1.Cost-Effectiveness of Endovascular Thrombectomy in Childhood Stroke: An Analysis of the Save ChildS Study
Wolfgang G. KUNZ ; Peter B. SPORNS ; Marios N. PSYCHOGIOS ; Jens FIEHLER ; René CHAPOT ; Franziska DORN ; Astrid GRAMS ; Andrea MOROTTI ; Patricia MUSOLINO ; Sarah LEE ; André KEMMLING ; Hans HENKES ; Omid NIKOUBASHMAN ; Martin WIESMANN ; Ulf JENSEN-KONDERING ; Markus MÖHLENBRUCH ; Marc SCHLAMANN ; Wolfgang MARIK ; Stefan SCHOB ; Christina WENDL ; Bernd TUROWSKI ; Friedrich GÖTZ ; Daniel KAISER ; Konstantinos DIMITRIADIS ; Alexandra GERSING ; Thomas LIEBIG ; Jens RICKE ; Paul REIDLER ; Moritz WILDGRUBER ; Sebastian MÖNCH ;
Journal of Stroke 2022;24(1):138-147
Background:
and Purpose The Save ChildS Study demonstrated that endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a safe treatment option for pediatric stroke patients with large vessel occlusions (LVOs) with high recanalization rates. Our aim was to determine the long-term cost, health consequences and cost-effectiveness of EVT in this patient population.
Methods:
In this retrospective study, a decision-analytic Markov model estimated lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Early outcome parameters were based on the entire Save ChildS Study to model the EVT group. As no randomized data exist, the Save ChildS patient subgroup with unsuccessful recanalization was used to model the standard of care group. For modeling of lifetime estimates, pediatric and adult input parameters were obtained from the current literature. The analysis was conducted in a United States setting applying healthcare and societal perspectives. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. The willingness-to-pay threshold was set to $100,000 per QALY.
Results:
The model results yielded EVT as the dominant (cost-effective as well as cost-saving) strategy for pediatric stroke patients. The incremental effectiveness for the average age of 11.3 years at first stroke in the Save ChildS Study was determined as an additional 4.02 lifetime QALYs, with lifetime cost-savings that amounted to $169,982 from a healthcare perspective and $254,110 when applying a societal perspective. Acceptability rates for EVT were 96.60% and 96.66% for the healthcare and societal perspectives.
Conclusions
EVT for pediatric stroke patients with LVOs resulted in added QALY and reduced lifetime costs. Based on the available data in the Save ChildS Study, EVT is very likely to be a cost-effective treatment strategy for childhood stroke.
2.Safety and Angiographic Efficacy of Intra-Arterial Fibrinolytics as Adjunct to Mechanical Thrombectomy: Results from the INFINITY Registry
Johannes KAESMACHER ; Nuran ABDULLAYEV ; Basel MAAMARI ; Tomas DOBROCKY ; Jan VYNCKIER ; Eike I. PIECHOWIAK ; Raoul POP ; Daniel BEHME ; Peter B. SPORNS ; Hanna STYCZEN ; Pekka VIRTANEN ; Lukas MEYER ; Thomas R. MEINEL ; Daniel CANTRÉ ; Christoph KABBASCH ; Volker MAUS ; Johanna PEKKOLA ; Sebastian FISCHER ; Anca HASIU ; Alexander SCHWARZ ; Moritz WILDGRUBER ; David J. SEIFFGE ; Sönke LANGNER ; Nicolas MARTINEZ-MAJANDER ; Alexander RADBRUCH ; Marc SCHLAMANN ; Dan MIHOC ; Rémy BEAUJEUX ; Daniel STRBIAN ; Jens FIEHLER ; Pasquale MORDASINI ; Jan GRALLA ; Urs FISCHER
Journal of Stroke 2021;23(1):91-102
Background:
and Purpose Data on safety and efficacy of intra-arterial (IA) fibrinolytics as adjunct to mechanical thrombectomy (MT) are sparse.
Methods:
INtra-arterial FIbriNolytics In ThrombectomY (INFINITY) is a retrospective multi-center observational registry of consecutive patients with anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion ischemic stroke treated with MT and adjunctive administration of IA fibrinolytics (alteplase [tissue plasminogen activator, tPA] or urokinase [UK]) at 10 European centers. Primary outcome was the occurrence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) according to the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study II definition. Secondary outcomes were mortality and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 3 months.
Results:
Of 5,612 patients screened, 311 (median age, 74 years; 44.1% female) received additional IA after or during MT (194 MT+IA tPA, 117 MT+IA UK). IA fibrinolytics were mostly administered for rescue of thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) 0-2b after MT (80.4%, 250/311). sICH occurred in 27 of 308 patients (8.8%), with an increased risk in patients with initial TICI0/1 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 5.0 per TICI grade decrease) or in those with intracranial internal carotid artery occlusions (aOR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 12.5). In patients with attempted rescue of TICI0-2b and available angiographic follow-up, 116 of 228 patients (50.9%) showed any angiographic reperfusion improvement after IA fibrinolytics, which was associated with mRS ≤2 (aOR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.4 to 6.9).
Conclusions
Administration of IA fibrinolytics as adjunct to MT is performed rarely, but can improve reperfusion, which is associated with better outcomes. Despite a selection bias, an increased risk of sICH seems possible, which underlines the importance of careful patient selection.