No space left for intravenous thrombolysis in acute stroke: CONS

Recent successful clinical trials of endovascular thrombectomy for large artery ischaemic stroke have established the value of this treatment modality as an adjunct to intravenous thrombolysis, not as an alternative: thrombectomy delivery was undertaken in the context of highly efficient networks for acute thrombolysis delivery and the great majority of patients received IV thrombolytic drug treatment. Even for the minority of acute stroke patients for whom thrombectomy is potentially relevant, access will be limited by geography and service infrastructure. Developments in intravenous thrombolysis in the near future will likely produce safer and more effective intravenous treatments. Intravenous thrombolysis will remain the first line of treatment for the great majority of acute stroke patients.     

机械取栓装置在缺血性卒中患者治疗中的应用

目前,在发病4．5h内进行静脉溶栓仍然是治疗急性缺血性卒中患者的最有效方法。对于不符合静脉溶栓治疗标准、静脉溶栓后症状无明显改善甚至恶化的患者,血管内介入治疗是一种安全的替代治疗方法。经动脉机械取栓装置能实现迅速和完全的血管再通,为急性缺血性卒中患者提供了更多的治疗选择。文章对近年来机械取栓装置相关的技术演变和临床试验进行了综述。     

Nouveautés dans la prise en charge de l’infarctus cérébral en 2014 : ce que le cardiologue doit savoir

Introduction

Interventional cardiology procedures are regularly exposed to ischemic neurological complications. IV fibrinolysis is the only approved treatment in ischemic stroke but is very often contraindicated in these situations. Many techniques of interventional neuroradiology (mechanical thrombectomy) have been developed over the past years and are used to treat these patients.

Observation

We report the case of two patients who were admitted in emergency for ischemic stroke with contraindication to IV fibrinolysis (cardioversion for atrial fibrillation under anticoagulation; 24 hours after carotid surgery). These patients were treated by endovascular thrombectomy procedure.

Discussion

After validation of IV fibrinolysis within 4.5 hours after stroke onset, techniques of mechanical thrombectomy have gradually been developed, either as a complementary treatment or as an alternative in the case of CI to fibrinolysis. These endovascular thrombectomy devices currently allow recanalization of proximal cerebral occlusions, which correlates with a favorable clinical prognosis. A review of the literature is provided, along with a discussion about the techniques currently being improved, their advantages and disadvantages and the selection of patients that can benefit from endovascular procedures.

Conclusion

In the case of a sudden occurrence of a neurological deficit during a cardiovascular procedure, a “thrombolysis alert” should be triggered. This will permit the rapid establishment of a clinico-radiological report for selecting stroke patients eligible for a procedure of recanalization by thrombolysis and/or mechanical thrombectomy.     

Fibrinolytic therapy in acute stroke

Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its treatment has completely changed over the past decade with different interventional approaches, such as intravenous trials, intra-arterial trials, combined intravenous/intra-arterial trials, and newer devices to mechanically remove the clot from intracranial arteries. Intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plaminogen activator (tPA) within 4.5 hours of symptoms onset significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Pharmacological intra-arterial thrombolysis has been shown effective until 6 hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion and offers a higher rate of recanalization compared with intravenous thrombolysis, whereas combined intravenous/ intra-arterial thrombolysis seems to be as safe as isolated intravenous thrombolysis. The more recent advances in reperfusion therapies have been done in mechanical embolus disruption or removal. Merci Retriever and Penumbra System have been approved for clot removal in brain arteries, but not as a therapeutic modality for acute ischemic stroke since it is no clear whether mechanical thrombectomy improves clinical outcome in acute stroke. However, mechanical devices are being used in clinical practice for patients who are ineligible for tPA or who have failed to respond to intravenous tPA. We summarize the results of the major thrombolytic trials and the latest neurointerventional approaches to ischemic stroke.     

Acute Stroke Intervention

Ischemic strokes will make up most (>80%) of the three-quarters of a million strokes that will occur in Americans this year. Reperfusion therapy is the fundamental strategy for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Reperfusion therapy may be accomplished noninvasively (intravenous thrombolysis) or invasively with catheter-based treatments (intra-arterial thrombolysis, thrombectomy, or angioplasty). Currently, a large majority of patients with acute ischemic stroke do not receive any form of reperfusion therapy owing to their delayed presentation (>3 hours) and lack of skilled man power for on-demand endovascular treatment. Paradoxically, improved success rates for reperfusion have been reported with the newer thrombectomy catheters, called “stentreivers.” An option for broadening access for patients who need endovascular therapy would be to use interventional cardiologists with carotid stent experience who can help to provide 24×7×365 coverage.     

Acute myocardial infarction and acute stroke: What are the differences? Focus on reperfusion therapy

This review compares acute myocardial infarction and acute stroke— their similarities and differences. The focus is given on reperfusion therapy: pharmacologic, mechanical or combined. The key trials and metaanalyses are described.The published data on iv. thrombolysis show, that even among a subgroup of patients treated within 90 min from stroke onset the trend to lower mortality is not significant and in all other subgroups (i.e. treated after >90 min) there is a trend towards increased mortality with thrombolytic treatment.The data on combined therapy demonstrate, that there is no benefit from facilitated intervention (iv. thrombolysis followed by ia. thrombolysis ± catheter intervention) over iv. thrombolysis alone in acute stroke. This is very similar to the situation in acute myocardial infarction 25 years ago (intracoronary thrombolysis was not superior to intravenous thrombolysis) or more recently (facilitated PCI was not shown to be superior in several trials).The latest generation of stent retrievers is able to recanalize >70% of occluded intracranial arteries—approximately twice more compared to thrombolysis. However, it is not yet known whether this translates to better clinical outcomes. The sufficient data on clinical outcomes after primary catheter-based thrombectomy (without thrombolysis) are still missing and trials comparing iv. thrombolysis versus primary catheter-based thrombectomy are urgently needed.The future trials in acute stroke may follow the way paved by acute myocardial infarction trials. If such trials would demonstrate superiority of catheter-based thrombectomy, we can face in future similar revolution in acute stroke treatment as we have been facing in acute MI treatment in the past years.     

No space left for intravenous thrombolysis in acute stroke: PROS

Five recently published RCTs (MR CLEAN, EXTEND-IA, SWIFT PRIME, REVASCAT and ESCAPE) employing mechanical thrombectomy with modern stent retriever devices clearly demonstrated the superiority of endovascular treatment compared to thrombolysis alone, which is now considered standard first-line therapy for selected patients with acute severe ischemic stroke and large vessel in the anterior circulation. RCT results led to recommendations outlined in “Mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke by ESO-Karolinska Stroke Update 2014/2015, supported by ESO, ESMINT, ESNR and EAN”. Moreover, endovascular procedures in the 5 RCTs to date were performed at high-volume referral centers with, in some trials, rigid requirements for the interventionalist to participate, which may have contributed substantially to the excellent results, supporting the concept of centralization of intra-arterial thrombolysis resources and expertise. Therefore, patients with suspected large-artery occlusion and deemed candidates for thrombectomy, should be treated at a Comprehensive Stroke Centre with 24/7 endovascular treatment services. There seems to be limited space left for intravenous thrombolysis alone in acute stroke patients with large-vessel occlusions as thrombectomy plus thrombolysis continues to be reported as being superior with regard to outcome.     

急性缺血性卒中再灌注治疗后血管再闭塞

急性缺血性卒中是最常见的卒中类型,在发病4.5 h内进行静脉溶栓仍是目前最有效的治疗方法.其他再灌注治疗,如血管内血栓切除术也显示出其安全性和有效性.然而,部分接受再灌注治疗的患者会出现血管再闭塞,且与转归不良相关.文章对再灌注后血管再闭塞的发生机制和可能防治措施进行了综述.     

伴心房颤动的急性缺血性卒中的治疗

心房颤动是缺血性卒中的一种重要病因.研究表明,与无心房颤动者相比,伴有心房颤动的卒中患者会出现更严重的神经功能缺损和更高的病死率.此外,心房颤动还是静脉溶栓后血管未能再通的独立危险因素,与转归不良相关.机械取栓治疗为伴有心房颤动的急性缺血性卒中患者提供了新的治疗方案.文章就合并心房颤动的急性缺血性卒中患者的静脉溶栓和机械取栓治疗进行了综述.     

Reperfusion Therapies for Acute Ischemic Stroke: An Update

Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) within 4.5 hours of symptoms onset significantly improves clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. This narrow window for treatment leads to a small proportion of eligible patients to be treated. Intravenous or intra-arterial trials, combined intravenous/intra-arterial trials, and newer devices to mechanically remove the clot from intracranial arteries have been investigated or are currently being explored to increase patient eligibility and to improve arterial recanalization and clinical outcome. New retrievable stent-based devices offer higher revascularization rates with shorter time to recanalization and are now generally preferred to first generation thrombectomy devices such as Merci Retriever or Penumbra System. These devices have been shown to be effective for opening up occluded vessels in the brain but its efficacy for improving outcomes in patients with acute stroke has not yet been demonstrated in a randomized clinical trial. We summarize the results of the major systemic thrombolytic trials and the latest trials employing different endovascular approaches to ischemic stroke.     

Efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy for cardioembolic stroke: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Several randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficiency of mechanical thrombectomy in the management of acute ischaemic stroke caused by larger vessel occlusion. According to the trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification, acute ischaemic stroke can be divided into cardioembolic stroke and non-cardioembolic stroke. Previous studies have shown that mechanical thrombectomy in cardioembolic stroke with intracranial large artery occlusion has a poor prognosis. The reason may be that the old emboli are hard, making it difficult to remove. However, recent evidence shows that mechanical thrombectomy is also effective and safe in patients with cardioembolic stroke. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy for cardioembolic stroke.Methods:The electronic database, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), VIP database, and Wan-fang database, were thoroughly retrieved from inception to December 1, 2021, without language restrictions. All randomized controlled trials that evaluated the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy in the treatment of cardioembolic stroke will be included. Primary outcomes will include vascular recanalization rate and score scale. Two authors will independently scan the articles searched, extract the data from articles included, and assess the risk of bias by Cochrane tool of risk of bias. Disagreements will be resolved by discussion among authors. All analysis will be performed based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Dichotomous variables will be reported as risk ratio or odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals and continuous variables will be summarized as mean difference or standard mean difference with 95% confidence intervals.Results:This review will be to assess the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy for cardioembolic stroke.Conclusions:The results of our findings may be helpful for clinicians and health professionals to re-examine the clinical decision-making in the treatment of cardioembolic stroke, promising way for treatment of patients with cardioembolic stroke.Systematic review registration number:INPLASY2020120035     

前循环卒中血管内血栓切除术治疗：随机对照试验的汇总分析

目的：评价前循环卒中患者血管内血栓切除术治疗的有效性和安全性。方法检索PubMed、EMBASE、Cochrane、Clinical Trials 数据库和相关补充资料,纳入在前循环卒中患者中比较静脉溶栓治疗与血管内血栓切除术治疗的随机临床对照试验,进行偏倚风险评价,提取研究基本特征和90 d时转归良好(定义为改良 Rankin 量表评分0~2分)、死亡以及有症状颅内出血(symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, sICH)等数据,应用 Review Manager 5．3软件进行统计学分析。结果共纳入10项研究,其中血管内治疗组共1557例患者,静脉溶栓治疗组共1359例患者。纳入研究的质量整体较高,产生偏倚的风险较低。血管内治疗组转归良好率显著高于静脉溶栓对照组[优势比(odds ratio, OR)2．15,95%可信区间(confidence interval, CI)1．34~3．46;P <0．01],90 d死亡风险与静脉溶栓治疗组无显性差异(OR 0．86,95% CI 0．69~1．06;P =0．16),但 sICH 风险增高存在临界性统计学意义(OR 1．35,95% CI 1．00~1．84;P =0．05)。结论前循环卒中患者行血管内血栓切除术治疗的有效性显著优于静脉溶栓治疗,但在安全性方面仍需进一步评价。     

Periprocedural antithrombotic medication in acute ischemic stroke treated by catheter-based thrombectomy. A review

This review summarized limited information known about periprocedural antithrombotic therapy before, during and immediately after percutaneous catheter-based thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. Very few data on this topic were published so far. In general, rtPA should be used upfront whenever clinically clearly indicated (0–3 h from stroke onset, absence of contraindications) irrespective of subsequent mechanical thrombectomy. If mechanical treatment follows after thrombolysis, neither anticoagulation, nor antiplatelet agents should be used in the acute phase. No data exist about the periprocedural use of anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy in patients who cannot receive fibrinolysis and undergo direct mechanical thrombectomy alone. Most centers use no or very low dose heparin and a single dose of aspirin.     

Effect of thrombolysis in a mobile stroke unit versus in hospital for patients with ischemic stroke: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Introduction:Ischemic stroke caused by arterial occlusion is the cause of most strokes. The focus of treatment is rapid reperfusion through intravenous thrombolysis and intravascular thrombectomy. Two acute stroke management including prehospital thrombolysis and in hospital have been widely used clinically to treat ischemic stroke with satisfied efficacy. However, there is no systematic review comparing the effectiveness of these 2 therapies. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of prehospital thrombolysis versus in hospital for patients with ischemic stroke.Methods and analysis:The following electronic databases will be searched: Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), Wanfang Database, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database.The randomized controlled trials of prehospital thrombolysis versus in hospital for ischemic stroke will be searched in the databases from their inception to December 2020 by 2 researchers independently. Onset to therapy (OTT) duration and National Institute Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores will be assessed as the primary outcomes; safety assessment including intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and mortality will be assessed as the secondary outcomes. The Review Manager 5.3 will be used for meta-analysis and the evidence level will be assessed by using the method for Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and evaluation Continuous outcomes will be presented as the weighted mean difference or standardized mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI), whereas dichotomous data will be expressed as relative risk with 95% CI. If heterogeneity existed (P < .05), the random effect model was used. Otherwise, we will use the fixed effect model for calculation.Ethics and dissemination:Ethical approval is not required because no primary data are collected. This review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration number:CRD42020200708     

静脉溶栓桥接治疗急性缺血性卒中

静脉溶栓是治疗急性缺血性卒中的首选方法,但在大血管闭塞性卒中患者中的血管再通率较低.以血管内机械血栓切除术为代表的血管内治疗能有效使缺血性卒中患者闭塞血管再通和改善转归.文章对静脉溶栓桥接治疗的现状和发展方向进行了综述.     

Treatment of acute stroke: an update

Stroke is the second leading cause of global mortality after coronary heart disease, and a major cause of neurological disability. About 17 million strokes occur worldwide each year. Patients with stroke often require long‐term rehabilitation following the acute phase, with ongoing support from the community and nursing home care. Thus, stroke is a devastating disease and a major economic burden on society. In this overview, we discuss current strategies for specific treatment of stroke in the acute phase, focusing on intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy. We will consider two important issues related to intravenous thrombolysis treatments: (i) how to shorten the delay between stroke onset and treatment and (ii) how to reduce the risk of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage. Intravenous thrombolysis has been approved treatment for acute ischaemic stroke in most countries for more than 10 years, with rapid development towards new treatment strategies during that time. Mechanical thrombectomy using a new generation of endovascular tools, stent retrievers, is found to improve functional outcome in combination with pharmacological thrombolysis when indicated. There is an urgent need to increase public awareness of how to recognize a stroke and seek immediate attention from the healthcare system, as well as shorten delays in prehospital and within‐hospital settings.     

Catheter‐based therapy for acute ischemic stroke: A national unmet need

Early reperfusion therapy for acute stroke, similar to acute myocardial infarction, has the best opportunity to reduce morbidity and mortality. Treatment options include intravenous (IV) thrombolysis therapy and/or catheter‐based therapy (CBT). Catheter‐based therapies include local intra‐arterial thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy, and angioplasty techniques. Intravenous thrombolysis is limited to the first three hours after symptom onset, which excludes many patients with disabling stroke deficits. Catheter‐based therapy is effective up to seven hours after onset, but availability is limited by the lack of neurointerventionalists available around the clock to provide this care. To increase the number of providers for acute stroke reperfusion therapy, we have formed a multidisciplinary team to take advantage of cardiologists' carotid stent placement experience to provide continuous coverage for emergency reperfusion therapy. We present two cases of acute stroke treated with CBT by interventional cardiologists. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Controversies about tissue plasminogen activator: Extending the window of therapy

The management of stroke has undergone significant development over the past 15 years. Perhaps the single most important landmark has been the approval by the Food and Drug Administration of intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) for the treatment of ischemic stroke. However, the approval of this drug has not met with unanimous support by the medical community and, at present, only a minority of stroke patients receive t-PA. Although this is partly due to the fact that many patients do not meet criteria for treatment with IV t-PA, others simply do not arrive at medical facilities sufficiently early to be safely managed using thrombolysis. The appropriate use of IV t-PA in the treatment of ischemic stroke requires proper selection of patients and strict adherence to clinical protocols of treatment. The ideal stroke patient for treatment with IV t-PA is one who suffers occlusion of a small artery that leads to a disabling deficit.     

Rheolytic thrombectomy in patients with massive pulmonary embolism: A report of two cases and review of literature

We present two cases of massive pulmonary embolism with persistent systolic hypotension but both have contraindications for thrombolysis. Therefore, rheolytic thrombectomy using AngioJet was performed and immediate haemodynamic improvement was achieved including blood pressure and symptoms. According to guidelines, catheter embolectomy or fragmentation may be considered as alternative to surgical treatment in massive pulmonary embolism patients when thrombolysis is absolutely contraindicated or has failed. Percutaneous catheter-based interventional techniques include thrombus fragmentation, rheolytic thrombectomy, suction thrombectomy and rotational thrombectomy. With the existing literature review and our case, rheolytic thrombectomy for treatment of massive pulmonary embolism using AngioJet achieves a high procedural success rate (approximately 90%) n terms of improvement of haemodynamics, pulmonary perfusion and angiographic result but low complication rate.     

Rheolytic thrombectomy in patients with massive pulmonary embolism: A report of two cases and review of literature

We present two cases of massive pulmonary embolism with persistent systolic hypotension but both have contraindications for thrombolysis. Therefore, rheolytic thrombectomy using AngioJet was performed and immediate haemodynamic improvement was achieved including blood pressure and symptoms. According to guidelines, catheter embolectomy or fragmentation may be considered as alternative to surgical treatment in massive pulmonary embolism patients when thrombolysis is absolutely contraindicated or has failed. Percutaneous catheter-based interventional techniques include thrombus fragmentation, rheolytic thrombectomy, suction thrombectomy and rotational thrombectomy. With the existing literature review and our case, rheolytic thrombectomy for treatment of massive pulmonary embolism using AngioJet achieves a high procedural success rate (approximately 90%) n terms of improvement of haemodynamics, pulmonary perfusion and angiographic result but low complication rate.