Enlighten-Research publications by members of the University of Glasgow http://eprints.gla.ac.uk Minimally invasive surgery with thrombolysis in intracerebral haemorrhage evacuation (MISTIE III): a randomised, controlled, open-label phase 3 trial with blinded endpoint

logistic regression and chi using SPSS program (Windows, version 12.0). During the first 24 hours 87% of the patients experienced pain (NRS 1 to 3: 32%, NRS 4 to 7: 44%, NRS 8 to 10: 11%). For postoperative analgesia, the opioid piritramide (a mu-receptor agonist) was administered to 70% and nonopiod analgesics to 73% of the patients. The probability of experiencing postcraniotomy pain was reduced by 3% for each year of life. Maintenance of anesthesia with sevoflurane increased the probability of suffering from postcraniotomy pain by 147% and the absence of corticosteroids by 119%. Other investigated parameters did not influence pain after craniotomy. This study shows that pain is experienced by the majority of patients after craniotomy, despite conventional pain management, emphasizing the necessity for improved and individualized pain management in this special group of patients.

In this study, the technical aids yielded discordant results in 14% of cases, necessitating interpretation by an expert examiner. The perfusion tests, in particular, can give false-positive results in patients with large cranial defects, skull fractures, or cerebrospinal fluid drainage. In such cases, electrophysiologic tests or a repeated clinical examination should be performed instead. CTA is a promising, highly reliable new method for demonstrating absent intracranial blood flow. In our view, it should be incorporated into the German guidelines for the diagnosis of brain death.

Background Idarucizumab is a monoclonal antibody fragment with high affinity for dabigatran reversing its anticoagulant effects within minutes. Thereby, patients with acute ischemic stroke who are on dabigatran treatment may become eligible for thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA). In patients on dabigatran with intracerebral hemorrhage idarucizumab could prevent lesion growth. Aims To provide insights into the clinical use of idarucizumab in patients under effective dabigatran anticoagulation presenting with signs of acute ischemic stroke or intracranial hemorrhage. Methods Retrospective data collected from German neurological/neurosurgical departments administering idarucizumab following product launch from January 2016 to August 2018 were used. Results One-hundred and twenty stroke patients received idarucizumab in 61 stroke centers. Eighty patients treated with dabigatran presented with ischemic stroke and 40 patients suffered intracranial bleeding (intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in n = 27). In patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis with rt-PA following idarucizumab, 78% showed a median improvement of 7 points in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. No bleeding complications were reported. Hematoma growth was observed in 3 out of 27 patients with ICH. Outcome was favorable with a median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale improvement of 4 points and modified Rankin score 0–3 in 61%. Six out of 40 individuals (15%) with intracranial bleeding died during hospital stay. Conclusion Administration of rt-PA after reversal of dabigatran activity with idarucizumab in case of acute ischemic stroke seems feasible, effective, and safe. In dabigatran-associated intracranial hemorrhage, idarucizumab appears to prevent hematoma growth and to improve outcome.

The overall incidence of PONV within 24 hours after craniotomy was approximately 50%. One possible reason is that intracranial surgeries pose an additional and independent risk factor for vomiting, especially in female patients. Patients undergoing craniotomy should be identified as high-risk patients for PONV.

CT-A is easily accessible in almost every hospital, offers a high spatio-temporal resolution, is operator independent and inexpensive. The results of CT-A are comparable to other established brain perfusion techniques in BD. An international consensus should be established to ascertain consistent parameters similar to fixed guidelines for other ancillary procedures to determine BD in order to prevent different scanning and evaluation protocols for detecting intracranial circulatory arrest.

BACKGROUND:Minimally invasive surgery procedures, including stereotactic catheter aspiration and clearance of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator hold a promise to improve outcome of supratentorial brain hemorrhage, a morbid and disabling type of stroke. A recently completed Phase III randomized trial showed improved mortality but was neutral on the primary outcome (modified Rankin scale score 0 to 3 at 1 yr). OBJECTIVE: To assess surgical performance and its impact on the extent of ICH evacuation and functional outcomes. METHODS: Univariate and multivariate models were used to assess the extent of hematoma evacuation efficacy in relation to mRS 0 to 3 outcome and postulated factors related to patient, disease, and protocol adherence in the surgical arm (n = 242) of the MISTIE trial. RESULTS: Greater ICH reduction has a higher likelihood of achieving mRS of 0 to 3 with a minimum evacuation threshold of ≤15 mL end of treatment ICH volume or ≥70% volume reduction when controlling for disease severity factors. Mortality benefit was achieved at ≤30 mL end of treatment ICH volume, or >53% volume reduction. Initial hematoma volume, history of hypertension, irregular-shaped hematoma, number of alteplase doses given, surgical protocol deviations, and catheter manipulation problems were significant factors in failing to achieve ≤15 mL goal evacuation. Greater surgeon/site experiences were associated with avoiding poor hematoma evacuation. CONCLUSION: This is the first surgical trial reporting thresholds for reduction of ICH volume correlating with improved mortality and functional outcomes. To realize the benefit of surgery, protocol objectives, surgeon education, technical enhancements, and case selection should be focused on this goal.

CT-A is reliable and appropriate technical investigation to detect intracranial circulatory arrest in BD. The evaluation of contrast enhancement in arterial phase scanning seems to be more reliable than that in venous phase. An international consensus about a uniformly applied CT-A protocol for the evaluation of BD should be established.