New findings published Dec. 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine affirms a practice for stroke response that has been employed by Donald Frei, MD, and the stroke team at Swedish Medical Center's Radiology Imaging Associates in Denver.
As Frei sees it, the study results provide new hope for the 695,000 Americans who suffer an acute ischemic stroke each year, and it validates what he and his stroke team have practiced for years.
The report confirms that the addition of intra-arterial treatment provides significant clinical benefit to patients when compared to the use of pharmaceutical treatment alone.
The clinical study, called MR CLEAN, took place in the Netherlands. It is touted as "groundbreaking," as it is the first study proving that inside-the-artery treatment for large artery occlusion is superior to best medical therapy and is considered the most significant finding for stroke treatment in nearly two decades.
"Stroke mortality and permanent disability rates have significantly decreased in our practice, and physical impairment is minimized," Frei said, in announcing the study results.
Ischemic strokes are those that are often caused by a blood clot or embolism that stops blood flow to the brain, Frei explained. The condition is commonly a result of clogged arteries and excess plaque. About 85 percent of strokes are ischemic, and are the most common type in adults. Ischemic strokes occur every 40 seconds and are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.
[See also: Dartmouth-Hitchcock speeds stroke care.]
Intra-arterial treatment is known as a thrombectomy, Frei said. This medical intervention means that a mechanical device is introduced to remove blood clots from vessels in the head when a clot obstructs one of the major intracranial arteries.
And, as the MR CLEAN study has confirmed, this type of intervention is beneficial to stroke patients who had received today's standard of care known as tissue plasminogen activator, or tPa, as well as those who had not. Quicker clot removal offers the potential to restore blood flow faster and to minimize neurological impairment, according to Frei.
"We've got to remember that the key to effective treatment is getting it quickly," he added. "That's because during a stroke, more than 30,000 brain cells die per second."
Swedish Medical Center is Colorado's First Comprehensive Stroke Center, as certified by the Joint Commission. This new level of certification recognizes the advanced technology, staff and training that comprehensive stroke centers must have to provide state-of-the-art complex stroke care. Swedish Medical Center officials say that Swedish cares for more stroke patients more quickly than any other hospital in Colorado, with stroke patients seeking treatment across the five-state Rocky Mountain region.
"We are very focused on our partnerships with physicians to constantly improve patient safety and outcomes, and we are proud of our advancement in stroke care," said Mary M. White, president and CEO of Swedish Medical Center, in a press statement. "This is one example of how we as a team continue to be a leader in clinical care improvements and as a neuroscience hospital in the region, and the nation."
"We view this study outcome to be the most promising news in years, and this therapy is now our first line of defense when treating stroke patients," Frei said.
Stroke is the number one cause of disability in the U.S. It costs $74 billion in healthcare expenditures annually for treatment due to disability, with more than 20 million Americans disabled from stroke each year.
[See also: Study 'undeniably proves' telestroke care saves lives and money.]
