This is a multi-centre, prospective cohort study. The aim of this study is to investigate causes, risk factors, clinical course, management and outcomes of severe ischaemic stroke in a real-world setting in tertiary hospitals in China. Patients with acute ischaemic stroke from nine tertiary hospitals in western China will be recruited. Participants will be visited within 24 hours after admission, on day 3, day 7 and at discharge, to collect their clinical data, blood biomarkers, and brain imaging. A structured telephone interview will be conducted for each participant at 3 months and 1 year after stroke onset, respectively, to collect their functional outcomes. In-hospital outcomes include haemorrhagic transformation, brain oedema and death, 3-month and 1-year outcomes include survival status (death or survival) and functional outcome (scores of modified Rankin scale, mRS).
Nine tertiary hospitals in Western China are participating in the study. In each participating hospital, stroke patients admitted to the Department of Neurology will be screened by their responsible doctors for eligibility. For patients who are potentially eligible, the doctor will introduce this study in detail with written information to the patient or their legal proxies. After participants (or their proxies) sign the consent form, investigators will collect their baseline data within 24 hours after admission (visit 1). Subsequent visits will be conducted on day 3 of admission or if the patient experiences neurological deterioration between visit 1 and day 3 (visit 2), on day 7 of admission or if neurological deterioration occurs between visit 2 and day 7 (visit 3), and on the day before discharge or on day 30 of admission, whichever is earlier (visit 4). At visit 1 investigators will record demographics, medical history, characteristics of current stroke, and results of the blood tests, brain imaging and other examinations, if applicable. At visit 4, investigators will record interventions and rehabilitation used during hospitalisation. At day 90 and 1 year of stroke onset, a trained investigator (neurologist) blind to all medical information will contact the participant to deliver a structured telephone interview and collect their functional outcomes. Objectives of this study are: a) to explore causes of clinical worsening in acute ischaemic stroke, and for each type of clinical worsening to dynamically evaluate its clinical course and explore its risk factors; b) to explore the application of conventional stroke therapies in patients with severe ischaemic stroke in China; c) to investigate factors precipitating and predisposing malignant brain oedema following acute ischaemic stroke; and d) to better select patients with malignant brain oedema for individualised treatment strategies.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
2,500
This is an observational study for clinical course and outcomes of severe ischaemic stroke; therefore, interventions are prescribed by responsible doctors based on patients' clinical conditions, which is not interfered by current study
West China Hospital, Sichuan University
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Functional outcome at 3 months after stroke onset
Modified Rankin scale score of patients at 3 months after the onset of ischaemic stroke.
Time frame: 3 months after stroke onset
Proportion of patients with initially severe ischaemic stroke
Initially severe ischaemic stroke is defined as a) severe neurological deficits, assessed by the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scored 15 or over, b) loss of consciousness, assessed by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scored 8 or less, or item 1a of NIHSS scored 1 or over, or c) intubation, mechanical ventilation, or admitted to intensive care unit on admission.
Time frame: 24 hours after admission
Proportion of patients experiencing clinical worsening following acute ischaemic stroke
Clinical worsening is defined as a) neurological deterioration with an increase of NIHSS score of 4 or more as compared to baseline NIHSS, b) a decline of consciousness, which leads to a GCS score of 8 or less, or item 1a of NIHSS scored 1 or over, c) need for invasive interventions such as hemicraniectomy, or d) death in hospital.
Time frame: 30 days after admission
Proportion of patients with malignant brain oedema following acute ischaemic stroke
Malignant brain oedema is defined as symptoms or signs of clinical worsening associated with imaging evidence of space-occupying brain oedema.
Time frame: 30 days after admission
Clinical course of stroke severity in patients with initially severe stroke
Dynamically record scores of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) from day 0, day 3, day 7 to day 30 after admission.
Time frame: 30 days after admission
Changes in consicousness level of patients with initially severe stroke from day 0, day 3, day 7 to day 30 after admission.
Dynamically record scores of Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
Time frame: 30 days after admission
Functional outcome at 1 year after stroke onset
Modified Rankin scale score of patients at 1 year after the onset of ischaemic stroke.
Time frame: 1 year after stroke onset
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