BackgroundData on the implementation of prehospital large vessel occlusion (LVO) scales to identify and triage patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the field are limited, with the majority of studies occurring outside the USA.ObjectiveTo report our long-term experience of a US countywide emergency medical services (EMS) acute stroke triage protocol using the Rapid Arterial oCclusion Evaluation (RACE) score.MethodsOur prospective database was used to identify all consecutive patients triaged within Lucas County, Ohio by the EMS with (1) a RACE score ≥5, taken directly to an endovascular capable center (ECC) as RACE-alerts (RA) and (2) a RACE score <5, taken to the nearest hospital as stroke-alerts (SA). Baseline demographics, RACE score, time metrics, final diagnosis, treatments, and clinical and angiographic outcomes were captured. The sensitivity and specificity for patients with a RACE score ≥5 with LVO, eligible for mechanical thrombectomy (MT), were calculated.ResultsBetween July 2015 and June 2018, 492 RA and 1147 SA were triaged within our five-hospital network. Of the RA, 37% had AIS secondary to LVOs. Of the 492 RA and 1147 SA, 125 (25.4%) and 38 (3.3%), respectively, underwent MT (OR=9.9; 95% CI 6.8 to 14.6; p<0.0001). Median times from onset-to-ECC arrival (74 vs 167 min, p=0.03) and dispatch-to-ECC arrival (31 vs 46 min, p=0.0002) were shorter in the RA-MT than in the SA-MT cohort. A RACE cut-off point ≥5 showed a sensitivity and specificity of 0.77 and 0.75 for detection of patients with LVO eligible for MT, respectively.ConclusionsWe have demonstrated the long-term feasibility of a countywide EMS-based prehospital triage protocol using the RACE Scale within our hospital network.

Introduction: Multiple risk factors of mortality have been identified in patients with COVID-19. Here, we sought to determine the effect of a history of neurological disorder and development of neurological manifestations on mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.Methods: From March 20 to May 20, 2020, hospitalized patients with laboratory confirmed or highly suspected COVID-19 were identified at four hospitals in Ohio. Previous history of neurological disease was classified by severity (major or minor). Neurological manifestations during disease course were also grouped into major and minor manifestations. Encephalopathy, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, and seizures were defined as major manifestations, whereas minor neurological manifestations included headache, anosmia, dysgeusia, dizziness or vertigo, and myalgias. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine significant predictors of mortality in patients with COVID-19 infection.Results: 574/626 hospitalized patients were eligible for inclusion. Mean age of the 574 patients included in the analysis was 62.8 (SD 17.6), with 298 (51.9%) women. Of the cohort, 240(41.8%) patients had a prior history of neurological disease (HND), of which 204 (35.5%) had a major history of neurological disease (HND). Mortality rates were higher in patients with a major HND (30.9 vs. 15.4%; p = 0.00002), although this was not a significant predictor of death. Major neurological manifestations were recorded in 203/574 (35.4%) patients during disease course. The mortality rate in patients who had major neurological manifestations was 37.4% compared to 11.9% (p = 2 × 10 −12 ) in those who did not. In multivariate analysis, major neurological manifestation (OR 2.1,; p = 0.002) was a predictor of death. Conclusions: In this retrospective study, history of pre-existing neurological disease in hospitalized COVID-19 patients did not impact mortality; however, development of major neurological manifestations during disease course was found to be an independent predictor of death. Larger studies are needed to validate our findings.

Case series Patients: Male, 34-year-old • Female, 57-year-old Final Diagnosis: West Nile virus myeloradiculitis • West Nile virus opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia syndrome Symptoms: Confusion • lower extremity weakness • opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Lumbar puncture Specialty: Infectious Diseases • Neurology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: West Nile virus (WNv) is the leading cause of epidemic arbovirus encephalitis in the continental United States. Movement disorders (MDs) have been reported in 20% to 40% of patients with WNv and about 37% of patients with WNv encephalitis have changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We report 2 unusual cases of neuroinvasive WNv in patients with unusual MDs and unreported MRI findings. Case Reports: In the first case, a 34-year-old man presented with a 1-week history of disinhibition, agitation, opsoclonus-myoclonus and ataxia syndrome (OMAS), tremor, and facial agnosia. Evaluation of his cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed elevated immunoglobulin (Ig)M against WNv, a high level of protein (98 mg/dL), and an elevated white blood cell (WBC) count (134, 37% lymphocytes). An MRI of the brain showed an area of diffusion restriction in the splenium of the corpus callosum . The patient’s MRI findings and OMA improved significantly after 2 treatments with i.v. IG (IVIG). In the second case, a 57-year-old woman presented with fever, headaches, psychosis, and ataxia; she was subsequently intubated for airway protection. Analysis of her CSF showed elevated IgM against WNv, a high level of protein (79 mg/dL), and elevated WBC count (106, 90% lymphocytes). One week after the onset of symptoms, the patient experienced facial dyskinesia. Later, she developed proximal bilateral lower extremity weakness. An MRI of her lumbar spine showed evidence of myeloradiculitis with contrast enhancement of the conus medullaris and ventral nerve roots. After a single treatment with IVIG, she had partial improvement in weakness. Conclusions: MDs and changes on MRI have been reported in patients with neuroinvasive WNv disease. Our patient with OMAS also had transient splenial diffusion restriction on imaging, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been previously reported with WNv infection. In both patients, treatment with IVIG resulted in improvement in symptoms.

Background and Purpose: We previously reported on the successful implementation of a EMS-driven bypass protocol using the Rapid Arterial oCclusion Evaluation (RACE) score for triage of acute strokes. Here, we describe the long-term results of our RACE alert protocol. Methods: Patients with a RACE score > 5, who are last seen normal within 12 hours, wakeup with stroke symptoms, or have unknown time of symptoms onset were directly transferred as RACE alerts (RA) to our two stroke centers (one primary with interventional capabilities and one comprehensive) with interventional capacity in Lucas County, Ohio. Data including baseline demographics, RACE score, diagnosis, treatments and procedures, and clinical and angiographic outcomes were captured in a prospective database. Results: From July 2015 to July 2018, 511 RAs were triaged. Median age of RA patients was 73 (IQR 63-82), 55.8% were female, and median RACE score was 7 (IQR 5-8). Median time from 911 dispatch to ER was 31 minutes (IQR 22-38) and onset to arrival was 85 minutes (IQR 47-307). Of the 511 RAs, 52.3% were diagnosed with an ischemic stroke, 13.5% intracerebral hemorrhage, 6.5% transient ischemic attack, 12.9% seizure, and 7.8% encephalopathy. The rate of IV-tPA use was 24.5% and median door to needle time was 33 min (IQR 24-48). The rate of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) was 24.3%, with median door to puncture and door to revascularization times of 64 (IQR 48.5-78.5) and 91 minutes (IQR 79.3-114.8), respectively. The majority of occlusions were MCA (73.2%). Successful revascularization (TICI≥2b) was achieved in 84.7%. Ninety-day favorable outcome (mRS 0-2) and mortality was 47.2% and 25.4% in patients who underwent MT. Conclusions: Our results show the long-term feasibility and efficiency of an EMS-driven early stroke triage protocol using the RACE score.

Modified first pass effect (mFPE) of TICI 2B or greater is an independent predictor of clinical outcome in patients who undergo mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Location of the occlusion in the M1 segment may affect the mFPE and may influence clinical outcomes. A comparison of mFPE between occlusions of the proximal and distal (sparing lenticulostriate branches) M1 segments of the MCA has yet to be performed. We aim to examine the interaction between first pass effect and clinical outcomes in proximal versus distal M1 occlusions. We performed retrospective analysis of patients who underwent MT between 2014 and 2020. Patients were included if they were treated for M1 occlusion within 24 hours from last seen normal, and achieved successful recanalization (TICI2b or greater). Patients were excluded if they were not successfully recanalized, or if they had other intracranial or multifocal occlusions. A total of 264 patients were included in this analysis. Ninety two patients had proximal M1 occlusions and 172 had distal M1 occlusions. Patients with proximal M1 occlusions had higher NIHSS (median 18 vs. 16, p=0.003), lower ASPECTS (mean 8.5 vs 9, p=0.02), and were less likely to be females (44.6% vs. 62.8%, p=0.006). Modified first pass effect was achieved in 45.3% of distal M1 occlusions compared to 31.9% of proximal (p=0.047). Excellent clinical outcome, defined as mRS of 0-1 at 90 days was higher in distal occlusion group (38.8% vs. 24.7%, p=0.03). Additionally, the proximal occlusion group was more likely to experience any grade of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) (37.4 vs. 23.3, p=0.02). Other baseline characteristics and time metrics did not differ between the two groups. In a multivariate analysis of predictors of excellent outcome in the overall cohort, ASPECTS (OR=1.39, p = 0.026) and proximal occlusion site (OR=0.485, p=0.037) were the only two independent predictors. Therefore, mFPE was not a predictor of excellent outcome when adjusted for exact location of occlusion.