Published in:
01-02-2022 | Stroke | Short Commentary
Delays in thrombolysis during COVID-19 are associated with worse neurological outcomes: the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology Multicenter Collaboration
Authors:
Dinesh V. Jillella, Fadi Nahab, Thanh N. Nguyen, Mohamad Abdalkader, David S. Liebeskind, Nirav Vora, Vivek Rai, Diogo C. Haussen, Raul G. Nogueira, Shashvat Desai, Ashutosh P. Jadhav, Alexandra L. Czap, Alicia M. Zha, Italo Linfante, Ameer E Hassan, Darko Quispe-Orozco, Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez, Priyank Khandelwal, Pratit Patel, Osama Zaidat, Tudor G. Jovin, Scott Kamen, James E. Siegler
Published in:
Journal of Neurology
|
Issue 2/2022
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Abstract
Introduction
We have demonstrated in a multicenter cohort that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a delay in intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) among stroke patients. Whether this delay contributes to meaningful short-term outcome differences in these patients warranted further exploration.
Methods
We conducted a nested observational cohort study of adult acute ischemic stroke patients receiving IVT from 9 comprehensive stroke centers across 7 U.S states. Patients admitted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (1/1/2019–02/29/2020) were compared to patients admitted during the early pandemic (3/1/2020–7/31/2020). Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of IVT delay on discharge to hospice or death, with treatment delay on admission during COVID-19 included as an interaction term.
Results
Of the 676 thrombolysed patients, the median age was 70 (IQR 58–81) years, 313 were female (46.3%), and the median NIHSS was 8 (IQR 4–16). Longer treatment delays were observed during COVID-19 (median 46 vs 38 min, p = 0.01) and were associated with higher in-hospital death/hospice discharge irrespective of admission period (OR per hour 1.08, 95% CI 1.01–1.17, p = 0.03). This effect was strengthened after multivariable adjustment (aOR 1.15, 95% CI 1.07–1.24, p < 0.001). There was no interaction of treatment delay on admission during COVID-19 (pinteraction = 0.65). Every one-hour delay in IVT was also associated with 7% lower odds of being discharged to home or acute inpatient rehabilitation facility (aOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89–0.97, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Treatment delays observed during the COVID-19 pandemic led to greater early mortality and hospice care, with a lower probability of discharge to home/rehabilitation facility. There was no effect modification of treatment delay on admission during the pandemic, indicating that treatment delay at any time contributes similarly to these short-term outcomes.