Background and Purpose: Emergency measures to treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and contain the outbreak is the main priority in each of our hospitals; however, these measures are likely to result in collateral damage among patients with other acute diseases. Here, we investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic affects acute stroke care through interruptions in the stroke chain of survival. Methods: A descriptive analysis of acute stroke care activity before and after the COVID-19 outbreak is given for a stroke network in southern Europe. To quantify the impact of the pandemic, the number of stroke code activations, ambulance transfers, consultations through telestroke, stroke unit admissions, and reperfusion therapy times and rates are described in temporal relationship with the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the region. Results: Following confinement of the population, our stroke unit activity decreased sharply, with a 25% reduction in admitted cases (mean number of 58 cases every 15 days in previous months to 44 cases in the 15 days after the outbreak, P <0.001). Consultations to the telestroke network declined from 25 every 15 days before the outbreak to 7 after the outbreak ( P <0.001). The increasing trend in the prehospital diagnosis of stroke activated by 911 calls stopped abruptly in the region, regressing to 2019 levels. The mean number of stroke codes dispatched to hospitals decreased (78% versus 57%, P <0.001). Time of arrival from symptoms onset to stroke units was delayed >30 minutes, reperfusion therapy cases fell, and door-to-needle time started 16 minutes later than usual. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic is disruptive for acute stroke pathways. Bottlenecks in the access and delivery of patients to our secured stroke centers are among the main challenges. It is critical to encourage patients to continue seeking emergency care if experiencing acute stroke symptoms and to ensure that emergency professionals continue to use stroke code activation and telestroke networks.

Objective:The objectives of this study were to measure the global impact of the pandemic on the volumes for intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), IVT transfers, and stroke hospitalizations over 4 months at the height of the pandemic (March 1 to June 30, 2020) compared with two control 4-month periods.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study across 6 continents, 70 countries, and 457 stroke centers. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes and/or classifications in stroke databases.Results:There were 91,373 stroke admissions in the 4 months immediately before compared to 80,894 admissions during the pandemic months, representing an 11.5% (95%CI, -11.7 to - 11.3, p<0.0001) decline. There were 13,334 IVT therapies in the 4 months preceding compared to 11,570 procedures during the pandemic, representing a 13.2% (95%CI, -13.8 to -12.7, p<0.0001) drop. Interfacility IVT transfers decreased from 1,337 to 1,178, or an 11.9% decrease (95%CI, -13.7 to -10.3, p=0.001). Recovery of stroke hospitalization volume (9.5%, 95%CI 9.2-9.8, p<0.0001) was noted over the two later (May, June) versus the two earlier (March, April) pandemic months. There was a 1.48% stroke rate across 119,967 COVID-19 hospitalizations. SARS-CoV-2 infection was noted in 3.3% (1,722/52,026) of all stroke admissions.Conclusions:The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a global decline in the volume of stroke hospitalizations, IVT, and interfacility IVT transfers. Primary stroke centers and centers with higher COVID19 inpatient volumes experienced steeper declines. Recovery of stroke hospitalization was noted in the later pandemic months.

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Background and purposeB‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) are well‐known surrogates of atrial fibrillation (AF) detection but studies usually present data on either BNP or NT‐proBNP. The aim was to determine and directly compare the validity of the two biomarkers as a tool to predict AF and guide prolonged cardiac monitoring in cryptogenic stroke patients.MethodsNon‐lacunar acute ischaemic stroke (<72 h) patients over 55 years of age with cryptogenic stroke after standard evaluation were included in the Crypto‐AF study and blood was collected. BNP and NT‐proBNP levels were determined by automated immunoassays. AF was assessed by 28 days’ monitoring. Highest (optimizing specificity) and lowest (optimizing sensitivity) quartiles were used as biomarker cut‐offs to build predictive models adjusted by sex and age. The integrated discrimination improvement index (IDI) and DeLong test were used to compare the performance of the two biomarkers.ResultsFrom 320 patients evaluated, 218 were included in the analysis. AF was detected in 50 patients (22.9%). NT‐proBNP (P < 0.001) and BNP (P < 0.001) levels were higher in subjects with AF and their levels correlated (r = 0.495, P < 0.001). BNP showed an increased area under the curve (0.720 vs. 0.669; P = 0.0218) and a better predictive capacity (IDI = 3.63%, 95% confidence interval 1.36%–5.91%) compared to NT‐proBNP. BNP performed better than NT‐proBNP in a specific model (IDI = 3.7%, 95% confidence interval 0.87%–6.5%), whilst both biomarkers performed similarly in the case of a sensitive model.ConclusionsBoth BNP and NT‐proBNP were increased in cryptogenic stroke patients with AF detection. Interestingly, BNP outperforms NT‐proBNP, especially in terms of specificity.

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Background and objectives:COVID-19 related inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and coagulopathy may increase the bleeding risk and lower efficacy of revascularization treatments in patients with acute ischemic stroke. We aimed to evaluate the safety and outcomes of revascularization treatments in patients with acute ischemic stroke and COVID-19.Methods:Retrospective multicenter cohort study of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular treatment (EVT) between March 2020 and June 2021, tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection. With a doubly-robust model combining propensity score weighting and multivariate regression, we studied the association of COVID-19 with intracranial bleeding complications and clinical outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed according to treatment groups (IVT-only and EVT).Results:Of a total of 15128 included patients from 105 centers, 853 (5.6%) were diagnosed with COVID-19. 5848 (38.7%) patients received IVT-only, and 9280 (61.3%) EVT (with or without IVT). Patients with COVID-19 had a higher rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.53; 95% CI 1.16–2.01), symptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SSAH) (OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.20–2.69), SICH and/or SSAH combined (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.23–1.99), 24-hour (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.58–3.86) and 3-month mortality (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.52–2.33).COVID-19 patients also had an unfavorable shift in the distribution of the modified Rankin score at 3 months (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.26–1.60).Discussion:Patients with acute ischemic stroke and COVID-19 showed higher rates of intracranial bleeding complications and worse clinical outcomes after revascularization treatments than contemporaneous non-COVID-19 treated patients. Current available data does not allow direct conclusions to be drawn on the effectiveness of revascularization treatments in COVID-19 patients, or to establish different treatment recommendations in this subgroup of patients with ischemic stroke. Our findings can be taken into consideration for treatment decisions, patient monitoring and establishing prognosis.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) refers to beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition in brain vessels and is clinically the main cause of lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Aβ can also accumulate in brain parenchyma forming neuritic plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Our study aimed to determine whether the peripheral lipid profile and lipoprotein composition are associated with cerebral beta-amyloidosis pathology and may reflect biological differences in AD and CAA. For this purpose, lipid and apolipoproteins levels were analyzed in plasma from 51 ICH-CAA patients (collected during the chronic phase of the disease), 60 AD patients, and 60 control subjects. Lipoproteins (VLDL, LDL, and HDL) were isolated and their composition and pro/antioxidant ability were determined. We observed that alterations in the lipid profile and lipoprotein composition were remarkable in the ICH-CAA group compared to control subjects, whereas the AD group presented no specific alterations compared with controls. ICH-CAA patients presented an atheroprotective profile, which consisted of lower total and LDL cholesterol levels. Plasma from chronic ICH-CAA patients also showed a redistribution of ApoC-III from HDL to VLDL and a higher ApoE/ApoC-III ratio in HDL. Whether these alterations reflect a protective response or have a causative effect on the pathology requires further investigation.

Background and Objectives:Declines in stroke admission, intravenous thrombolysis, and mechanical thrombectomy volumes were reported during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a paucity of data on the longer-term effect of the pandemic on stroke volumes over the course of a year and through the second wave of the pandemic. We sought to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes of stroke admissions, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), and mechanical thrombectomy over a one-year period at the onset of the pandemic (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021) compared with the immediately preceding year (March 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020).Methods:We conducted a longitudinal retrospective study across 6 continents, 56 countries, and 275 stroke centers. We collected volume data for COVID-19 admissions and 4 stroke metrics: ischemic stroke admissions, ICH admissions, intravenous thrombolysis treatments, and mechanical thrombectomy procedures. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases.Results:There were 148,895 stroke admissions in the one-year immediately before compared to 138,453 admissions during the one-year pandemic, representing a 7% decline (95% confidence interval [95% CI 7.1, 6.9]; p<0.0001). ICH volumes declined from 29,585 to 28,156 (4.8%, [5.1, 4.6]; p<0.0001) and IVT volume from 24,584 to 23,077 (6.1%, [6.4, 5.8]; p<0.0001). Larger declines were observed at high volume compared to low volume centers (all p<0.0001). There was no significant change in mechanical thrombectomy volumes (0.7%, [0.6,0.9]; p=0.49). Stroke was diagnosed in 1.3% [1.31,1.38] of 406,792 COVID-19 hospitalizations. SARS-CoV-2 infection was present in 2.9% ([2.82,2.97], 5,656/195,539) of all stroke hospitalizations.Discussion:There was a global decline and shift to lower volume centers of stroke admission volumes, ICH volumes, and IVT volumes during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the prior year. Mechanical thrombectomy volumes were preserved. These results suggest preservation in the stroke care of higher severity of disease through the first pandemic year.Trial Registration Information:This study is registered underNCT04934020.