Acute ischaemic stroke interventions: large vessel occlusion and beyond

Care for acute ischaemic stroke is one of the most rapidly evolving fields due to the robust outcomes achieved by mechanical thrombectomy.Large vessel occlusion(LVO)accounts for up to 38%of acute ischaemic stroke and comes with devastating outcomes for patients,families and society in the pre-intervention era.A paradigm shift and a breakthrough brought mechanical thrombectomy back into the spotlight for acute ischaemic stroke;this was because five randomised controlled trials from several countries concluded that mechanical thrombectomy for acute stroke offered overwhelming benefits.This review article will present a comprehensive overview of LVO management,techniques and devices used,and the future of stroke therapy.In addition,we review our institution experience of mechanical thrombectomy for posterior and distal circulation occlusion.

Decline in subarachnoid haemorrhage volumes associated with the first wave of the COVID- 19 pandemic

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic,decreased volumes of stroke admissions and mechanical thrombectomy were reported.The study’s objective was to examine whether subarachnoid haemorrhage(SAH)hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions demonstrated similar declines.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional,retrospective,observational study across 6 continents,37 countries and 140 comprehensive stroke centres.Patients with the diagnosis of SAH,aneurysmal SAH,ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions and COVID-19 were identified by prospective aneurysm databases or by International Classification of Diseases,10th Revision,codes.The 3-month cumulative volume,monthly volumes for SAH hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling procedures were compared for the period before(1 year and immediately before)and during the pandemic,defined as 1 March-31 May 2020.The prior 1-year control period(1 March-31 May 2019)was obtained to account for seasonal variation.Findings There was a significant decline in SAH hospitalisations,with 2044 admissions in the 3 months immediately before and 1585 admissions during the pandemic,representing a relative decline of 22.5%(95%CI−24.3%to−20.7%,p<0.0001).Embolisation of ruptured aneurysms declined with 1170-1035 procedures,respectively,representing an 11.5%(95%CI−13.5%to−9.8%,p=0.002)relative drop.Subgroup analysis was noted for aneurysmal SAH hospitalisation decline from 834 to 626 hospitalisations,a 24.9%relative decline(95%CI−28.0%to−22.1%,p<0.0001).A relative increase in ruptured aneurysm coiling was noted in low coiling volume hospitals of 41.1%(95%CI 32.3%to 50.6%,p=0.008)despite a decrease in SAH admissions in this tertile.Interpretation There was a relative decrease in the volume of SAH hospitalisations,aneurysmal SAH hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm embolisations during the COVID-19 pandemic.These findings in SAH are consistent with a decrease in other emergencies,such as stroke and myocardial infarction.