Objective: Pain control for hip fractures is often achieved via intravenous opioids. However, opioids can have dangerous adverse effects, including respiratory depression and delirium. Peripheral nerve blockade is an alternative option for pain control that reduces the need for opioid analgesia. The purpose of this study was to compare the use of femoral nerve blocks versus standard pain control for patients with hip fractures. Methods: This retrospective study included adult patients presenting to the emergency department with isolated hip fractures between April 2021 and September 2022. The intervention group included all patients who received a femoral nerve block during this time. An equivalent number of patients who received standard pain control during that period was randomly selected to represent the control group. The primary outcome was preoperative opioid requirement, assessed by morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs). Results: During the study period, 90 patients were included in each group. Mean preoperative MME was 10.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.4–13.2 MME) for the intervention group and 14.0 (95% CI, 10.2–17.8 MME) for the control group (P=0.13). Patients who received a femoral nerve block also had shorter time from emergency department triage to hospital discharge (7.2 days; 95% CI, 6.2–8.0 days) than patients who received standard care (8.6 days; 95% CI, 7.2–10.0 days). However, this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.09). Conclusion Femoral nerve blockade is a safe and effective alternative to opioids for pain control in patients with hip fractures.

Background: and Purpose Patients with acute ischemic stroke, proximal vessel occlusion and a large ischemic core at presentation are commonly not considered for mechanical thrombectomy (MT). We tested the hypothesis that in patients with baseline large infarct cores, identification of remaining penumbral tissue using perfusion imaging would translate to better outcomes after MT.
Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, core lab adjudicated, cohort study of adult patients with proximal vessel occlusion, a large ischemic core volume (diffusion weighted imaging volume ≥70 mL), with pre-treatment magnetic resonance imaging perfusion, treated with MT (2015 to 2018) or medical care alone (controls; before 2015). Primary outcome measure was 3-month favorable outcome (defined as a modified Rankin Scale of 0–3). Core perfusion mismatch ratio (CPMR) was defined as the volume of critically hypo-perfused tissue (Tmax >6 seconds) divided by the core volume. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine factors that were independently associated with clinical outcomes. Outputs are displayed as adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).
Results: A total of 172 patients were included (MT n=130; Control n=42; mean age 69.0±15.4 years; 36% females). Mean core-volume and CPMR were 102.3±36.7 and 1.8±0.7 mL, respectively. As hypothesized, receiving MT was associated with increased probability of favorable outcome and functional independence, as CPMR increased, a difference becoming statistically significant above a mismatch-ratio of 1.72. Similarly, receiving MT was also associated with favorable outcome in the subgroup of 74 patients with CPMR >1.7 (aOR, 8.12; 95% CI, 1.24 to 53.11; P=0.028). Overall (prior to stratification by CPMR) 73 (42.4%) patients had a favorable outcome at 3 months, with no difference amongst groups.
Conclusions In patients currently deemed ineligible for MT due to large infarct ischemic cores at baseline, CPMR identifies a subgroup strongly benefiting from MT. Prospective studies are warranted.

The benefits of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and a large ischemic core (LIC) at presentation are uncertain. We aimed to obtain up-to-date aggregate estimates of the outcomes following MT in patients with volumetrically assessed LIC. We conducted a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-conformed, PROSPERO-registered, systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that included patients with AIS and a baseline LIC treated with MT, reported ischemic core volume quantitatively, and included patients with a LIC defined as a core volume ≥50 mL. The search was restricted to studies published between January 2015 and June 2020. Random-effects-meta-analysis was used to assess the effect of MT on 90-day unfavorable outcome (i.e., modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 3–6), mortality, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) occurrence. Sensitivity analyses were performed for imaging-modality (computed tomography-perfusion or magnetic resonance-diffusion weighted imaging) and LIC-definition (≥50 or ≥70 mL). We analyzed 10 studies (954 patients), including six (682 patients) with a control group, allowing to compare 332 patients with MT to 350 who received best-medical-management alone. Overall, after MT the rate of patients with mRS 3–6 at 90 days was 74% (99% confidence interval [CI], 67 to 84; Z-value=7.04; I2=92.3%) and the rate of 90-day mortality was 36% (99% CI, 33 to 40; Z-value=–7.07; I2=74.5). Receiving MT was associated with a significant decrease in mRS 3–6 odds ratio (OR) 0.19 (99% CI, 0.11 to 0.33; P<0.01; Z-value=–5.92; I2=62.56) and in mortality OR 0.60 (99% CI, 0.34 to 1.06; P=0.02; Z-value=–2.30; I2=58.72). Treatment group did not influence the proportion of patients experiencing sICH, OR 0.96 (99% CI, 0.2 to 1.49; P=0.54; Z-value=–0.63; I2=64.74). Neither imaging modality for core assessment, nor LIC definition influenced the aggregated outcomes. Using aggregate estimates, MT appeared to decrease the risk of unfavorable functional outcome in patients with a LIC assessed volumetrically at baseline.

The benefits of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and a large ischemic core (LIC) at presentation are uncertain. We aimed to obtain up-to-date aggregate estimates of the outcomes following MT in patients with volumetrically assessed LIC. We conducted a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-conformed, PROSPERO-registered, systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that included patients with AIS and a baseline LIC treated with MT, reported ischemic core volume quantitatively, and included patients with a LIC defined as a core volume ≥50 mL. The search was restricted to studies published between January 2015 and June 2020. Random-effects-meta-analysis was used to assess the effect of MT on 90-day unfavorable outcome (i.e., modified Rankin Scale [mRS] 3–6), mortality, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) occurrence. Sensitivity analyses were performed for imaging-modality (computed tomography-perfusion or magnetic resonance-diffusion weighted imaging) and LIC-definition (≥50 or ≥70 mL). We analyzed 10 studies (954 patients), including six (682 patients) with a control group, allowing to compare 332 patients with MT to 350 who received best-medical-management alone. Overall, after MT the rate of patients with mRS 3–6 at 90 days was 74% (99% confidence interval [CI], 67 to 84; Z-value=7.04; I2=92.3%) and the rate of 90-day mortality was 36% (99% CI, 33 to 40; Z-value=–7.07; I2=74.5). Receiving MT was associated with a significant decrease in mRS 3–6 odds ratio (OR) 0.19 (99% CI, 0.11 to 0.33; P<0.01; Z-value=–5.92; I2=62.56) and in mortality OR 0.60 (99% CI, 0.34 to 1.06; P=0.02; Z-value=–2.30; I2=58.72). Treatment group did not influence the proportion of patients experiencing sICH, OR 0.96 (99% CI, 0.2 to 1.49; P=0.54; Z-value=–0.63; I2=64.74). Neither imaging modality for core assessment, nor LIC definition influenced the aggregated outcomes. Using aggregate estimates, MT appeared to decrease the risk of unfavorable functional outcome in patients with a LIC assessed volumetrically at baseline.