Rural and Urban Disparities in Access to Endovascular Thrombectomy for Large Vessel Occlusions in Colorado.

Background: Rural-urban disparities in access to acute stroke care exist and have widened over time. We sought to quantify the rural-urban disparities that may exist in access to endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for patients experiencing strokes with large vessel occlusions in Colorado.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study looking at all Colorado residents aged ≥18 years with large vessel occlusions undergoing EVT, between January 1, 2015, and November 30, 2022.

Outcomes of Patients With Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source Treated With Antiplatelet Agents or Anticoagulation: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background And Objectives: Embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) can be attributed to a variety of potential embolic sources, with differential response to anticoagulation.

Methods: A multicenter, retrospective observational cohort study (27 sites) of consecutive adult patients with acute ischemic stroke due to ESUS (admitted 2015-2024) was conducted. The aim was to compare outcomes after antiplatelet(s) vs anticoagulant (±antiplatelet) treatment in patients with ESUS across potential embolic sources.

How Do We Alleviate Long-Term Psychological Distress for Surrogate Decision Makers?

Our perspective as clinicians is focused on the patient; however, when patients present with severe stroke, we rely on family or surrogate decision-makers to assist with decisions regarding life-sustaining treatment. In this issue of , Morgenstern et al. report on long-term psychological distress among surrogate decision-makers for patients with severe stroke.

Large Vessel Occlusion Prediction in the Emergency Department with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Components: A Machine Learning Approach.

Objective: To determine the feasibility of using a machine learning algorithm to screen for large vessel occlusions (LVO) in the Emergency Department (ED).

Materials And Methods: A retrospective cohort of consecutive ED stroke alerts at a large comprehensive stroke center was analyzed. The primary outcome was diagnosis of LVO at discharge.