 10 US centers. Patients with acute ischemic strokes and LVO in M2 segments presenting within 8 hours from their last known normal clinical status (LKN) from January 1, 2012, to April 30, 2015, were divided based on their treatment into EVT and medical management groups. Logistic regression was used to compare the 2 groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluated associations with good outcome in the EVT group.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was the 90-day modified Rankin Scale score (range, 0-6; scores of 0-2 indicate a good outcome); the secondary outcome was symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage.

RESULTS

A total of 522 patients (256 men [49%]; 266 women [51%]; mean [SD] age, 68 [14.3] years) were identified, of whom 288 received EVT and 234 received best medical management. Patients in the medical management group were older (median [interquartile range] age, 73 [60-81] vs 68 [56-78] years) and had higher rates of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator treatment (174 [74.4%] vs 172 [59.7%]); otherwise the 2 groups were balanced. The rate of good outcomes was higher for EVT (181 [62.8%]) than for medical management (83 [35.4%]). The EVT group had 3 times the odds of a good outcome as the medical management group (odds ratio [OR], 3.1; 95% CI, 2.1-4.4; P < .001) even after adjustment for age, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomographic Score (ASPECTS), intravenous tissue plasminogen activator treatment, and time from LKN to arrival in the emergency department (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 2-5.2; P < .001). No statistical difference in symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was found (5.6% vs 2.1% for the EVT group vs the medical management group; P = .10). The treatment effect did not change after adjusting for center (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.9-5.8; P < .001). Age, NIHSS score, ASPECTS, time from LKN to reperfusion, and successful reperfusion score of at least 2b (range, 0 [no perfusion] to 3 [full perfusion with filling of all distal branches]) were independently associated with good outcome of EVT. A linear association was found between good outcome and time from LKN to reperfusion.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Although a randomized clinical trial is needed to confirm these findings, available data suggest that EVT is reasonable, safe, and effective for LVO of the M2 segment relative to best medical management.

Abstract 202: Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke With Distal Large Vessel Occlusion in the Anterior Circulation

Introduction: Five RCTs demonstrated the superiority of endovascular therapy (EVT) over best medical management (MM) for acute ischemic strokes (AIS) with large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the anterior circulation. Patients with M2 occlusions, however, were underrepresented (95 randomized; 51 EVT treated). Evidence from RCTs of the benefit of EVT for M2 occlusions is lacking, as reflected in the recent AHA guidelines.

Methods: A retrospective cohort was pooled from 10 academic centers from 1/12 to 4/15 of AIS patients with LVO isolated to M2 presenting within 8 hours from last known normal (LKN). Patients were divided into EVT and MM groups. Primary outcome was 90 day mRS (good outcome 0-2); secondary outcome was sICH. Logistic regression compared the 2 groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluated predictors of good outcome in the EVT group.

Results: Figure 1 shows participating centers, 522 patients (288 EVT and 234 MM) were identified. Table (1) shows baseline characteristics. MM treated patients were older and had higher IV tPA treatment rates, otherwise the 2 groups were balanced. 62.7 % EVT patients had mRS 0-2 at 90 days compared to 35.4 % MM (figure 2). EVT patients had 3 times the odds of good outcome as compared to MM patients (OR: 3.1, 95% CI:2.1-4.4, P <0.001) even after adjustment for age, NIHSS, ASPECTS, IV tPA and LKN to door time (OR: 3.2, 95%CI: 2-5.2, P<0.001). sICH rate was 5.6 %, which was not statistically different than the MM group (table 1, P=0.1). Age, NIHSS, good ASPECTS, LKN to reperfusion time and successful reperfusion mTICI ≥ 2b were independent predictors of good outcome in EVT patients. There was a linear relationship between good outcome and time LKN to reperfusion (Figure 3).

Conclusion: Despite inherent limitations of its retrospective design, our study suggests that EVT may be effective and safe for distal LVO (M2) relative to best MM. A trial randomizing M2 occlusions to EVT vs. MM is warranted to confirm these findings.

Abstract T MP117: Early Cognitive Dysfunction is Associated With Poor Short Term Functional Outcome in Hospitalized Stroke Patients

Introduction: More than one-half of all patients experience cognitive dysfunction (CD) after stroke, and up to one-third develop dementia. As a Comprehensive Stroke Center, we screen all stroke inpatients for CD, though the feasibility and utility of early screening have not been established. We assessed the hypotheses that early cognitive screening in hospitalized stroke patients is feasible and that early CD is associated with poor short term functional outcome.

Methods: The medical records of all patients admitted with ischemic stroke (IS) or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) between 2/1/13 and 4/15/13 were reviewed. A Brief Neurocognitive Screening Test assessing registration, delayed recall, fluency, and orientation was performed (4 items from the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, higher score better; maximum 12 points). Patients were eligible if they did not have a medical condition precluding screening (e.g. death, comfort care).

Results: Of 303 IS and ICH inpatients, 209 (68.98%) were screened for CD. Over 85% of all eligible patients were screened (87.1% IS and 81.1% ICH). In a multivariate logistic regression model, factors associated with being screened for CD included lower baseline NIHSS (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.88-0.94) and IS subtype, as compared to ICH subtype (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.1-3.52). Median scores (IQR) for IS and ICH patients were 8 (3-10) and 5.5 (1.5-9.5), respectively. More than half of all IS and ICH patients (56.94%) screened positive for CD (score < 9). Patients most likely to screen positive for CD included those of older age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06) and increased NIHSS (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.08-1.19). Screening positive for CD was associated with poor discharge/day 7 outcome (mRS > 3), independent of age, baseline NIHSS, and stroke subtype (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.06-5.28).

Conclusion: Screening hospitalized stroke patients for CD is feasible and CD in stroke inpatients is common. Older patients and those with more severe strokes are more likely to screen positive. Early CD is associated with poor short term functional outcome. Our results provide preliminary evidence supporting the use of early CD screening in stroke patients. Additional studies on quality of life and long-term outcome are necessary to further assess the utility of early CD screening.