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Purpose Point-of-care imaging with mobile CT scanners offers several advantages, provided that the image quality is satisfactory. Our aim was to compare image quality of a novel mobile CT to stationary scanners for patients in a neurosurgical intensive care unit (ICU). Methods From November 2020 to April 2021, all patients above 18 years of age examined by a mobile CT scanner at a neurosurgical ICU were included if they also had a stationary head CT examination during the same hospitalization. Quantitative image quality parameters included attenuation and noise in six predefined regions of interest, as well as contrast-to-noise ratio between gray and white matter. Subjective image quality was rated on a 4-garde scale, by four radiologists blinded to scanner parameters. Results Fifty patients were included in the final study population. Radiation dose and image attenuation values were similar for mobCT and stationary CTs. There was a small statistically significant difference in subjective quality rating between mobCT and stationary CT images. Two radiologists favored the stationary CT images, one was neutral, and one favored mobCT images. For overall image quality, 14% of mobCT images were rated grade 1 (poor image quality) compared to 8% for stationary CT images. Conclusion Point-of-care brain CT imaging was successfully performed on clinical neurosurgical ICU patients with small reduction in image quality, predominantly affecting the posterior fossa, compared to high-end stationary CT scanners.

Background Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is standard of care for anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by large vessel occlusion (LVO), but data on nationwide performance in routine healthcare are sparse. The study aims were to describe EVT patients with LVO AIS, analyze mortality and functional outcome, and compare results with randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods Data from the Riksstroke and the Swedish Endovascular Treatment of Acute Stroke Registry (RSEVAS) on pre-stroke independent patients, with LVO AIS in 2017–2019, defined as occlusion of the intracranial internal carotid artery, or the M1 or M2 segments of the middle cerebral artery, and groin puncture Results In all, 1011/2560 of RSEVAS patients matched RCT inclusion criteria. Compared with RCT data, patients were older (73 vs. 68), fewer received intravenous thrombolysis (63.1% vs. 83%), and M2 occlusions were more common (24.5% vs. 8%). 90-day survival in RSEVAS was 85.3%, 42.8% achieved good outcome and 5% had symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). Corresponding outcomes in RCT data were 84.7% survival, 46% good outcome, and 4.4% sICH. Functional outcome was most favorable following M2 occlusions. Conclusions EVT patients from our large real-world national dataset differed from RCT patients in several baseline factors including distribution of vascular occlusion site. However, the overall outcome of EVT in our Swedish cohort appeared to well match the pivotal trial findings.

Introduction: Ischemic stroke incidence appears to have decreased during the last decades, but most studies focus on the first-ever events and epidemiological data on recurrent stroke are scarce. The aim of our study was to investigate trends in incidence, risk factors, and medication in patients with first-ever and recurrent ischemic stroke between 2010 and 2019 in Sweden. Methods: We included patients (≥18 years old) with ischemic stroke registered in the hospital-based Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke) 2010–2019. The coverage of Riksstroke was consistently high (about 90%) during this period. Data were stratified by first-ever and recurrent ischemic stroke in three different time periods (2010–2012, 2013–2016, and 2017–2019) and shown as crude and age-specific incidence rates per 100,000 person-years. Statistics Sweden provided census data on the Swedish population in different age groups. Results: During the study period, 201,316 cases of ischemic stroke were registered in Riksstroke, including 153,865 (76.4%) cases of first-ever ischemic stroke and 46,248 (23.0%) cases of recurrent ischemic stroke (0.6% of cases unclassified). The crude incidence of first-ever ischemic stroke decreased by 17% from 216 (95% CI 214–218) to 179 (95% CI 177–181) between 2010–2012 and 2017–2019, whereas recurrent ischemic stroke decreased by 33% from 72 (95% CI 71–73) to 48 (95% CI 47–49). Between these time periods, diminishing ischemic stroke incidence was seen in all age groups with highest decline noted in those aged 75–84 years (928 [95% CI 914–943] to 698 [95% CI 686–709]; −25% in first-ever ischemic stroke and 361 [95% CI 351–370] to 219 [95% CI 213–226]; −39% in recurrent ischemic stroke) and ≥85 years (1,674 [95% CI 1,645–1,703] to 1,295 [95% CI 1,270–1,320]; −23% in first-ever ischemic stroke and 683 [95% CI 664–702] to 423 [95% CI 409–437]; −38% in recurrent ischemic stroke). Treatment with anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation and lipid-lowering drugs increased considerably in patients with first-ever and recurrent ischemic stroke both at admission and discharge during the study period. Conclusion: Whereas both first-ever and recurrent ischemic stroke rates declined in Sweden between 2010 and 2019, the proportional decline was almost double for recurrent ischemic stroke than for first-ever ischemic stroke and most pronounced in the elderly. Increased use of secondary preventive drugs, in particular anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation, appears to have contributed, but further studies on precise causes for the decline in recurrent ischemic stroke are needed.

BackgroundEndovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for ischemic stroke (IS) beyond 6 hours has been proven effective in randomized controlled trials. We present data on implementation and outcomes for EVT beyond 6 hours in Sweden.MethodsWe included all cases of anterior circulation IS caused by occlusion of the intracranial carotid artery, and the M1 or M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery, registered in two nationwide quality registers for stroke in 2015–2020. Three groups were defined from onset-to-groin-puncture (OTG) time: early window (ResultsLate window EVT increased from 0.3% of all IS in 2015 to 1.8% in 2020, and from 17.4% of all anterior circulation EVTs in 2015 to 32.9% in 2020. Of 2199 patients, 76.9% (n=1690) were early window EVTs and 23.1% late window EVTs (n=509; 141 known onset, 368 LSW). Median age was 73 years, and 46.2% were female, with no differences between groups. Favorable outcome did not differ between groups (early window 42.4%, late window known onset 38.9%, late window LSW 37.3% (p=0.737)) and remained similar when adjusted for baseline differences. sICH rates did not differ (early window 4.0%, late window known onset 2.1%, late window LSW 4.9% (p=0.413)).ConclusionLate window EVTs have increased substantially over time, and currently account for one third of anterior circulation treatments. Early and late window patients had similar outcomes.

Purpose We present the first nationwide study on endovascular therapy for basilar artery occlusion (BAO) from early hospital management to 3-month outcome. Methods Data were collected on all acute ischaemic stroke patients registered 2016–2019 in the two national quality registers for stroke care and endovascular therapy (EVT), receiving EVT for BAO and subclassified into proximal, middle and distal. Results In all, 251 patients were included: 69 proximal, 73 middle and 109 distal BAO. Patients with proximal BAO were younger (66, middle 71, distal 76, p p = 0.015), more often smokers (28.6%, middle 20.3%, distal 11.5%, p p p p p = 0.02). Older and pre-stroke dependent patients had higher mortality, as did patients in whom angioplasty/stenting was performed. Conclusion We confirm a serious outcome in BAO despite endovascular therapies, and demonstrate important differences relating to occlusion location in baseline characteristics, procedural time, therapeutic measures and outcome. Further in-depth analyses of factors affecting outcome in BAO are warranted.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for 10–20% of all strokes worldwide and is associated with serious outcomes, including a 30-day mortality rate of up to 40%. Neuroimaging is pivotal in diagnosing ICH as early detection and determination of underlying cause, and risk for expansion/rebleeding is essential in providing the correct treatment. Non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) is the most used modality for detection of ICH, identification of prognostic markers and measurements of hematoma volume, all of which are of major importance to predict outcome. The strongest predictors of 30-day mortality and functional outcome for ICH patients are baseline hematoma volume and hematoma expansion. Even so, exact hematoma measurement is rare in clinical routine practice, primarily due to a lack of tools available for fast, effective, and reliable volumetric tools. In this educational review, we discuss neuroimaging findings for ICH from NCCT images, and their prognostic value, as well as the use of semi-automatic and fully automated hematoma volumetric methods and assessment of hematoma expansion in prognostic studies.

Background Acute ischemic lesions are challenging to detect by conventional computed tomography (CT). Virtual monoenergetic images may improve detection rates by increased tissue contrast. Purpose To compare the ability to detect ischemic lesions of virtual monoenergetic with conventional images in patients with acute stroke. Material and Methods We included consecutive patients at our center that underwent brain CT in a spectral scanner for suspicion of acute stroke, onset Results In total, 29 patients were included (January 2018 to July 2019). SNR was higher in virtual monoenergetic compared to conventional images, significantly at 60–150 keV. CNR between ischemic gray and normal white matter was higher in monoenergetic images at 40–70 keV compared to conventional images. Virtual monoenergetic images received higher scores in overall image quality. The sensitivity for diagnosing acute ischemia was 93% and 97%, respectively, for the reviewers, compared to 55% of the original report based on conventional images. Conclusion Virtual monoenergetic reconstructions of spectral CIs may improve image quality and diagnostic ability in stroke assessment.

Purpose Hematoma volume is the strongest predictor of patient outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The aim of this study was to validate novel fully automated software for quantification of ICH volume on non-contrast computed tomography (CT). Methods The population was defined from the Swedish Stroke Register (RS) and included all patients with an ICH diagnosis during 2016–2019 in Region Skåne. Hemorrhage volume on their initial head CT was measured using ABC/2 and manual segmentation (Sectra IDS7 volume measurement tool) and the automated volume quantification tool (qER–NCCT) by Qure.ai. The first 500 were examined by two independent readers. Results A total of 1649 ICH patients were included. The qER–NCCT had 97% sensitivity in identifying ICH. In total, there was excellent agreement between volumetric measurements of ICH volumes by qER–NCCT and manual segmentation by interclass correlation (ICC = 0.96), and good agreement (ICC = 0.86) between qER–NCCT and ABC/2 method. The qER–NCCT showed volume underestimation, mainly in large (> 30 ml) heterogenous hemorrhages. Interrater agreement by (ICC) was 0.996 (95% CI: 0.99–1.00) for manual segmentation. Conclusion Our study showed excellent agreement in volume quantification between the fully automated software qER–NCCT and manual segmentation of ICH on NCCT. The qER–NCCT would be an important additive tool by aiding in early diagnostics and prognostication for patients with ICH and in provide volumetry on a population-wide level. Further refinement of the software should address the underestimation of ICH volume seen in a portion of large, heterogenous, irregularly shaped ICHs.

We aimed to describe baseline characteristics of patients with oral anticoagulant-related intracerebral hemorrhage (OAC-ICH) in Sweden and to identify predictive variables associated with receiving hemostatic treatment in the event of OAC-ICH.We performed an observational study based on data from Riksstroke and the Swedish Causes of Death Register to define baseline characteristics of patients with OAC-ICH who received reversal treatment compared with patients who did not receive reversal treatment during 2017-2019. Predictive analysis was performed using multivariable logistic regression to identify odds ratios for factors associated with receiving OAC reversal treatment.We included 1902 patients ((n = 1146; OAC reversal treatment) (n = 756; no OAC reversal treatment)). The proportion of non-Vitamin K oral anticoagulant associated ICH (NOAC-ICH) patients who received reversal treatment was 48.4% and the proportion of Vitamin K antagonist-associated ICH (VKA-ICH) patients was 72.9%. Factors associated with a lower odds of receiving reversal treatment were increased age (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99), previous stroke (OR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.62-0.98), comatose LOC (OR = 0.36;95%CI: 0.27-0.48; ref. = alert), pre-stroke dependency (OR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.58-0.91), and NOAC treatment (OR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.28-0.42). Care at a university hospital was not associated with higher odds of receiving reversal treatment compared to treatment at a county hospital.Treatment with a reversal agent following OAC-ICH was related to several patient factors including type of OAC drug. We identified that only 48% of patients with NOAC-ICH received hemostatic treatment despite an increase in these cases. Further studies are required to guide the use of reversal therapies more precisely, particularly in NOAC-ICH.

The introduction of time-dependent reperfusion therapies in acute ischemic stroke has increased the need for early identification. We explore the safety and feasibility of STROKE ALARM which detects sudden arm paresis, the most frequent symptom in stroke.Consecutive patients admitted with a stroke or TIA at Skåne University Hospital were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and included in the STROKE ALARM PRO 1 Study aiming to explore the feasibility of prolonged use (30 days) of the system in the community. STROKE ALARM consists of paired arm bracelets with accelerometers, coupled with a stroke test in a smartphone application. In case of an imbalance in arm movements, the user is prompted to perform an app-based stroke test. Failure to respond or to complete the stroke test correctly, triggers notification by SMS to predefined emergency contacts. Patients were followed up by telephone after completion.Thirty patients were included and 28 completed follow-up. Median age was 68 years and 36.7% were female. No stroke events were recorded during follow-up. False indications occurred in all but one patient, and 22 (78.6%) experienced alarms to their emergency contacts. Despite a high level of false alarms, general user experience was rated in a positive or neutral manner by almost 90%. Very frequent alarms were probably due to mild arm paresis not detected in routine clinical assessment.Use of STROKE ALARM for 30 days after stroke/TIA was well tolerated warranting further study for early automated detection of stroke recurrence.

Background and Purpose: To date, large studies comparing mortality and functional outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) during oral anticoagulant (OAC), antiplatelet, and nonantithrombotic use are few and show discrepant results. Methods: We used data on 13 291 patients with ICH registered in Riksstroke between 2012 and 2016 to compare 90-day mortality and functional outcome following OAC-related ICH (n=2300), antiplatelet-related ICH (n=3637), and nonantithrombotic ICH (n=7354). Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses, with adjustment for relevant confounders, were used to compare 90-day mortality. Early (≤24 hours and 1–7 days) and late (8–90 days) mortality was also studied in subgroup analyses. Univariable and multivariable 90-day functional outcome, based on self-reported modified Rankin Scale, was determined using logistic regression. Results: Patients with antithrombotic treatment were more often prestroke dependent, older, and had a larger comorbidity burden compared with patients without antithrombotic treatment. At 90 days, antiplatelet and OAC were associated with an increased death rate in multivariable analysis (antiplatelet ICH: hazard ratio, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.14–1.33]; OAC ICH: hazard ratio, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.26–1.57]) compared with nonantithrombotic ICH (reference). OAC ICH and antiplatelet ICH were associated with higher risk of early mortality (≤24 hours: OAC ICH: hazard ratio, 1.93 [95% CI, 1.57–2.38]; antiplatelet ICH: hazard ratio, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.13–1.54]). In multivariable analysis, the odds ratios for the association of antiplatelet and OAC treatment on functional dependency (modified Rankin Scale score, 3–5) at 90 days were nonsignificant (antiplatelet: odds ratio, 1.07 [95% CI, 0.92–1.24]; OAC: odds ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.76–1.22]). Conclusions: In this large observational study, we found that 90-day mortality outcome was worse not only in OAC ICH but also in antiplatelet ICH, compared with patients with nonantithrombotic ICH. Antiplatelet ICH is common and is a serious condition with poor clinical outcome. Further studies are, therefore, warranted in determining the appropriate clinical management of these patients.

Background Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is one of the most common neurosurgical disorders and the incidence is rising. The routine treatment is neurosurgical hematoma evacuation, which is associated with recurrence rates up to 10–25%. In recent years, endovascular embolization of the middle meningeal artery (eMMA) has garnered much attention due to recurrence rates as low as Methods The trial is academically driven and funded within existing public healthcare systems and infrastructure. Patients with uni- or bilateral cSDH, presenting with mild-to moderate symptoms, and admitted to neurosurgery on clinical grounds will be offered participation. Subjects are randomized 1:1 between conventional neurosurgical treatment (control) and endovascular embolization of the middle meningeal artery (intervention). Primary endpoint is reoperation due to clinically and/or radiologically significant recurrence within 3 months. Secondary endpoints include safety, technical success rate, neurological disability, and quality of life. Discussion There are mounting retrospective data suggesting eMMA, as sole treatment or as an adjunctive to neurosurgery for cSDH, is safe and effective with a reoperation rate lower than neurosurgical hematoma evacuation alone. If randomized controlled trials confirm these findings, there is a potential for a paradigm shift in the treatment of cSDH where a minimally invasive procedure can replace open surgery in a large and oftentimes old and fragile patient cohort. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05267184. Registered March 4, 2022.

Introduction While acute treatment and secondary prevention in stroke have undergone major improvements, hospital readmission after index stroke remains high. However, there are few reports on long-term readmission patterns. Patients and methods For this prospective observational study, data on demographics, functional status and living conditions were obtained from the Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke). Data on comorbidity and hospital readmissions up to five years post-index stroke were obtained from the Swedish National Patient Register. Patients were grouped based on number of readmissions: low (0–1) intermediate (2–4), high (5–9) or very high (≥10). Results Of the 10,092 patients included, 43.7% had been readmitted within 12 months and 74.0% within 5 years. There was an average of three readmissions per individual during the five-year interval. A small group of patients with a high-comorbidity burden accounted for the majority of readmissions: approximately 20% of patients accounted for 60% of readmissions, and 5% of patients accounted for 25%. Circulatory conditions were the most common cause followed by infectious disease, stroke, trauma and diseases of the nervous system other than stroke. The proportion of readmissions due to stroke decreased sharply in the first six months. Conclusion A small number of patients with a high degree of comorbidity accounted for the majority of hospital readmissions after index stroke. Our results highlight the need for further development of strategies to support high-risk comorbid stroke patients in the community setting. Further research describing characteristics and healthcare utilisation patterns in this group is warranted.

This review describes the evolution of endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke, current state of the art, and the challenges for the next decade. The rapid development of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), from the first attempts into standard of care on a global scale, is one of the major achievements in modern medicine. It was possible thanks to the establishment of a scientific framework for patient selection, assessment of stroke severity and outcome, technical development by dedicated physicians and the MedTech industry, including noninvasive imaging for patient selection, and radiological outcome evaluation. A series of randomized controlled trials on EVT in addition to intravenous thrombolytics, with overwhelmingly positive results for anterior circulation stroke within 6 h of onset regardless of patient characteristics with a number needed to treat of less than 3 for any positive shift in outcome, paved the way for a rapid introduction of EVT into clinical practice. Within the “extended” time window of 6–24 h, the effect has been even greater for patients with salvageable brain tissue according to perfusion imaging with a number needed to treat below 2. Even so, EVT is only available for a small portion of stroke patients, and successfully recanalized EVT patients do not always achieve excellent functional outcome. The major challenges in the years to come include rapid prehospital detection of stroke symptoms, adequate clinical and radiological diagnosis of severe ischemic stroke cases, enabling effective recanalization by EVT in dedicated angiosuites, followed by personalized post-EVT stroke care.

BackgroundA substantial number of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) experience multiple acute lesions (MAL). However, the spatial distribution and clinical implications of such MAL are incompletely understood.MethodsAnalyses relied upon imaging and clinical data of patients with AIS from the international MRI-GENIE study. Initially, we systematically evaluated the occurrences of MAL within (i) one and, (ii) several vascular supply territories. Associations between the presence of MAL and important characteristics, such as DWI lesion volume, NIHSS-based acute stroke severity, and long-term functional outcome were subsequently determined. The interaction effect between single and multiple lesion status and DWI lesion volume was estimated by means of Bayesian regression modeling for stroke severity and functional outcome.ResultsWe analyzed 2,466 patients [age: 63.4±14.8, 39% women], 49.7% of which presented with single lesions. Another 37.4% experienced MAL in a single vascular territory, while 12.9% featured lesions in several territories. Within most territories (anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral artery, cerebellar), multiple lesions occurred as frequently as single lesions (ratio ∼1:1). Only the brainstem region comprised fewer patients with multiple lesions (ratio ∼1:4). Patients with MAL presented with a significantly higher DWI lesion volume and acute NIHSS (7.7ml vs. 1.7ml and 4 vs. 3,pFDR≤0.001). In contrast, patients with a single lesion were characterized by a significantly higher WMH burden (6.1ml versus 5.3ml,pFDR=0.048). Functional outcome did not differ significantly between patients with single versus multiple lesions. Bayesian analyses suggested that the association between DWI lesion volume and stroke severity between single and multiple lesions was the same in case of anterior circulation stroke. In the case of posterior circulation stroke, DWI lesion volume was linked to a higher acute NIHSS only among those with multiple lesions.ConclusionsMultiple lesions, especially those within one vascular territory, occurred more frequently than previously reported. Overall, multiple lesions were distinctly linked to a higher acute stroke severity, a higher DWI lesion volume and lower WMH lesion volume. In posterior circulation stroke, lesion volume was linked to a higher stroke severity in multiple lesions only.

Recent advances in stroke treatment have provided effective tools to successfully treat ischemic stroke, but still a majority of patients are not treated due to late arrival to hospital. With modern stroke treatment, earlier arrival would greatly improve the overall treatment results. This prospective study was performed to asses the capability of bilateral accelerometers worn in bracelets 24/7 to detect unilateral arm paralysis, a hallmark symptom of stroke, early enough to receive treatment. Classical machine learning algorithms as well as state-of-the-art deep neural networks were evaluated on detection times between 15 min and 120 min. Motion data were collected using triaxial accelerometer bracelets worn on both arms for 24 h. Eighty-four stroke patients with unilateral arm motor impairment and 101 healthy subjects participated in the study. Accelerometer data were divided into data windows of different lengths and analyzed using multiple machine learning algorithms. The results show that all algorithms performed well in separating the two groups early enough to be clinically relevant, based on wrist-worn accelerometers. The two evaluated deep learning models, fully convolutional network and InceptionTime, performed better than the classical machine learning models with an AUC score between 0.947–0.957 on 15 min data windows and up to 0.993–0.994 on 120 min data windows. Window lengths longer than 90 min only marginally improved performance. The difference in performance between the deep learning models and the classical models was statistically significant according to a non-parametric Friedman test followed by a post-hoc Nemenyi test. Introduction of wearable stroke detection devices may dramatically increase the portion of stroke patients eligible for revascularization and shorten the time to treatment. Since the treatment effect is highly time-dependent, early stroke detection may dramatically improve stroke outcomes.

Recent advances in stroke treatment have provided effective tools to successfully treat ischemic stroke, but still a majority of patients are not treated due to late arrival to hospital. With modern stroke treatment, earlier arrival would greatly improve the overall treatment results. This prospective study was performed to asses the capability of bilateral accelerometers worn in bracelets 24/7 to detect unilateral arm paralysis, a hallmark symptom of stroke, early enough to receive treatment. Classical machine learning algorithms as well as state-of-the-art deep neural networks were evaluated on detection times between 15 min and 120 min. Motion data were collected using triaxial accelerometer bracelets worn on both arms for 24 h. Eighty-four stroke patients with unilateral arm motor impairment and 101 healthy subjects participated in the study. Accelerometer data were divided into data windows of different lengths and analyzed using multiple machine learning algorithms. The results show that all algorithms performed well in separating the two groups early enough to be clinically relevant, based on wrist-worn accelerometers. The two evaluated deep learning models, fully convolutional network and InceptionTime, performed better than the classical machine learning models with an AUC score between 0.947–0.957 on 15 min data windows and up to 0.993–0.994 on 120 min data windows. Window lengths longer than 90 min only marginally improved performance. The difference in performance between the deep learning models and the classical models was statistically significant according to a non-parametric Friedman test followed by a post-hoc Nemenyi test. Introduction of wearable stroke detection devices may dramatically increase the portion of stroke patients eligible for revascularization and shorten the time to treatment. Since the treatment effect is highly time-dependent, early stroke detection may dramatically improve stroke outcomes.

Background Informal caregivers provide a large amount of day-to-day assistance and are crucial for the ability of survivors to recover and adapt to life after stroke. Aim The development of caregiver support programs is limited by lack of large long-term follow-up studies. We present a comprehensive study of Swedish stroke caregivers' life situation in relation to degree of functional dependency of the survivor. Patients and methods In 2016, the Swedish Stroke Register, Riksstroke, conducted a long-term follow-up survey on caregivers to patients with stroke three and five years earlier. Items on psychological well-being were adapted from the 36-item short-form health survey and poor outcome was defined using the 36-item short-form health survey reference material. Survivor degree of dependency was indicated by the caregiver as independent, partially dependent, or completely dependent. Results A total of 5063 community dwelling dyads were included: 56.5% of survivors were independent, 33.4% partially dependent, and 10.1% completely dependent. Caregiver life impact, need of support, and proportion of poor psychological well-being increased incrementally with survivor degree of dependency. In the completely dependent group where 41.1% of survivors could not be left unattended for more than 1 h, 23.7% of caregivers expressed unmet need of caregiver support; 51.4% reported poor psychological well-being compared to 19.3% in the independent group. Conclusion The caregiver situation varies greatly with degree of survivor dependency which makes generalizations of caregiver needs difficult. Our results emphasize the need for integrating support aimed specifically at caregivers to survivors of stroke with a large degree of dependency.

Background and Purpose— Longitudinal long-term prognostic data after stroke based on large cohorts are sparse. We report recent survival and functional outcome data on ischemic stroke (IS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) for up to 5 years poststroke from the Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke). Methods— Beyond Riksstroke’s regular follow-up surveys at 3 and 12 months, additional surveys were conducted in 2016 on 2 one-year cohorts with stroke 3 and 5 years earlier. Functional dependency was defined as modified Rankin Scale ≥3. Mortality data of the original cohorts were obtained from the Swedish Causes of Death Register. Multiple imputation was used to estimate functional status in nonresponders. Results— The study included 22 929 patients, 87.5% with IS and 12.5% with ICH. Loss to follow-up in the 4 surveys was 12.8% to 21.2%. Thirty-day mortality was higher for ICH than for IS (30.7% versus 11.1%; P P =0.858). Functional outcome was less favorable for ICH at all follow-up points. At 5 years, poor outcome (death or dependency) was 79% in ICH and 70.6% in IS (including imputed data; P Conclusions— Despite advances in stroke care, long-term prognosis remains a cause for concern. At 5 years after stroke over 2 in 3 patients with IS, and over 3 in 4 patients with ICH, were dead or dependent. We present robust long-term prognostic data to serve as a reference for further development of healthcare and research in stroke.

There is recent evidence supporting that a comprehensive post-stroke treatment program improves outcome. However, the prevalence of stroke-related health problems and the extent of needed interventions have not been well-delineated. The Struct-FU study aims to assess the feasibility of a comprehensive stroke follow-up model and to map stroke-related problems and subsequent multidisciplinary interventions using a modified Post-stroke Checklist (PSC).We consecutively screened all acute stroke patients at Skåne University Hospital, Sweden during an eight-month period in 2018-2019. Patients discharged to own home were eligible for inclusion. We defined a stroke-related health problem as a health- or social issue corresponding to one of the 14 items in the modified PSC, and with onset after the stroke event. Three-months post-stroke, a semi-structured interview using a 14-item modified PSC was completed to map the prevalence of stroke-related health problems, as well as any subsequent multidisciplinary stroke team interventions prompted by the visit.The number of included patients was 200. Of these, 165 (82.9%) completed three-month follow-up, one died, and 34 were lost to follow-up. All patients completed the full PSC, and the majority (92.7%) reported stroke-related problems identified using the PSC, with the median number being three per patient, and half having four or more problems. Patients=65 years (n=44) presented with more stroke-related problems than patients65 years (n=121) (5 vs. 3, p=0.003). The median number of interventions was two per patient. Doctor's interventions (changes in medication, referrals or further work-up) were done in 53% of patients, 77% needed a nurse's or other stroke team professional's intervention (tailored advice, information, audits, rehabilitation assessments) and 15% needed no intervention. Only 3.6% of patients reported other stroke-related challenges (PSC item 14) than those specified in item 1-13.We report a high burden of stroke-related health problems in community dwelling stroke patients with mild to moderate stroke. Multidisciplinary interventions were prompted in the vast majority (85%). Only 3.6% of patients reported challenges not captured with the Post-stroke Checklist, reflecting that the comprehensive approach captures the majority of stroke-related health problems, and gives a good estimate of the total stroke-related health burden for each individual.

Introduction: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most serious adverse effect of oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment. The effect of OAC reversal therapy on outcome is uncertain. We compared 90-day survival and functional outcome in patients with OAC-ICH who received OAC reversal therapy with those who did not. Methods: Data from The Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke) for all registered cases of OAC-ICH during 2017 (572 patients) were used to obtain information on reversal (n = 369) and non-reversal (n = 203) treatment receiving patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis stratified for level of consciousness (LOC) on admission, and adjustment for relevant baseline variables, was used to compare 90-day Hazard Ratios (HR) for mortality. Results: Sixty-five percent of patients received reversal treatment. These patients were younger, more often pre-stroke independent and alert at presentation. Withholding reversal treatment was associated with an increased death rate (HR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.08–2.01) in a Cox regression model stratified for LOC and adjusted for baseline imbalances. Additional factors associated with an increased 90-day death rate were male sex (HR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.06–1.92), age (HR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02–1.07), and intraventricular hemorrhage (HR = 2.41; CI: 1.77–3.29). Conclusion: In this large observational study 35% of patients with OAC-ICH did not receive reversal treatment. Patients receiving OAC-reversal treatment had an improved 90-day mortality outcome compared to those not receiving treatment. Mortality was strongly related to LOC. Further, and larger, studies are required to determine which patient groups may benefit from reversal therapy and in whom non-reversal is adequate.

Objective: This paper aims at examining the clinical characteristics of ischemic stroke patients with different levels of prestroke functional dependency, their long-term outcome, and determinants of five-year mortality. Materials and methods: We describe demographics, comorbidity, treatment, as well as long-term mortality, and functional status of 5899 prestroke-dependent ischemic stroke patients stratified by dependency level and compared to a concurrent cohort of 14 148 prestroke-independent patients. The study was based on 2016 survey data from Riksstroke, the Swedish national stroke register, and patients were followed up at three months, 12 months, and either at three or five years. We used Cox regression for mortality predictor analysis and multiple imputation was performed to minimize bias from loss to follow-up. Results: With increasing level of prestroke dependency, comorbidity burden was higher, drug prescription lower, and prognosis less favorable. At three years, the proportion that had died or deteriorated were 82.6%, 87.5%, and 86.3% in moderate, moderately severe, and severe dependency, respectively. In moderate dependency, prognosis was relatively favorable: Three-month mortality was half of that seen in severe dependency (25.3% versus 49.6%). Differences in overall outcome between groups of varying prestroke functional dependency level were statistically significant (P

Introduction Information on follow-up practices after stroke in clinical routine are sparse. We studied the probability of doctor’s follow-up within 90, 120, 180, and 365 days after hospital discharge, and how patient characteristics were associated with the probability of follow-up, in a large unselected stroke cohort. Patients and methods Data on patients living in southern Sweden, hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2010, were obtained from the Swedish stroke register (Riksstroke) and merged with administrative data on doctor’s visits during the year following stroke. Results Complete data were registered in 8164 patients. The cumulative probability of a doctor’s follow-up was 76.3% within 90 days, 83.6% within 120 days, 88.7% within 180 days, and 93.1% within 365 days. Using Cox regression calculating hazard ratios (HR), factors associated with 90-day follow-up were: female sex HR = 1.066 (95%CI: 1.014–1.121), age: ages 65–74 HR = 0.928 (95%CI: 0.863–0.999), ages 75–84 HR = 0.943 (95%CI: 0.880–1.011), ages 85 + HR = 0.836 (95%CI: 0.774–0.904), pre-stroke dependency in activities of daily living (ADL): HR = 0.902 (95%CI = 0.819–0.994), prior stroke HR = 0.902 (95%CI: 0.764–0.872), and severe stroke HR = 0.506 (95%CI: 0.407–0.629). In patients discharged to assisted living, the following factors were associated with lower follow-up probability: living alone pre-stroke HR = 0.836 (95%CI: 0.736–0.949), and pre-stroke dependency HR = 0.887 (95%CI: 0.775–0.991). Discussion This study was based on hospital administrative data of post-stroke doctor’s visits, but may be confounded by attendance for other conditions than stroke. Conclusions One in four stroke patients was not followed up within three months after hospital discharge. Vulnerable patients with high age, pre-stroke ADL dependency, and prior stroke were less likely to receive doctor’s follow-up.

Background and Purpose- Longitudinal long-term prognostic data after stroke based on large cohorts are sparse. We report recent survival and functional outcome data on ischemic stroke (IS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) for up to 5 years poststroke from the Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke). Methods- Beyond Riksstroke's regular follow-up surveys at 3 and 12 months, additional surveys were conducted in 2016 on 2 one-year cohorts with stroke 3 and 5 years earlier. Functional dependency was defined as modified Rankin Scale ≥3. Mortality data of the original cohorts were obtained from the Swedish Causes of Death Register. Multiple imputation was used to estimate functional status in nonresponders. Results- The study included 22 929 patients, 87.5% with IS and 12.5% with ICH. Loss to follow-up in the 4 surveys was 12.8% to 21.2%. Thirty-day mortality was higher for ICH than for IS (30.7% versus 11.1%; P0.01), whereas for 30-day survivors, 5-year mortality did not differ significantly ( P=0.858). Functional outcome was less favorable for ICH at all follow-up points. At 5 years, poor outcome (death or dependency) was 79% in ICH and 70.6% in IS (including imputed data; P0.01). Favorable outcome was less common with increasing age and in patients with prestroke functional dependency. Conclusions- Despite advances in stroke care, long-term prognosis remains a cause for concern. At 5 years after stroke over 2 in 3 patients with IS, and over 3 in 4 patients with ICH, were dead or dependent. We present robust long-term prognostic data to serve as a reference for further development of healthcare and research in stroke.

Background: Currently, the knowledge that one has on adequate stroke follow-up practices is limited. We report associations between 90-day stroke follow-up, socio-economy and adherence to secondary prevention in southern Sweden. Methods: Data on 5,602 patients with ischemic stroke January 1, 2008-December 31, 2010, were obtained from Riksstroke and linked to official registers for information on education, birth country, doctor's follow-ups, and secondary prevention. Primary adherence at 4 months and persistence at 14 months post-stroke were calculated for warfarin, statins, antihypertensive, and antiplatelet drugs. Results: The 90-day follow-up rate was 75%. Patients not receiving a 90-day follow-up had lower age-adjusted OR of persistent drug use at 14 months for antihypertensive agents (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.60-0.91) and for antiplatelet drugs (OR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.60-0.87). Drug adherence rates 14 months post-stroke were 85% for antiplatelet drugs, 69% for warfarin, 88% for antihypertensive agents, and 76% for statins. One in three patients discontinued using one or more drug class within 14 months, and nonadherence was associated with activities of daily living dependency at 3 months (age-adjusted OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.57-0.69), but not with age, gender, or educational status. Conclusions: The use of secondary preventive drugs decreases over the first year after stroke and remains suboptimal. Specific reasons for nonadherence warrant further study.

Background and Purpose— Met care demands are key aspects in poststroke quality of care. This study aimed to identify baseline predictors and 12-month factors that were associated with perceived unmet rehabilitation needs 1 year poststroke. Methods— Data on patients who were independent in activities of daily living, hospitalized for acute stroke during 2008 to 2010, and followed up 1 year poststroke through a postal questionnaire were obtained from the Swedish stroke register. Patients reporting fulfilled rehabilitation needs were compared with those with unmet needs (Chi square test). Results— The study included 37 383 patients, 46% female. At 12 months, 8019 (21.5%) patients reported unmet rehabilitation needs. Compared with those with met rehabilitation needs, patients reporting unmet rehabilitation needs were older (75.4 versus 72.4 years; P P P P P Conclusions— Unfulfilled rehabilitation needs 1 year poststroke are common and associated with high age, dependency, pain, and depression. Long-term follow-up systems should, therefore, be comprehensive and address multiple domains of poststroke problems, rather than having a single-domain focus.

Background and Purpose— Large longitudinal studies on stroke outcome are scarce. The aim of this study was to analyze predictors and changes in functional outcome during the first year poststroke. Methods— Data on patients who were independent in activities of daily living (ADL) and hospitalized for acute stroke in 2008 to 2010 were obtained from the Swedish Stroke Register. Case fatality was assessed by linkage to the Swedish Population Register. ADL was defined by independence or dependence in dressing, toileting, and indoor mobility and assessed at 3 and 12 months. Predictors of ADL dependency were assessed through multivariate analysis. Results— In total, 64 746 patients were included. Case fatality at 3 months was 13.1% (men 11.6% versus women 14.8%; P P P P Conclusions— Transition from ADL independence to dependence was observed in a high proportion of patients between 3 and 12 months, challenging the common belief that functioning after stroke is stable beyond 3 months. Deterioration occurred more commonly in women, among whom 1/6 converted to dependency.