Mohammad Rauf Afzal

Blood pressure reduction and noncontrast CT markers of intracerebral hemorrhage expansion

Objective: To validate various noncontrast CT (NCCT) predictors of hematoma expansion in a large international cohort of ICH patients and investigate whether intensive blood pressure (BP) treatment reduces ICH growth and improves outcome in patients with these markers. Methods: We analyzed patients enrolled in the Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage II (ATACH-II) randomized controlled trial. Participants were assigned to intensive (systolic BP <140 mm Hg) vs standard (systolic BP <180 mm Hg) treatment within 4.5 hours from onset. The following NCCT markers were identified: intrahematoma hypodensities, black hole sign, swirl sign, blend sign, heterogeneous hematoma density, and irregular shape. ICH expansion was defined as hematoma growth >33% and unfavorable outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score >3 at 90 days. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of ICH expansion and explore the association between NCCT signs and clinical benefit from intensive BP treatment. Results: A total of 989 patients were included (mean age 62 years, 61.9% male), of whom 186/869 experienced hematoma expansion (21.4%) and 361/952 (37.9%) had unfavorable outcome. NCCT markers independently predicted ICH expansion (all p < 0.01) with overall accuracy ranging from 61% to 78% and good interrater reliability (k > 0.6 for all markers). There was no evidence of an interaction between NCCT markers and benefit from intensive BP reduction (all p for interaction >0.10). Conclusions: NCCT signs reliably identify ICH patients at high risk of hematoma growth. However, we found no evidence that patients with these markers specifically benefit from intensive BP reduction. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01176565.

Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction and Spot Sign in Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance The computed tomographic angiography (CTA) spot sign is associated with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) expansion and may mark those patients most likely to benefit from intensive blood pressure (BP) reduction. Objective To investigate whether the spot sign is associated with ICH expansion across a wide range of centers and whether intensive BP reduction decreases hematoma expansion and improves outcome in patients with ICH and a spot sign. Design, Setting, and Participants SCORE-IT (Spot Sign Score in Restricting ICH Growth) is a preplanned prospective observational study nested in the Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage II (ATACH-II) randomized clinical trial. Participants included consecutive patients with primary ICH who underwent a CTA within 8 hours from onset at 59 sites from May 15, 2011, through December 19, 2015. Data were analyzed for the present study from July 1 to August 31, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Patients in ATACH-II were randomized to intensive (systolic BP target, <140 mm Hg) vs standard (systolic BP target, <180 mm Hg) BP reduction within 4.5 hours from onset. Expansion of ICH was defined as hematoma growth of greater than 33%, and an unfavorable outcome was defined as a 90-day modified Rankin Scale score of 4 or greater (range, 0-6). The association among BP reduction, ICH expansion, and outcome was investigated with multivariable logistic regression. Results A total of 133 patients (83 men [62.4%] and 50 women [37.6%]; mean [SD] age, 61.9 [13.1] years) were included. Of these, 53 (39.8%) had a spot sign, and 24 of 123 without missing data (19.5%) experienced ICH expansion. The spot sign was associated with expansion with sensitivity of 0.54 (95% CI, 0.34-0.74) and specificity of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.53-0.72). After adjustment for potential confounders, intensive BP treatment was not associated with a significant reduction of ICH expansion (relative risk, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.27-2.51; P = .74) or improved outcome (relative risk of 90-day modified Rankin Scale score ≥4, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.53-2.91; P = .62) in spot sign–positive patients. Conclusions and Relevance The predictive performance of the spot sign for ICH expansion was lower than in prior reports from single-center studies. No evidence suggested that patients with ICH and a spot sign specifically benefit from intensive BP reduction. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01176565

A New Risk Index for Predicting Outcomes among Patients Undergoing Carotid Endarterectomy in Large Administrative Data Sets

BACKGROUND We developed and validated a new index to provide risk adjustment and to predict in-hospital patient mortality and other outcomes in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA). METHODS The primary endpoint was occurrence of stroke, cardiac complications, or death during hospitalization for CEA derived from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the effect of clinical and demographic factors on occurrence of the primary endpoint. Data from 2005 to 2006 (study period 1) were used to derive risk index score whereas data from 2007 to 2009 (study period 2) were used for validation of the risk index. RESULTS A total of 120,633 patients with mean age in years [ ±SD] of 71.1[ ±9.5] (42.4% women) underwent CEA during the derivation period. The rate of occurrence of composite endpoint during study period 1 was 3.1%. Predictors of the composite endpoint were (odds ratio [OR], P value) as follows: age 70 years or older (1.15, .013 assigned 1 point), atrial fibrillation (3.18, <.0001 assigned 3 points), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) (1.81, <.0001 assigned 2 points), cigarette smoking (1.64, <.0001 assigned 2 points), symptomatic status (1.87, <.001 assigned 2 points), and chronic renal failure (1.64, <.0001 assigned 2 points). When applied to the validation cohort (n = 71,222), patients with scores 0-1 (OR 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-1.8), scores 2-3 (OR 4.0, 95% CI 3.8-4.3), scores 4-5 (OR 7.5, 95% CI 6.8-8.2), and scores greater than 5 (OR 10.9, 95% CI 9.8-12.2) had composite rates of endpoint. The receiver operating characteristic curve of the risk index was 68.5% [±SE 0.5%]. CONCLUSION New risk index will assist in risk adjustment for analyses of outcomes in large administrative data sets for comparative studies involving patients undergoing CEA.

Cerebral Microbleeds and the Effect of Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction on Hematoma Expansion and Functional Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis of the ATACH-2 Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Response to intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering in acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) might vary with the degree of underlying cerebral small vessel disease. Objectives To characterize cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in acute ICH and to assess the potential for interaction between underlying small vessel disease (as indicated by CMB number and location) and assignment to acute intensive BP targeting for functional outcomes and hematoma expansion. Design, Setting, and Participants Preplanned subgroup analyses in the Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage 2 (ATACH-2) trial were performed. The ATACH-2 was an open-label international randomized clinical trial that investigated optimal acute BP lowering in 1000 patients with acute ICH. Analyses followed the intent-to-treat paradigm. Participants were enrolled between May 2011 and September 2015 and followed up for 3 months. Eligible participants were aged at least 18 years with ICH volumes less than 60 mL on computed tomography (CT) and a Glasgow Coma Scale score of at least 5 on initial assessment, in whom study drug could be initiated within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. Eight hundred thirty-three participants were excluded, leaving 167 who had an interpretable axial T2*-weighted gradient-recalled echo sequence on magnetic resonance imaging to assess CMBs for inclusion in these subgroup analyses. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome of interest was death or disability (modified Ranking Scale score, 4-6) at 3 months. The secondary outcome of interest was hematoma volume expansion of at least 33% on a CT scan obtained 24 hours after randomization compared with the entry scan. Results A total of 167 patients were included; their mean (SD) age was 61.9 (13.2) years, and 98 (58.7%) were male. Cerebral microbleeds were present in 120 patients. Forty-six of 157 (29.3%) patients had poor outcome (modified Ranking Scale score, ≥4), and hematoma expansion was observed in 29 of 144 (20.1%) patients. Risk of poor outcome was similar for those assigned to intensive vs standard acute BP lowering among patients with CMBs (relative risk, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.61-2.33; P = .61) and those without CMBs (relative risk, 1.42; 95% CI, 0.43-4.70; P = .57), and no significant interaction was observed (interaction coefficient, 0.18; 95% CI, −1.20 to 1.55; P = .80). Risk of hematoma expansion was also similar, and no significant interaction between treatment and CMBs was observed (interaction coefficient, 0.62; 95% CI, −1.08 to 2.31; P = .48). Conclusions and Relevance Cerebral microbleeds are highly prevalent among patients with ICH but do not seem to influence response to acute intensive BP treatment. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01176565

Rates of Adverse Events and Outcomes among Stroke Patients Admitted to Primary Stroke Centers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To identify the beneficial effects of primary stroke centers (PSCs) certification by Joint Commission (JC), we compared the rates of in-hospital adverse events and discharge outcomes among ischemic stroke patients admitted to PSCs and those admitted to non-PSC hospitals in the United States. METHODS We obtained the data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2010 and 2011. The analysis was limited to states that publicly reported hospital identity. PSCs were identified by matching the Nationwide Inpatient Sample hospital files with the list provided by JC. The analysis was limited to patients (age ≥18 years) discharged with a principal diagnosis of ischemic stroke (International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision, codes 433.x1, 434.x1). RESULTS We identified a total of 123,131 ischemic stroke patients from 28 states. A total of 72,982 (59.3%) patients were admitted to PSCs. After adjusting for age, gender, race or ethnicity, comorbidities, All Patients Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG)-based disease severity, and hospital teaching status, patients admitted to PSCs were at lower risk of in-hospital adverse events complications: pneumonia (odds ratio [OR], .8; 95% confidence interval [CI], .7-.8) and sepsis (OR, .7; 95% CI, .6-.8). Patients admitted to PSCs were more likely to receive thrombolysis (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.5-1.7). The mean cost of hospitalization (95% CI) of the patients was significantly higher in patients admitted at PSCs compared with those admitted at non PSC hospitals

Rates and factors associated with admission in patients presenting to the ED with TIA in the United States—2006 to 2008☆ , ☆☆ ,★,★★

47621 (47099-48144) vs.

Black Tar Heroin Skin Popping as a Cause of Wound Botulism

35229 (34803-35654), P < .0001). The patients admitted to PSCs had lower inpatient mortality (OR, .8; 95% CI, .8-.9) and were more likely to be discharged with none to minimal disability (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.0-1.1). CONCLUSIONS Compared with non-PSC admissions, patients admitted to PSCs are less likely to experience hospital adverse events and more likely to experience better discharge outcomes.