Neurologic Improvement in Acute Cerebral Ischemia: Frequency, Magnitude, Predictors, and Clinical Outcomes

Clotilde Balucani; Steven R Levine; Nerses Sanossian; Sidney Starkman; David Liebeskind; Jeffrey A Gornbein; Kristina Shkirkova; Samuel Stratton; Marc Eckstein; Scott Hamilton; Robin Conwit; Latisha K Sharma; Jeffrey L Saver

doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000201656

Neurologic Improvement in Acute Cerebral Ischemia: Frequency, Magnitude, Predictors, and Clinical Outcomes

Neurology. 2023 Mar 7;100(10):e1038-e1047. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201656. Epub 2022 Dec 7.

Affiliations

¹ From the Department of Neurology (C.B.), Neurocritical Care Division, NYU Langone Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital, New York, NY; Department of Neurology (S.R.L.), The State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY & the Jaffe Stroke Center, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY; Department of Neurology and Emergency Medicine (S.R.L.), Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY; Department of Neurology (N.S.), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Emergency Medicine (Sidney Starkman), University of California, Los Angeles, CA; Stroke Center (Sidney Starkman, D.L., K.S., L.K.S., J.L.S.), Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Biomathematics (J.A.G.), David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Emergency Medicine (Samuel Stratton), Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, LA; Los Angeles EMS Agency (Samuel Stratton), Los Angeles, CA; Orange County EMS Agency (Samuel Stratton), Orange County, CA; Department of Emergency Medicine (M.E.), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Los Angeles Fire Department (M.E.), Los Angeles, CA; Department of Neurology (S.H.), Stanford University, Stanford, CA; and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R.C.), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. clotilde.balucani@nyulangone.org.
² From the Department of Neurology (C.B.), Neurocritical Care Division, NYU Langone Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital, New York, NY; Department of Neurology (S.R.L.), The State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY & the Jaffe Stroke Center, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY; Department of Neurology and Emergency Medicine (S.R.L.), Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY; Department of Neurology (N.S.), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Emergency Medicine (Sidney Starkman), University of California, Los Angeles, CA; Stroke Center (Sidney Starkman, D.L., K.S., L.K.S., J.L.S.), Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Biomathematics (J.A.G.), David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Emergency Medicine (Samuel Stratton), Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, LA; Los Angeles EMS Agency (Samuel Stratton), Los Angeles, CA; Orange County EMS Agency (Samuel Stratton), Orange County, CA; Department of Emergency Medicine (M.E.), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Los Angeles Fire Department (M.E.), Los Angeles, CA; Department of Neurology (S.H.), Stanford University, Stanford, CA; and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R.C.), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Investigations of rapid neurologic improvement (RNI) in patients with acute cerebral ischemia (ACI) have focused on RNI occurring after hospital arrival. However, with stroke routing decisions and interventions increasingly migrating to the prehospital setting, there is a need to delineate the frequency, magnitude, predictors, and clinical outcomes of patients with ACI with ultra-early RNI (U-RNI) in the prehospital and early postarrival period.

Methods: We analyzed prospectively collected data of the prehospital Field Administration of Stroke Therapy-Magnesium (FAST-MAG) randomized clinical trial. Any U-RNI was defined as improvement by 2 or more points on the Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS) score between the prehospital and early post-emergency department (ED) arrival examinations and classified as moderate (2-3 point) or dramatic (4-5 point) improvement. Outcome measures included excellent recovery (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score 0-1) and death by 90 days.

Results: Among the 1,245 patients with ACI, the mean age was 70.9 years (SD 13.2); 45% were women; the median prehospital LAMS was 4 (interquartile range [IQR] 3-5); the median last known well to ED-LAMS time was 59 minutes (IQR 46-80 minutes), and the median prehospital LAMS to ED-LAMS time was 33 minutes (IQR 28-39 minutes). Overall, any U-RNI occurred in 31%, moderate U-RNI in 23%, and dramatic U-RNI in 8%. Any U-RNI was associated with improved outcomes, including excellent recovery (mRS score 0-1) at 90 days 65.1% (246/378) vs 35.4% (302/852), p < 0.0001; decreased mortality by 90 days 3.7% (14/378) vs 16.4% (140/852), p < 0.0001; decreased symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage 1.6% (6/384) vs 4.6% (40/861), p = 0.0112; and increased likelihood of being discharged home 56.8% (218/384) vs 30.2% (260/861), p < 0.0001.

Discussion: U-RNI occurs in nearly 1 in 3 ambulance-transported patients with ACI and is associated with excellent recovery and decreased mortality at 90 days. Accounting for U-RNI may be useful for routing decisions and future prehospital interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00059332.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Acute Disease
Aged
Brain Ischemia* / therapy
Data Collection
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Humans
Male
Stroke* / therapy

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00059332