Asma M. Moheet

Accuracy of Neurovascular Fellows' Prognostication of Outcome After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose— The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy and optimal timing of physician prognostication in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, a prototypical neurological disease characterized by variable outcomes and frequent disability. Methods— From October 2009 to April 2010, treating neurologists at a tertiary care academic medical center made daily predictions of the modified Rankin Scale at 6 months for consecutive patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Actual functional outcomes at 6 months were determined by phone interview and dichotomized into good (modified Rankin Scale 0–2) and poor (modified Rankin Scale 3–6) outcomes. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the accuracy of prognostications. Multiple logistic regression and generalized estimating equations were used to assess changes in prognostication accuracy over time and the relationship between prognostication accuracy and clinical factors. Results— Physicians made 648 prognostications for 66 patients. Overall accuracy ranged from 78% to 88%. Among patients predicted to have a good outcome, 81% (95% CI, 71%–92%) actually had a good outcome, whereas 88% (95% CI, 77%–99%) of patients predicted to do poorly had poor outcomes. No significant trends were seen in prognostication accuracy over time during the hospital course (P=0.72). Increasing age, infection, mechanical ventilation, hydrocephalus, and seizures all significantly worsened physician accuracy. Conclusions— Neurologists were generally but not perfectly accurate in their prognostications of functional outcomes. The accuracy of prognoses did not correlate with the hospital day on which they were made but was affected by clinical factors that can cloud the neurological examination.

Optimizing Outcomes for Mechanically Ventilated Patients in an Era of Endovascular Acute Ischemic Stroke Therapy

Endovascular mechanical thrombectomy is a new standard of care for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The majority of these patients receive mechanical ventilation (MV), which has been associated with poor outcomes. The implication of this is significant, as most neurointerventionalists prefer general compared to local anesthesia during the procedure. Consequences of hemodynamic and respiratory perturbations during general anesthesia and MV are thought to contribute significantly to the poor outcomes that are encountered. In this review, we first describe the unique risks associated with MV in the specific context of AIS and then discuss evidence of brain goal-directed approaches that may mitigate these risks. These strategies include an individualized approach to hemodynamic parameters (eg, adherence to a minimum blood pressure goal and adequate volume resuscitation), respiratory parameters (eg, arterial carbon dioxide optimization), and the use of ventilator settings that optimize neurological outcomes (eg, arterial oxygen optimization).

Intracerebral Hemorrhagic Expansion Occurs in Patients Using Non–Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants Comparable with Patients Using Warfarin

BACKGROUND Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) use has significantly reduced intracerebral hemorrhagic (ICH) risk compared with standard anticoagulant treatment. Hematoma expansion (HE) is a known predictor of mortality in warfarin-associated ICH. Little is known about HE in patients using NOACs. METHODS We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with ICH admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from October 2010 to June 2016. We identified patients with concomitant administration of an oral anticoagulant and collected data including evidence of HE on imaging and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at discharge. We defined HE as relative (≥33% increase) or absolute expansion (≥12 mL). We compared outcomes of patients with and without HE. RESULTS Out of 814 patients with ICH who were admitted, we identified 9 patients with recent NOAC use and 18 intentionally matched controls on warfarin. We found no significant differences in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale or ICH score on presentation (median [interquartile range] 15 [5,21] versus 7 [1.25,19.5] [P = .41] and 2 [1,4] versus 1 [1,3] [P = .33]) between patients on NOACs and those on warfarin. Four out of the 9 patients on NOAC and 5 of the 18 patients on warfarin demonstrated HE, with no significant difference (P = .42). There were no significant differences in mRS on discharge between groups (P = .52). CONCLUSIONS In our coagulopathic NOAC patient population, HE occurs within 6 hours in 44% of patients. This case series did not have sufficient statistical power to detect significant differences between the groups. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest case series reporting on HE with concomitant NOAC use.

Early and Severe Symptomatic Cerebral Vasospasm After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND Symptomatic cerebral vasospasm has been reported in a low percentage of patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) as defined by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. We present a case of mild TBI (GCS score 14) complicated by early and severe symptomatic cerebral vasospasm. CASE DESCRIPTION A 63-year-old woman was admitted following mild TBI with a GCS score of 14. Concurrent with the onset of sonographic vasospasm, the patient developed severe neurologic symptoms consistent with ischemia of the left middle cerebral artery territory. Confounding causes of these symptoms were excluded. Each occurrence of these symptoms resolved with intra-arterial calcium channel blocker therapy. CONCLUSIONS Early and severe symptomatic vasospasm may occur as a complication of mild TBI. GCS score alone may be an inadequate risk predictor of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm. Aggressive interventional management may be justified, such as with intra-arterial calcium channel blockers, to optimize the likelihood of a favorable outcome.

Standards for Neurologic Critical Care Units: A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from The Neurocritical Care Society

Neurocritical care is a distinct subspecialty focusing on the optimal management of acutely ill patients with life-threatening neurologic and neurosurgical disease or with life-threatening neurologic manifestations of systemic disease. Care by expert healthcare providers to optimize neurologic recovery is necessary. Given the lack of an organizational framework and criteria for the development and maintenance of neurological critical care units (NCCUs), this document is put forth by the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS). Recommended organizational structure, personnel and processes necessary to develop a successful neurocritical care program are outlined. Methods: Under the direction of NCS Executive Leadership, a multidisciplinary writing group of NCS members was formed. After an iterative process, a framework was proposed and approved by members of the writing group. A draft was then written, which was reviewed by the NCS Quality Committee and NCS Guidelines Committee, members at large, and posted for public comment. Feedback was formally collated, reviewed and incorporated into the final document which was subsequently approved by the NCS Board of Directors.

Neurological Prognostication of Cardiac Arrest in an Era of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

A neuron-specific enolase level greater than 33 ng/mL at days 1 to 3 or status myoclonus within 1 day are traditional indicators of poor neurological prognosis in survivors of cardiac arrest. We report the case of a 70-year-old man who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation following cardiac arrest. Despite having both an elevated neuron-specific enolase concentration of 68 ng/mL and status myoclonus, he made an excellent neurological recovery. The value of traditional markers of poor prognosis such as elevated neuron-specific enolase or status myoclonus has not been systematically validated in patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or therapeutic hypothermia. Straightforward application of practice guidelines in these cases may result in tragic outcomes. This case underscores the need for reliable prognostic markers that account for recent advances in cardiopulmonary and neurological therapies.

Treatment Modality and Quality Benchmarks of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage at a Comprehensive Stroke Center

Background Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is the most severe type of stroke. In 2012, the Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA), launched the Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSCs). This new level of certification was designed to promote higher standard of care for patients with complex stroke. Objective The goal of this study was to examine the treatment modality and quality benchmarks of aSAH at one of the first five certified CSCs in the United States. Methods Consecutive patients with aSAH at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center between April 1, 2012 and May 30, 2014 were included for this retrospective study. The ruptured aneurysm was treated with coiling or clipping within 24 h. All patients were managed per AHA guidelines. Discharge outcomes were assessed using modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The rate of aneurysm treatment, door-to-treatment time, rate of posttreatment rebleed, hospital length of stay (LOS), discharge outcome, and mortality rates were evaluated as quality indicators. Results The median age (interquartile range) of the 118 patients with aSAH was 55 (19). Among them, 84 (71.2%) were females, 94 (79.7%) were transfers from outside hospitals, and 74 (62.7%) had Hunt and Hess grades 1–3. Sixty patients (50.8%) were treated with coiling, 52 (44.1%) with clipping, and 6 (5.1%) untreated due to ictal cardiac arrest or severe comorbidities. The rate of aneurysm treatment was 95% (112/118) with median door-to-treatment time at 12.5 (8.5) h and 0.9% (1/112) posttreatment rebleed. The median ICU and hospital LOS were 12.5 (7) and 17.0 (14.5) days, respectively. Coiling was associated with significantly shorter LOS than clipping. There were 59 patients (50%) with favorable outcome and 19 deaths (16.1%) at hospital discharge. There was no significant difference in discharge outcome between coiling and clipping. Conclusion Care of aSAH at one of the early CSCs in the United States was associated with high rate of aneurysm treatment, fast door-to-treatment time, low posttreatment rebleed, excellent outcome, and low mortality rate. Coiling was associated with significant shorter LOS than clipping. There was no significant difference in discharge outcomes between treatment modalities.

Systematic Quality Assessment of Published Antishivering Protocols

Shivering is a common side effect of targeted temperature modulation and general anesthesia. Antishivering strategies often employ a stepwise approach involving both pharmacological and physical interventions. However, approaches to treat shivering are often empiric and vary widely across care environments. We evaluated the quality of published antishivering protocols and guidelines with respect to methodological rigor, reliability, and consistency of recommendations. Using 4 medical databases, we identified 4027 publications that addressed shivering therapy, and excluded 3354 due to lack of relevance. After applying predefined eligibility criteria with respect to minimal protocol standards, 18 protocols/guidelines remained. Each was assessed using a modified Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (mAGREE II) instrument containing 23 quality items within 6 domains (maximal score 23). Among 18 protocols/guidelines, only 3 incorporated systematically reviewed recommendations, whereas 15 merely targeted practice standardization. Fifteen of 18 protocols/guidelines addressed shivering during therapeutic cooling in which skin counterwarming and meperidine were most commonly cited. However, their mAGREE II scores were within the lowest tertile (1 to 7 points) and the median for all 18 protocols was 5. The quality domains most commonly absent were stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, and editorial independence. Three of 18 protocols/guidelines addressed postanesthetic antishivering. Of these, the American Society of Anesthesiologists guidelines recommending forced-air warming and meperidine received the highest mAGREE II score (14 points), whereas the remaining 2 recommendations had low scores (<5 points). Current published antishivering protocols/guidelines lack methodological rigor, reliability, and strength, and even the highest scoring of the 18 protocols/guidelines fulfilled only 60% of quality items. To be consistent with evidence-based protocol/guideline development processes, future antishivering treatment algorithms should increase methodological rigor and transparency.