Marie Hervieu-Bègue

Temporal trends in early case-fatality rates in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage

Objective: To assess whether temporal trends in very early (within 48 hours) case-fatality rates may differ from those occurring between 48 hours and 30 days in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods: All cases of ICH that occurred in Dijon, France (151,000 inhabitants), were prospectively collected between 1985 and 2011, using a population-based registry. Time trends in 30-day case fatality were analyzed in 3 periods: 1985–1993, 1994–2002, and 2003–2011. Cox regression models were used to evaluate associations between time periods and case fatality within 48 hours and between 48 hours and 30 days, after adjustments for demographics, risk factors, severity, and ICH location. Results: A total of 531 ICH cases were recorded (mean age 72.9 ± 15.8, 52.7% women). Thirty-day case fatality gradually decreased with time from 40.9% in 1985–1993 to 33.5% 1994–2002 and to 29.6% in 2003–2011 (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47–1.07, p = 0.106, for 1994–2002, and adjusted HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.32–0.73, p < 0.001, for 2003–2011). Over the whole study period, 43.6% of 1-month deaths occurred within the first 48 hours following ICH onset. There was no temporal change in case fatality occurring within the first 48 hours but a decrease in deaths occurring between 48 hours and 30 days was observed with time (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.31–0.90, p = 0.02, for 1994–2002, and HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.32–0.55, p < 0.01, for 2003–2011, compared with 1985–1993). Conclusion: Although 30-day case fatality significantly decreased over the last 27 years, additional improvements in acute management of ICH are needed since very early case-fatality rates (within 48 hours) did not improve.

Telemedicine for the acute management of stroke in Burgundy, France: an evaluation of effectiveness and safety

In the context of the development of telemedicine in France to address low thrombolysis rates and limited stroke infrastructures, a star‐shaped telestroke network was implemented in Burgundy (1.6 million inhabitants). We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of this network for thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Impact of Mechanical Thrombectomy on the Organization of the Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Several trials and meta-analyses have recently demonstrated the superiority of endovascular therapy over standard medical treatment in patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke. In order to offer the best possible treatment to a maximum number of patients, many stroke care networks probably have to be reorganized. After analyzing the reliability of data in the literature, an algorithm is suggested for a pre-hospital and in-hospital alert system to improve the timeliness of subsequent treatment: a drip-and-ship approach. Summary: Five recent well-designed randomized studies have demonstrated the benefit of endovascular therapy associated with intravenous fibrinolysis by recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) for acute ischemic stroke with confirmation by recent meta-analyses. The keys for success are a very short time to reperfusion, within 6 h, a moderate to severe pre-treatment deficit (National Institute of Health around 17), cerebral imaging able to identify proximal large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation, a limited infarct core and a reversible penumbra, the use of the most recent devices (stent retriever) and a procedure that avoids general anesthesia, which reduces blood pressure. To meet these goals, every country must build a national stroke infrastructure plan to offer the best possible treatment to all patients eligible for intravenous fibrinolysis and endovascular therapy. The plan may include the following actions: inform the population about the first symptoms of stroke, provide the call number to improve the timeliness of treatment, increase the number of comprehensive stroke centers, link these to secondary and primary stroke centers by telemedicine, teach and train paramedics, emergency doctors and radiologists to identify the stroke infarct, proximal large vessel occlusion and the infarct core quickly, train a new generation of endovascular radiologists to improve access to this therapy. Key Message: After 20 years of rt-PA, this new evidence-based therapy is a revolution in stroke medicine that will benefit patients. However, a new robust and multi-disciplinary care strategy is necessary to transfer the scientific data into clinical practice. It will require reorganization of the stroke infrastructure, which will include comprehensive stroke centers and secondary and primary stroke centers. The winners will be patients with severe stroke.

Si j'avais un accident vasculaire cérébral aigu en 2015

The management of stroke is now recognized as a real medical emergency as well as myocardial infarct, because we have now an efficacious treatment in cerebral infarct, intravenous fibrinolysis that decreases the risk of death and motor and cognitive handicap. The second characteristic is its very important frequency, and its risk that increases in young people. This medical emergency enforces the care systems because it needs a speedy network for the patient, his family and the care professionals, useful for intravenous fibrinolysis before 3 hours after 80 years and before 4 hours and a half before 80 years. It is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible because it is most effective when given early. The consequences to avoid the lost of chance, need several actions: inform the public about the interest of FAST score to identify the first signs (facial palsy, palsy of arm, aphasia and time of stroke onset); call 15; translate the patient towards an appropriate medical center; use tele-stroke when the hospital has no neurologist; and manage the patient in a stroke unit, to introduce in a second time secondary prevention thanks to therapeutical education. Therefore, stroke care is a real multiprofessional emergency around the neurologist.

Increasing early ambulation disability in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage survivors

Objective To evaluate temporal trends in early ambulatory status in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods All patients with ICH between 1985 and 2011 were prospectively registered in a population-based registry in Dijon, France, and included in the study. Outcomes of ICH survivors were assessed at discharge from their stay in an acute care ward with the use of a 4-grade ambulation scale. Time trends in ambulation disability and place of discharge were analyzed in 3 periods (1985–1993, 1994–2002, and 2003–2011). Multivariable ordinal and logistic regression models were applied. Results Five hundred thirty-one patients with ICH were registered, of whom 200 (37.7%) died in the acute care ward. While the proportion of deaths decreased over time, that of patients with ambulation disability increased (odds ratio [OR] 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87–3.23, p = 0.124 for 1994–2002; and OR 1.97, 95% CI, 1.08–3.60, p = 0.027 for 2003–2011 vs 1985–1993 in ordinal logistic regression). The proportion of patients dependent in walking rose (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.16–3.82, p = 0.014 for 1994–2002; and OR 2.73; 95% CI 1.54–4.84, p = 0.001 for 2003–2011), and the proportion of patients discharged to home decreased (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.24–0.99, p = 0.048 for 1994–2002; and OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.16–0.64, p = 0.001 for 2003–2011). Conclusion The decrease in in-hospital mortality of patients with ICH translated into a rising proportion of patients with ambulation disability at discharge. A lower proportion of patients returned home. These results have major implications for the organization of postacute ICH care.

The impact of World and European Football Cups on stroke in the population of Dijon, France: a longitudinal study from 1986 to 2006.

BACKGROUND Acute stress may trigger vascular events. We aimed to investigate whether important football competitions involving the French football team increased the occurrence of stroke. METHODS We retrospectively retrieved data of fatal and nonfatal stroke during 4 World Football Cups (1986, 1998, 2002, and 2006) and 4 European Championships (1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004), based on data from the population-based Stroke Registry of Dijon, France. One period of exposure was analyzed: the period of competition extended to 15 days before and after the competitions. The number of strokes was compared between exposed and unexposed corresponding periods of preceding and following years using Poisson regression. RESULTS A total of 175 strokes were observed during the exposed periods compared with 192 and 217 strokes in the unexposed preceding and following periods. Multivariate regression analyses showed an overall 30% significant decrease in stroke numbers between periods of competition and unexposed periods of following year (risk ratio (RR) = 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0-1.6; P = .029) but not with that of preceding year (RR = 1.1; 95% CI = .9-1.3; P = .367). This was mostly explained by a 40% decrease in stroke numbers during European Championships, compared with the unexposed following periods (RR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.0-1.9; P = .044) in stratified analyses by football competitions. CONCLUSIONS Watching European football competitions had a positive impact in the city of Dijon with a decrease of stroke numbers. European championship is possibly associated with higher television audience and long-lasting euphoria although other factors may be involved. Further studies using nationwide data are recommended to validate these findings.

Temporal trends in the premorbid use of preventive treatments in patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular events and a history of vascular disease: The Dijon Stroke Registry (1985–2010)

INTRODUCTION Although secondary prevention in patients with arterial vascular diseases has improved, a gap between recommendations and clinical practice may exist. OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate temporal trends in the premorbid use of preventive treatments in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular events (ICVE) and prior vascular disease. METHODS Patients with acute ICVE (ischemic stroke/TIA) were identified through the population-based stroke registry of Dijon, France (1985-2010). Only those with history of arterial vascular disease were included and were classified into four groups: patients with previous coronary artery disease only (CAD), previous peripheral artery disease only (PAD), previous ICVE only, and patients with at least two different past vascular diseases (polyvascular group). We assessed trends in the proportion of patients who were treated with antihypertensive treatments and antithrombotics at the time of their ICVE using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS Among the 5309 patients with acute ICVE, 2128 had a history of vascular disease (mean age 77.3±11.9, 51% men; 25.1% CAD 7.5% PAD, 39.8% ICVE, and 27.5% poylvascular). A total of 45.8% of them were on antithrombotics, 64.1% on antihypertensive treatment, and 34.4% on both. Compared with period 1985-1993, periods 1994-2002 and 2003-2010 were associated with a greater frequency of prior-to-ICVE use of antithrombotics (adjusted OR=5.94; 95% CI: 4.61-7.65, P<0.01, and adjusted OR=6.92; 95% CI: 5.33-8.98, P<0.01, respectively) but not of antihypertensive drugs. Consistent results were found when analyses were stratified according to the type of history of arterial vascular disease. CONCLUSION Patients with ICVE and previous vascular disease were still undertreated with recommended preventive therapies.