Stroke

Cardiovascular departments are playing a role in stroke interventions at numerous health systems, working as part of the stroke care team with neurologists, radiology and the emergency department. Stroke first has be be classified as ischemic or hemorrhagic. These have very different care pathways. Ischemic strokes are increasingly being treated with neurological-interventional therapy that includes catheter based mechanical thrombectomy to remove the clot. This is a more aggressive treatment compared to traditional IV administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) thrombolytic therapy to dissolve the clot. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and  intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) brain bleeds can also be treated in some cases stent flow diverters and embolization coils. 

Ken Rosenfield, MD, Mass General Hospital, explains the impact wider CMS reimbursement for carotid artery stenting will have on patient stroke care and interventional cardiology. CAS

Q&A: Ken Rosenfield explains the impact of new reimbursement coverage for carotid stenting 

Ken Rosenfield, MD, helped spearhead the recent Medicare policy change that made carotid stenting procedures available to more patients.

CMS changes coverage policy for carotid stenting to make it more widely available

A group of interventional cardiologists, neurologists and vascular surgeons successfully petitioned Medicare to change its coverage determination for carotid stenting procedures.

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Stroke after TAVR: New research helps cardiologists detect early warning signs

Post-TAVR stroke is rare, but it can be fatal. A new study in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions examined the issue in great detail, focusing on more than 2,700 patients treated over a two-year stretch. 

AI-powered stroke triage software meaningfully reduces treatment times, randomized trial finds

The investigation also used secure messaging, allowing clinicians to receive real-time alerts via their smartphones to notify them of a possible LVO minutes after the completion of a CT. 

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NOACs vs. VKAs in TAVR patients with new-onset AFib: New meta-analysis examines key differences

The biggest differences between the two treatment options were major bleeding events and all-cause mortality. There was no significant difference when it came to stroke risk. 

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Statin use after a bleeding stroke linked to key risk reductions

The study’s authors examined data from more than 15,000 patients who had their first intracerebral hemorrhage from January 2003 to December 2021

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Radiology Partners proposes best practices for acute stroke care

El Segundo, California-based RP said the recommendations are derived from current guidelines and the “extensive expertise” of its neuroradiology division. 

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How the 2022 contrast media shortage impacted stroke care

A team of specialists tracked CT utilization before, during and after the 2022 shortage, sharing its findings in the American Journal of Neuroradiology.