@article{VogtKollikowskiWeidneretal.2022, author = {Vogt, Marius L. and Kollikowski, Alexander M. and Weidner, Franziska and Strinitz, Marc and Feick, J{\"o}rn and Essig, Fabian and Neugebauer, Herrmann and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Pham, Mirko and Maerz, Alexander}, title = {Safety and Effectiveness of the New Generation APERIO® Hybrid Stent-retriever Device in Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke}, series = {Clinical Neuroradiology}, volume = {32}, journal = {Clinical Neuroradiology}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1007/s00062-021-01122-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-264817}, pages = {141-151}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background It is unknown whether technological advancement of stent-retriever devices influences typical observational indicators of safety or effectiveness. Methods Observational retrospective study of APERIO® (AP) vs. new generation APERIO® Hybrid (APH) (Acandis®, Pforzheim, Germany) stent-retriever device (01/2019-09/2020) for mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. Primary effectiveness endpoint was successful recanalization eTICI (expanded Thrombolysis In Cerebral Ischemia) ≥ 2b67, primary safety endpoint was occurrence of hemorrhagic complications after MT. Secondary outcome measures were time from groin puncture to first pass and successful reperfusion, and the total number of passes needed to achieve the final recanalization result. Results A total of 298 patients with LVO stroke who were treated by MT matched the inclusion criteria: 148 patients (49.7\%) treated with AP vs. 150 patients (50.3\%) treated with new generation APH. Successful recanalization was not statistically different between both groups: 75.7\% for AP vs. 79.3\% for APH; p = 0.450. Postinterventional hemorrhagic complications and particularly subarachnoid hemorrhage as the entity possibly associated with stent-retriever device type was significantly less frequent in the group treated with the APH: 29.7\% for AP and 16.0\% for APH; p = 0.005; however, rates of symptomatic hemorrhage with clinical deterioration and in domo mortality were not statistically different. Neither the median number of stent-retriever passages needed to achieve final recanalization, time from groin puncture to first pass, time from groin puncture to final recanalization nor the number of cases in which successful recanalization could only be achieved by using a different stent-retriever as bail-out device differed between both groups. Conclusion In the specific example of the APERIO® stent-retriever device, we observed that further technological developments of the new generation device were not associated with disadvantages with respect to typical observational indicators of safety or effectiveness.}, language = {en} } @article{MontellanoKluterRueckeretal.2022, author = {Montellano, Felipe A. and Kluter, Elisabeth J. and R{\"u}cker, Viktoria and Ungeth{\"u}m, Kathrin and Mackenrodt, Daniel and Wiedmann, Silke and Dege, Tassilo and Quilitzsch, Anika and Morbach, Caroline and Frantz, Stefan and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Heuschmann, Peter U.}, title = {Cardiac dysfunction and high-sensitive C-reactive protein are associated with troponin T elevation in ischemic stroke: insights from the SICFAIL study}, series = {BMC Neurology}, volume = {22}, journal = {BMC Neurology}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1186/s12883-022-03017-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300119}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background Troponin elevation is common in ischemic stroke (IS) patients. The pathomechanisms involved are incompletely understood and comprise coronary and non-coronary causes, e.g. autonomic dysfunction. We investigated determinants of troponin elevation in acute IS patients including markers of autonomic dysfunction, assessed by heart rate variability (HRV) time domain variables. Methods Data were collected within the Stroke Induced Cardiac FAILure (SICFAIL) cohort study. IS patients admitted to the Department of Neurology, W{\"u}rzburg University Hospital, underwent baseline investigation including cardiac history, physical examination, echocardiography, and blood sampling. Four HRV time domain variables were calculated in patients undergoing electrocardiographic Holter monitoring. Multivariable logistic regression with corresponding odds ratios (OR) and 95\% confidence intervals (CI) was used to investigate the determinants of high-sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT) levels ≥14 ng/L. Results We report results from 543 IS patients recruited between 01/2014-02/2017. Of those, 203 (37\%) had hs-TnT ≥14 ng/L, which was independently associated with older age (OR per year 1.05; 95\% CI 1.02-1.08), male sex (OR 2.65; 95\% CI 1.54-4.58), decreasing estimated glomerular filtration rate (OR per 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 0.71; 95\% CI 0.61-0.84), systolic dysfunction (OR 2.79; 95\% CI 1.22-6.37), diastolic dysfunction (OR 2.29; 95\% CI 1.29-4.02), atrial fibrillation (OR 2.30; 95\% CI 1.25-4.23), and increasing levels of C-reactive protein (OR 1.48 per log unit; 95\% CI 1.22-1.79). We did not identify an independent association of troponin elevation with the investigated HRV variables. Conclusion Cardiac dysfunction and elevated C-reactive protein, but not a reduced HRV as surrogate of autonomic dysfunction, were associated with increased hs-TnT levels in IS patients independent of established cardiovascular risk factors.}, language = {en} } @article{JirůHillmannGabrielSchuleretal.2022, author = {J{\´i}rů-Hillmann, Steffi and Gabriel, Katharina M. A. and Schuler, Michael and Wiedmann, Silke and M{\"u}hler, Johannes and D{\"o}tter, Klaus and Soda, Hassan and Rascher, Alexandra and Benesch, Sonka and Kraft, Peter and Pfau, Mathias and Stenzel, Joachim and von Nippold, Karin and Benghebrid, Mohamed and Schulte, Kerstin and Meinck, Ralf and Volkmann, Jens and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Heuschmann, Peter U.}, title = {Experiences of family caregivers 3-months after stroke: results of the prospective trans-regional network for stroke intervention with telemedicine registry (TRANSIT-Stroke)}, series = {BMC Geriatrics}, volume = {22}, journal = {BMC Geriatrics}, doi = {10.1186/s12877-022-02919-6}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-313330}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background Long-term support of stroke patients living at home is often delivered by family caregivers (FC). We identified characteristics of stroke patients being associated with receiving care by a FC 3-months (3 M) after stroke, assessed positive and negative experiences and individual burden of FC caring for stroke patients and determined factors associated with caregiving experiences and burden of FC 3 M after stroke. Methods Data were collected within TRANSIT-Stroke, a regional telemedical stroke-network comprising 12 hospitals in Germany. Patients with stroke/TIA providing informed consent were followed up 3 M after the index event. The postal patient-questionnaire was accompanied by an anonymous questionnaire for FC comprising information on positive and negative experiences of FC as well as on burden of caregiving operationalized by the Caregiver Reaction Assessment and a self-rated burden-scale, respectively. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were performed. Results Between 01/2016 and 06/2019, 3532 patients provided baseline and 3 M-follow-up- data and 1044 FC responded to questionnaires regarding positive and negative caregiving experiences and caregiving burden. 74.4\% of FC were older than 55 years, 70.1\% were women and 67.5\% were spouses. Older age, diabetes and lower Barthel-Index in patients were significantly associated with a higher probability of receiving care by a FC at 3 M. Positive experiences of FC comprised the importance (81.5\%) and the privilege (70.0\%) of caring for their relative; negative experiences of FC included financial difficulties associated with caregiving (20.4\%). Median overall self-rated burden was 30 (IQR: 0-50; range 0-100). Older age of stroke patients was associated with a lower caregiver burden, whereas younger age of FC led to higher burden. More than half of the stroke patients in whom a FC questionnaire was completed did self-report that they are not being cared by a FC. This stroke patient group tended to be younger, more often male with less severe stroke and less comorbidities who lived more often with a partner. Conclusions The majority of caregivers wanted to care for their relatives but experienced burden at the same time. Elderly patients, patients with a lower Barthel Index at discharge and diabetes are at higher risk of needing care by a family caregiver. Trial registration The study was registered at "German Clinical Trial Register": DRKS00011696. https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML\&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00011696}, language = {en} } @article{TuetuencueOlmaKunzeetal.2022, author = {T{\"u}t{\"u}nc{\"u}, Serdar and Olma, Manuel C. and Kunze, Claudia and Kr{\"a}mer, Michael and Dietzel, Joanna and Schurig, Johannes and Filser, Paula and Pfeilschifter, Waltraud and Hamann, Gerhard F. and B{\"u}ttner, Thomas and Heuschmann, Peter U. and Kirchhof, Paulus and Laufs, Ulrich and Nabavi, Darius G. and R{\"o}ther, Joachim and Thomalla, G{\"o}tz and Veltkamp, Roland and Eckardt, Kai-Uwe and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Endres, Matthias}, title = {Levels and dynamics of estimated glomerular filtration rate and recurrent vascular events and death in patients with minor stroke or transient ischemic attack}, series = {European Journal of Neurology}, volume = {29}, journal = {European Journal of Neurology}, number = {9}, doi = {10.1111/ene.15431}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-287271}, pages = {2716 -- 2724}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background and purpose Impaired kidney function is associated with an increased risk of vascular events in acute stroke patients, when assessed by single measurements of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). It is unknown whether repeated measurements provide additional information for risk prediction. Methods The MonDAFIS (Systematic Monitoring for Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke) study randomly assigned 3465 acute ischemic stroke patients to either standard procedures or an additive Holter electrocardiogram. Baseline eGFR (CKD-EPI formula) were dichotomized into values of < versus ≥60 ml/min/1.73 m\(^{2}\). eGFR dynamics were classified based on two in-hospital values as "stable normal" (≥60 ml/min/1.73 m\(^{2}\)), "increasing" (by at least 15\% from baseline, second value ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m\(^{2}\)), "decreasing" (by at least 15\% from baseline of ≥60 ml/min/1.73 m\(^{2}\)), and "stable decreased" (<60 ml/min/1.73 m\(^{2}\)). The composite endpoint (stroke, major bleeding, myocardial infarction, all-cause death) was assessed after 24 months. We estimated hazard ratios in confounder-adjusted models. Results Estimated glomerular filtration rate at baseline was available in 2947 and a second value in 1623 patients. After adjusting for age, stroke severity, cardiovascular risk factors, and randomization, eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m\(^{2}\) at baseline (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.2, 95\% confidence interval [CI] = 1.40-3.54) as well as decreasing (HR = 1.79, 95\% CI = 1.07-2.99) and stable decreased eGFR (HR = 1.64, 95\% CI = 1.20-2.24) were independently associated with the composite endpoint. In addition, eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.732 at baseline (HR = 3.02, 95\% CI = 1.51-6.10) and decreasing eGFR were associated with all-cause death (HR = 3.12, 95\% CI = 1.63-5.98). Conclusions In addition to patients with low eGFR levels at baseline, also those with decreasing eGFR have increased risk for vascular events and death; hence, repeated estimates of eGFR might add relevant information to risk prediction.}, language = {en} } @article{TuetuencueOlmaKunzeetal.2022, author = {T{\"u}t{\"u}nc{\"u}, Serdar and Olma, Manuel and Kunze, Claudia and Dietzel, Joanna and Schurig, Johannes and Fiessler, Cornelia and Malsch, Carolin and Haas, Tobias Eberhard and Dimitrijeski, Boris and Doehner, Wolfram and Hagemann, Georg and Hamilton, Frank and Honermann, Martin and Jungehulsing, Gerhard Jan and Kauert, Andreas and Koennecke, Hans-Christian and Mackert, Bruno-Marcel and Nabavi, Darius and Nolte, Christian H. and Reis, Joschua Mirko and Schmehl, Ingo and Sparenberg, Paul and Stingele, Robert and V{\"o}lzke, Enrico and Waldschmidt, Carolin and Zeise-Wehry, Daniel and Heuschmann, Peter U. and Endress, Matthias and Haeusler, Karl Georg}, title = {Off-label-dosing of non-vitamin K-dependent oral antagonists in AF patients before and after stroke: results of the prospective multicenter Berlin Atrial Fibrillation Registry}, series = {Journal of Neurology}, volume = {269}, journal = {Journal of Neurology}, number = {1}, issn = {1432-1459}, doi = {10.1007/s00415-021-10866-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-266969}, pages = {470-480}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Aims We aimed to analyze prevalence and predictors of NOAC off-label under-dosing in AF patients before and after the index stroke. Methods The post hoc analysis included 1080 patients of the investigator-initiated, multicenter prospective Berlin Atrial Fibrillation Registry, designed to analyze medical stroke prevention in AF patients after acute ischemic stroke. Results At stroke onset, an off-label daily dose was prescribed in 61 (25.5\%) of 239 NOAC patients with known AF and CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 1, of which 52 (21.8\%) patients were under-dosed. Under-dosing was associated with age ≥ 80 years in patients on rivaroxaban [OR 2.90, 95\% CI 1.05-7.9, P = 0.04; n = 29] or apixaban [OR 3.24, 95\% CI 1.04-10.1, P = 0.04; n = 22]. At hospital discharge after the index stroke, NOAC off-label dose on admission was continued in 30 (49.2\%) of 61 patients. Overall, 79 (13.7\%) of 708 patients prescribed a NOAC at hospital discharge received an off-label dose, of whom 75 (10.6\%) patients were under-dosed. Rivaroxaban under-dosing at discharge was associated with age ≥ 80 years [OR 3.49, 95\% CI 1.24-9.84, P = 0.02; n = 19]; apixaban under-dosing with body weight ≤ 60 kg [OR 0.06, 95\% CI 0.01-0.47, P < 0.01; n = 56], CHA2DS2-VASc score [OR per point 1.47, 95\% CI 1.08-2.00, P = 0.01], and HAS-BLED score [OR per point 1.91, 95\% CI 1.28-2.84, P < 0.01]. Conclusion At stroke onset, off-label dosing was present in one out of four, and under-dosing in one out of five NOAC patients. Under-dosing of rivaroxaban or apixaban was related to old age. In-hospital treatment after stroke reduced off-label NOAC dosing, but one out of ten NOAC patients was under-dosed at discharge.}, language = {en} } @article{EssigBabilonVollmuthetal.2021, author = {Essig, Fabian and Babilon, Lilith and Vollmuth, Christoph and Kollikowski, Alexander M. and Pham, Mirko and Solymosi, L{\´a}szl{\´o} and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Kraft, Peter and Stoll, Guido and Schuhmann, Michael K.}, title = {High mobility group box 1 protein in cerebral thromboemboli}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {22}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {20}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms222011276}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265568}, year = {2021}, abstract = {High-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) involved in neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and thrombosis. NETs are regularly found in cerebral thromboemboli. We here analyzed associated HMGB1 expression in human thromboemboli retrieved via mechanical thrombectomy from 37 stroke patients with large vessel occlusion. HMGB1 was detected in all thromboemboli, accounting for 1.7\% (IQR 0.6-6.2\%) of the total thromboemboli area and was found to be colocalized with neutrophils and NETs and in spatial proximity to platelets. Correlation analysis revealed that the detection of HMGB1 was strongly related to the number of neutrophils (r = 0.58, p = 0.0002) and platelets (r = 0.51, p = 0.001). Our results demonstrate that HMGB1 is a substantial constituent of thromboemboli causing large vessel occlusion stroke.}, language = {en} } @article{SchnabelCamenKnebeletal.2021, author = {Schnabel, Renate B. and Camen, Stephan and Knebel, Fabian and Hagendorff, Andreas and Bavendiek, Udo and B{\"o}hm, Michael and Doehner, Wolfram and Endres, Matthias and Gr{\"o}schel, Klaus and Goette, Andreas and Huttner, Hagen B. and Jensen, Christoph and Kirchhof, Paulus and Korosoglou, Grigorius and Laufs, Ulrich and Liman, Jan and Morbach, Caroline and Navabi, Darius G{\"u}nther and Neumann-Haefelin, Tobias and Pfeilschifter, Waltraut and Poli, Sven and Rizos, Timolaos and Rolf, Andreas and R{\"o}ther, Joachim and Sch{\"a}bitz, Wolf R{\"u}diger and Steiner, Thorsten and Thomalla, G{\"o}tz and Wachter, Rolf and Haeusler, Karl Georg}, title = {Expert opinion paper on cardiac imaging after ischemic stroke}, series = {Clinical Research in Cardiology}, volume = {110}, journal = {Clinical Research in Cardiology}, number = {7}, issn = {1861-0692}, doi = {10.1007/s00392-021-01834-x}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-266662}, pages = {938-958}, year = {2021}, abstract = {This expert opinion paper on cardiac imaging after acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) includes a statement of the "Heart and Brain" consortium of the German Cardiac Society and the German Stroke Society. The Stroke Unit-Commission of the German Stroke Society and the German Atrial Fibrillation NETwork (AFNET) endorsed this paper. Cardiac imaging is a key component of etiological work-up after stroke. Enhanced echocardiographic tools, constantly improving cardiac computer tomography (CT) as well as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer comprehensive non- or less-invasive cardiac evaluation at the expense of increased costs and/or radiation exposure. Certain imaging findings usually lead to a change in medical secondary stroke prevention or may influence medical treatment. However, there is no proof from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that the choice of the imaging method influences the prognosis of stroke patients. Summarizing present knowledge, the German Heart and Brain consortium proposes an interdisciplinary, staged standard diagnostic scheme for the detection of risk factors of cardio-embolic stroke. This expert opinion paper aims to give practical advice to physicians who are involved in stroke care. In line with the nature of an expert opinion paper, labeling of classes of recommendations is not provided, since many statements are based on expert opinion, reported case series, and clinical experience.}, language = {en} } @article{VollmuthMuljukovAbuMugheisibetal.2021, author = {Vollmuth, Christoph and Muljukov, Olga and Abu-Mugheisib, Mazen and Angermeier, Anselm and Barlinn, Jessica and Busetto, Loraine and Grau, Armin J. and G{\"u}nther, Albrecht and Gumbinger, Christoph and Hubert, Nikolai and H{\"u}ttemann, Katrin and Klingner, Carsten and Naumann, Markus and Palm, Frederick and Remi, Jan and R{\"u}cker, Viktoria and Schessl, Joachim and Schlachetzki, Felix and Schuppner, Ramona and Schwab, Stefan and Schwartz, Andreas and Trommer, Adrian and Urbanek, Christian and Volbers, Bastian and Weber, Joachim and Wojciechowski, Claudia and Worthmann, Hans and Zickler, Philipp and Heuschmann, Peter U. and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Hubert, Gordian Jan}, title = {Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on stroke teleconsultations in Germany in the first half of 2020}, series = {European Journal of Neurology}, volume = {28}, journal = {European Journal of Neurology}, number = {10}, doi = {10.1111/ene.14787}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259396}, pages = {3267-3278}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background and purpose The effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on telemedical care have not been described on a national level. Thus, we investigated the medical stroke treatment situation before, during, and after the first lockdown in Germany. Methods In this nationwide, multicenter study, data from 14 telemedical networks including 31 network centers and 155 spoke hospitals covering large parts of Germany were analyzed regarding patients' characteristics, stroke type/severity, and acute stroke treatment. A survey focusing on potential shortcomings of in-hospital and (telemedical) stroke care during the pandemic was conducted. Results Between January 2018 and June 2020, 67,033 telemedical consultations and 38,895 telemedical stroke consultations were conducted. A significant decline of telemedical (p < 0.001) and telemedical stroke consultations (p < 0.001) during the lockdown in March/April 2020 and a reciprocal increase after relaxation of COVID-19 measures in May/June 2020 were observed. Compared to 2018-2019, neither stroke patients' age (p = 0.38), gender (p = 0.44), nor severity of ischemic stroke (p = 0.32) differed in March/April 2020. Whereas the proportion of ischemic stroke patients for whom endovascular treatment (14.3\% vs. 14.6\%; p = 0.85) was recommended remained stable, there was a nonsignificant trend toward a lower proportion of recommendation of intravenous thrombolysis during the lockdown (19.0\% vs. 22.1\%; p = 0.052). Despite the majority of participating network centers treating patients with COVID-19, there were no relevant shortcomings reported regarding in-hospital stroke treatment or telemedical stroke care. Conclusions Telemedical stroke care in Germany was able to provide full service despite the COVID-19 pandemic, but telemedical consultations declined abruptly during the lockdown period and normalized after relaxation of COVID-19 measures in Germany.}, language = {en} } @article{HeuschmannMontellanoUngethuemetal.2021, author = {Heuschmann, Peter U. and Montellano, Felipe A. and Ungeth{\"u}m, Kathrin and R{\"u}cker, Viktoria and Wiedmann, Silke and Mackenrodt, Daniel and Quilitzsch, Anika and Ludwig, Timo and Kraft, Peter and Albert, Judith and Morbach, Caroline and Frantz, Stefan and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Kleinschnitz, Christoph}, title = {Prevalence and determinants of systolic and diastolic cardiac dysfunction and heart failure in acute ischemic stroke patients: The SICFAIL study}, series = {ESC Heart Failure}, volume = {8}, journal = {ESC Heart Failure}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1002/ehf2.13145}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225656}, pages = {1117-1129}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Aims Ischaemic stroke (IS) might induce alterations of cardiac function. Prospective data on frequency of cardiac dysfunction and heart failure (HF) after IS are lacking. We assessed prevalence and determinants of diastolic dysfunction (DD), systolic dysfunction (SD), and HF in patients with acute IS. Methods and results The Stroke-Induced Cardiac FAILure in mice and men (SICFAIL) study is a prospective, hospital-based cohort study. Patients with IS underwent a comprehensive assessment of cardiac function in the acute phase (median 4 days after IS) including clinical examination, standardized transthoracic echocardiography by expert sonographers, and determination of blood-based biomarkers. Information on demographics, lifestyle, risk factors, symptoms suggestive of HF, and medical history was collected by a standardized personal interview. Applying current guidelines, cardiac dysfunction was classified based on echocardiographic criteria into SD (left ventricular ejection fraction < 52\% in men or <54\% in women) and DD (≥3 signs of DD in patients without SD). Clinically overt HF was classified into HF with reduced, mid-range, or preserved ejection fraction. Between January 2014 and February 2017, 696 IS patients were enrolled. Of them, patients with sufficient echocardiographic data on SD were included in the analyses {n = 644 patients [median age 71 years (interquartile range 60-78), 61.5\% male]}. In these patients, full assessment of DD was feasible in 549 patients without SD (94\%). Prevalence of cardiac dysfunction and HF was as follows: SD 9.6\% [95\% confidence interval (CI) 7.6-12.2\%]; DD in patients without SD 23.3\% (95\% CI 20.0-27.0\%); and clinically overt HF 5.4\% (95\% CI 3.9-7.5\%) with subcategories of HF with preserved ejection fraction 4.35\%, HF with mid-range ejection fraction 0.31\%, and HF with reduced ejection fraction 0.78\%. In multivariable analysis, SD and fulfilment of HF criteria were associated with history of coronary heart disease [SD: odds ratio (OR) 3.87, 95\% CI 1.93-7.75, P = 0.0001; HF: OR 2.29, 95\% CI 1.04-5.05, P = 0.0406] and high-sensitive troponin T at baseline (SD: OR 1.78, 95\% CI 1.31-2.42, P = 0.0003; HF: OR 1.66, 95\% CI 1.17-2.33, P = 0.004); DD was associated with older age (OR 1.08, 95\% CI 1.05-1.11, P < 0.0001) and treated hypertension vs. no hypertension (OR 2.84, 95\% CI 1.23-6.54, P = 0.0405). Conclusions A substantial proportion of the study population exhibited subclinical and clinical cardiac dysfunction. SICFAIL provides reliable data on prevalence and determinants of SD, DD, and clinically overt HF in patients with acute IS according to current guidelines, enabling further clarification of its aetiological and prognostic role.}, language = {en} } @article{GabrielJirůHillmannKraftetal.2020, author = {Gabriel, Katharina M. A. and J{\´i}rů-Hillmann, Steffi and Kraft, Peter and Selig, Udo and R{\"u}cker, Victoria and M{\"u}hler, Johannes and D{\"o}tter, Klaus and Keidel, Matthias and Soda, Hassan and Rascher, Alexandra and Schneider, Rolf and Pfau, Mathias and Hoffmann, Roy and Stenzel, Joachim and Benghebrid, Mohamed and Goebel, Tobias and Doerck, Sebastian and Kramer, Daniela and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Volkmann, Jens and Heuschmann, Peter U. and Fluri, Felix}, title = {Two years' experience of implementing a comprehensive telemedical stroke network comprising in mainly rural region: the Transregional Network for Stroke Intervention with Telemedicine (TRANSIT-Stroke)}, series = {BMC Neurology}, volume = {20}, journal = {BMC Neurology}, doi = {10.1186/s12883-020-01676-6}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-229214}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Background Telemedicine improves the quality of acute stroke care in rural regions with limited access to specialized stroke care. We report the first 2 years' experience of implementing a comprehensive telemedical stroke network comprising all levels of stroke care in a defined region. Methods The TRANSIT-Stroke network covers a mainly rural region in north-western Bavaria (Germany). All hospitals providing acute stroke care in this region participate in TRANSIT-Stroke, including four hospitals with a supra-regional certified stroke unit (SU) care (level III), three of those providing teleconsultation to two hospitals with a regional certified SU (level II) and five hospitals without specialized SU care (level I). For a two-year-period (01/2015 to 12/2016), data of eight of these hospitals were available; 13 evidence-based quality indicators (QIs) related to processes during hospitalisation were evaluated quarterly and compared according to predefined target values between level-I- and level-II/III-hospitals. Results Overall, 7881 patients were included (mean age 74.6 years +/- 12.8; 48.4\% female). In level-II/III-hospitals adherence of all QIs to predefined targets was high ab initio. In level-I-hospitals, three patterns of QI-development were observed: a) high adherence ab initio (31\%), mainly in secondary stroke prevention; b) improvement over time (44\%), predominantly related to stroke specific diagnosis and in-hospital organization; c) no clear time trends (25\%). Overall, 10 out of 13 QIs reached predefined target values of quality of care at the end of the observation period. Conclusion The implementation of the comprehensive TRANSIT-Stroke network resulted in an improvement of quality of care in level-I-hospitals.}, language = {en} }