Vincent McClain

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure: evaluation of a Novel Therapy for Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND New approaches are needed to treat patients with stroke. Among acute ischemic stroke patients, our primary objectives were to describe the prevalence of sleep apnea and demonstrate the feasibility of providing auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure (auto-CPAP). A secondary objective was to examine the effect of auto-CPAP on stroke severity. METHODS Stroke patients randomized to the intervention group received 2 nights of auto-CPAP, but only those with evidence of sleep apnea received auto-CPAP for the remainder of the 30-day period. Intervention patients received polysomnography 30 days post-stroke. Control patients received polysomnography at baseline and after 30 days. Acceptable auto-CPAP adherence was defined as ≥ 4 h/night for ≥ 75% nights. Change in stroke severity was assessed comparing the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at baseline versus at 30 days. RESULTS The 2 groups (intervention N = 31, control N = 24) had similar baseline stroke severity (both median NIHSS, 3.0). Among patients with complete polysomnography data, the majority had sleep apnea: baseline, 13/15 (86.7%) control patients; 30 days, 24/35 (68.6%) control and intervention patients. Intervention patients had greater improvements in NIHSS (-3.0) than control patients (-1.0); P = 0.03. Among patients with sleep apnea, greater improvement was observed with increasing auto-CPAP use: -1.0 for control patients not using auto-CPAP; -2.5 for intervention patients with some auto-CPAP use; and -3.0 for intervention patients with acceptable auto-CPAP adherence. CONCLUSIONS The majority of acute stroke patients had sleep apnea. Auto-CPAP was well tolerated, appears to improve neurological recovery from stroke, and may represent a new therapeutic approach for selected patients with acute cerebral infarction.

Processes of Care Associated With Acute Stroke Outcomes

BACKGROUND Many processes of care have been proposed as metrics to evaluate stroke care. We sought to identify processes of stroke care that are associated with improved patient outcomes after adjustment for both patient characteristics and other process measures. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included patients 18 years or older with an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) onset no more than 2 days before admission and a neurologic deficit on admission. Patients were excluded if they resided in a skilled nursing facility, were already admitted to the hospital at stroke onset, or were transferred from another acute-care facility. The combined outcome included in-hospital mortality, discharge to hospice, or discharge to a skilled nursing facility. Seven processes of stroke care were evaluated: fever management, hypoxia management, blood pressure management, neurologic evaluation, swallowing evaluation, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis, and early mobilization. Risk adjustment included age, comorbidity (medical history), concomitant medical illness present at admission, preadmission symptom course, prestroke functional status, code status, stroke severity, nonneurologic status, modified APACHE (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) III score, and admission brain imaging findings. RESULTS Among 1487 patients, the outcome was observed in 239 (16%). Three processes of care were independently associated with an improvement in the outcome after adjustment: swallowing evaluation (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-0.94); DVT prophylaxis (adjusted OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37-0.96); and treating all episodes of hypoxia with supplemental oxygen (adjusted OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.09-0.73). CONCLUSION Outcomes among patients with ischemic stroke or TIA can be improved by attention to swallowing function, DVT prophylaxis, and treatment of hypoxia.

Auto-Titrating Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for Patients With Acute Transient Ischemic Attack A Randomized Feasibility Trial

Background and Purpose— Transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients are at risk of recurrent vascular events. The primary objectives were to evaluate among TIA patients the prevalence of sleep apnea and among patients with sleep apnea auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure (auto-CPAP) adherence. The secondary objective was to describe among TIA patients with sleep apnea the recurrent vascular event rate by auto-CPAP use category. Methods— All intervention patients received auto-CPAP for 2 nights, but only intervention patients with evidence of sleep apnea received auto-CPAP for the remainder of the 90-day period. Intervention patients received polysomnography at 90 days after TIA. Control patients received polysomnography at baseline and at 90 days. Acceptable auto-CPAP adherence was defined as ≥4 hours per night for ≥75% of nights. Vascular events included recurrent TIA, stroke, hospitalization for congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, or death. Results— We enrolled 70 acute TIA patients: 45 intervention and 25 control. The majority of patients had sleep apnea: 57% at baseline and 59% at 90 days. Among the 30 intervention patients with airflow obstruction, 12 (40%) had acceptable auto-CPAP adherence, 18 (60%) had some use, and none had no use. Three intervention patients (12%) had recurrent events compared with 1 (2%; P=0.13) control patient. The vascular event rate was highest among sleep apnea patients with no CPAP use: none, 16%; some, 5%; acceptable adherence 0% (P=0.08). Conclusions— Sleep apnea is common among acute TIA patients. It appears feasible to provide auto-CPAP in the acute TIA period. Larger studies should evaluate whether a strategy of diagnosing and treating sleep apnea can reduce recurrent vascular events after TIA.

Circumstances and consequences of falls among people with chronic stroke

Falls are common after stroke; however, circumstances and consequences are relatively unknown. Our objectives were to identify the differences between fallers and non-fallers among people with chronic stroke, identify the circumstances of fall events, and examine the consequences of the falls. This is a secondary data analysis; all participants included sustained a stroke. Variables included demographics, stroke characteristics, and comorbidities. Falls were collected via self-report, and circumstances and consequences were derived from participant description of the event and categorized as appropriate. Among 160 participants, 53 (33%) reported a fall during the 1 yr period. Circumstances of falls were categorized as intrinsic or extrinsic. Location and circumstance of the fall were included: 70% occurred at home and 40% were associated with impaired physical or mental state (e.g., inattention to tying shoes). Additionally, 21% of falls were associated with activities of daily living and mobility and 34% with slips or trips. The majority who fell sustained an injury (72%). Injuries ranged from bruising to fractures, and 55% of those with an injury sought medical care (32% to emergency department). Poststroke falls are associated with an alarming rate of injury and healthcare utilization. Targeting mental and physical states may be key to fall prevention.

Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of poststroke falls in acute hospital setting.

Falls are a serious medical complication following stroke. The objectives of this study were to (1) confirm the prevalence of falls among patients with stroke during acute hospitalization, (2) identify factors associated with falls during the acute stay, and (3) examine whether in-hospital falls were associated with loss of function after stroke (new dependence at discharge). We completed a secondary analysis of data from a retrospective cohort study of patients with ischemic stroke who were hospitalized at one of four hospitals. We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with inpatient falls and examine the association between falls and loss of function. Among 1,269 patients with stroke, 65 (5%) fell during the acute hospitalization period. We found two characteristics independently associated with falls: greater stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] ≥8, adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46-9.00) and history of anxiety (adjusted OR = 4.90, 95% CI: 1.70-13.90). Falls were independently associated with a loss of function (adjusted OR = 9.85, 95% CI: 1.22-79.75) even after adjusting for age, stroke severity, gait abnormalities, and past stroke. Stroke severity (NIHSS >8) may be clinically useful during the acute inpatient setting in identifying those at greatest risk of falling. Given the association between falls and poor patient outcomes, rehabilitation interventions should be implemented to prevent falls poststroke.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring among patients with cerebrovascular disease.

BackgroundAlthough stroke care guidelines endorse the paramount importance of hypertension management, the specific role of ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring among patients with cerebrovascular disease has not been established. ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to: (a) conduct a systematic review describing the published studies that examined ABP monitoring among patients with cerebrovascular disease and (b) to discuss practical considerations of ABP monitoring among patients with stroke. MethodsWe identified English-language articles that focused on the use of ABP monitoring among patients with cerebrovascular disease. The titles and abstracts of the articles were reviewed to identify whether the study included ABP monitoring and whether the populations studied had evidence of cerebrovascular disease; we excluded two case reports. We used ABP data from patients with cerebrovascular disease enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial to illustrate points related to the application of ABP monitoring in this population. ResultsA total of 23 articles met our inclusion criteria. These articles described the use of ABP monitoring for the identification of stroke patients at risk of poor outcomes, including mortality and neurological impairment. They also describe common patterns of blood pressure poststroke; finding that stroke patients often demonstrate a loss of the usual nocturnal fall in blood pressure. Logistical considerations in the use of ABP monitoring for patients with stroke include patients with arm weakness, the minimum number of measurements needed, the determination of nocturnal/rest versus daytime/wake blood pressure values, and the interpretation of extreme values are reviewed. ConclusionUntil controlled trial data support interventions based on the ABP data, it is unlikely that guidelines will recommend the routine application of ABP monitoring among patients with stroke.

Challenges and Motivating Factors Related to Positive Airway Pressure Therapy for Post-TIA and Stroke Patients

Challenges adapting to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy are largely unexplored in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack. This study, nested within a randomized controlled trial of CPAP use, employed qualitative methods to explore challenges and motivators related to CPAP at two time points: prior to initiating therapy and at a 1-month follow up. Emergent thematic analysis, an inductive, qualitative approach, revealed variations in how patients experienced and adapted to CPAP across five phases: (a) interpreting the sleep apnea diagnosis, (b) contemplating CPAP therapy, (c) trying CPAP therapy, (d) making mid-course adjustments, and (e) experiencing benefits from CPAP therapy. Patients all had mild to moderate sleep apnea, and frequently did not experience sleep apnea symptoms. A salient motivator for adhering to CPAP therapy for these patients was the desire to reduce the risk of subsequent cerebrovascular events. Self-determination theory guided the interpretation of results.