title: The Combination of Clinical Features, Transcranial Doppler, and Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (Computed Tomography Angiography) in Predicting Outcome in Intravenous Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator-Treated Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little data exist on using combined baseline clinical neuroimaging and transcranial Doppler (TCD) information in predicting clinical outcome in stroke patients treated with intravenous (IV) thrombolysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stroke patients received IV recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and had diagnostic TCD within 3 hours of symptom onset. The TCD result was interpreted using the thrombolysis in brain ischemia (TIBI) flow grading system. Following multiple regression analysis, a grading system was created with 1 point for each of the following: National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 16 or higher, TIBI score of 1 or lower, and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) of 6 or lower. The patients' scores were compared to modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 349 patients were included. In unvaried analysis, age of 80 years or older (P = .002), an ASPECTS of 6 or lower (P < .001), an NIHSS score of 16 or higher (P < .001), a TIBI score of 1 or lower (P < .001), and a glucose level ≥ 200 mg/dl (P = .04) were associated with poor outcome (mRS score > 2). In the multiple regression analysis, age of 80 years or older, an ASPECTS of 6 or lower, an NIHSS score of 16 or higher, and hyperglycemia were predictors of poor outcome (P < .05). Based on our scoring system, the patients' odds ratios for poor outcome were 7 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2-23, P = .003), 8 (95% CI: 3-25, P < .001), and 24 (95% CI: 4-151, P = .001) for scores of 1, 2, and 3, respectively, after adjustment for common stroke risk factors. The mean time to recanalization increased as the score increased (score of 0: 160 ± 45 minutes versus score of 3: 186 ± 38 (P = .70).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A multimodal grading system is useful in predicting outcome in patients treated with IV rt-PA. Those withhigher scores might be candidates for interventional therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: msaqqur@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Maher
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saqqur
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Esseddeeg
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghrooda
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
authors.forename: Aftab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Khurshid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundations, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Muhammad S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Ashfaq
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shuaib
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator
keywords: TCD; neuroimaging; outcome; stroke; thrombolysis; ultrasound