Summary Background Platelet transfusion after acute spontaneous primary intracerebral haemorrhage in people taking antiplatelet therapy might reduce death or dependence by reducing the extent of the ...haemorrhage. We aimed to investigate whether platelet transfusion with standard care, compared with standard care alone, reduced death or dependence after intracerebral haemorrhage associated with antiplatelet therapy use. Methods We did this multicentre, open-label, masked-endpoint, randomised trial at 60 hospitals in the Netherlands, UK, and France. We enrolled adults within 6 h of supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage symptom onset if they had used antiplatelet therapy for at least 7 days beforehand and had a Glasgow Coma Scale score of at least 8. With use of a secure web-based system that concealed allocation and used biased coin randomisation, study collaborators randomly assigned participants (1:1; stratified by hospital and type of antiplatelet therapy) to receive either standard care or standard care with platelet transfusion within 90 min of diagnostic brain imaging. Participants and local investigators giving interventions were not masked to treatment allocation, but allocation was concealed from outcome assessors and investigators analysing data. The primary outcome was shift towards death or dependence rated on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months, and analysed by ordinal logistic regression, adjusted for stratification variables and the Intracerebral Haemorrhage Score. The primary analysis was done in the intention-to-treat population and safety analyses were done in the intention-to-treat and as-treated populations. This trial is registered with the Netherlands Trial Register, number NTR1303, and is now closed. Findings Between Feb 4, 2009, and Oct 8, 2015, 41 sites enrolled 190 participants. 97 participants were randomly assigned to platelet transfusion and 93 to standard care. The odds of death or dependence at 3 months were higher in the platelet transfusion group than in the standard care group (adjusted common odds ratio 2·05, 95% CI 1·18–3·56; p=0·0114). 40 (42%) participants who received platelet transfusion had a serious adverse event during their hospital stay, as did 28 (29%) who received standard care. 23 (24%) participants assigned to platelet transfusion and 16 (17%) assigned to standard care died during hospital stay. Interpretation Platelet transfusion seems inferior to standard care for people taking antiplatelet therapy before intracerebral haemorrhage. Platelet transfusion cannot be recommended for this indication in clinical practice. Funding The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, Sanquin Blood Supply, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, French Ministry of Health.
Summary Background Whether infarct size modifies intra-arterial treatment effect is not certain, particularly in patients with large infarcts. We examined the effect of the baseline Alberta Stroke ...Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) on the safety and efficacy of intra-arterial treatment in a subgroup analysis of the Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands (MR CLEAN). Methods MR CLEAN was a randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3 trial of intra-arterial treatment in patients (aged ≥18 years from the Netherlands) with proximal arterial occlusion of the anterior circulation, given intra-arterial treatment within 6 h of stroke onset. The primary outcome was 90 day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. We estimated the intra-arterial treatment effect for all patients in MR CLEAN who had ASPECTS graded by using multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis (a proportional odds model) to calculate the adjusted common odds ratio for a shift towards a better functional outcome according to the mRS for intra-arterial treatment and usual care than for usual care alone. We entered an interaction term into the model to test for interaction with prespecified ASPECTS subgroups: 0–4 (large infarct) versus 5–7 (moderate infarct) versus 8–10 (small infarct). MR CLEAN is registered with the Netherlands Trial Registry, number NTR1804, and the ISRCTN Registry, number ISRCTN10888758. Findings 496 patients—232 (47%) in the intra-arterial treatment and usual care group and 264 (53%) in the usual care alone group—were included in the analysis. We noted no significant difference in intra-arterial treatment effect between the ASPECTS subgroups according to 90 day ordinal mRS (adjusted common odds ratio interaction term relative to ASPECTS 8–10: ASPECTS 0–4: 0·79 95% CI 0·20–3·19, p=0·740; and ASPECTS 5–7: 1·02 0·44–2·35, p=0·966). Intra-arterial treatment did not cause a significant increase in the proportion of patients with at least one serious adverse event in any of the ASPECTS subgroups (ASPECTS 0–4: eight 73% of 11 patients in treatment and usual care group vs 11 58% of 19 in usual care alone group, p=0·42; ASPECTS 5–7: 32 59% of 54 vs 19 49% of 39, p=0·31; ASPECTS 8–10: 70 42% of 167 vs 82 40% of 206; p=0·68). For death within 7 days or within 30 days and hemicraniectomy, the differences between the intra-arterial treatment and usual care versus usual care alone groups were not significant by ASPECTS subgroups. A significantly higher proportion of patients had recurrent ischaemic stroke in the intra-arterial treatment plus usual care group than in the usual care alone group in the ASPECTS 8–10 subgroup (eight 5% vs one <1%; p=0·007). Interpretation Contrary to findings from previous studies suggesting that only patients with non-contrast CT ASPECTS of more than 7 benefit from intra-arterial treatment, data from this study suggest that patients with ASPECTS 5–7 should be treated. Further evidence is needed for patients with ASPECTS 0–4, for whom treatment might yield only marginal absolute benefit. Funding Dutch Heart Foundation, AngioCare, Medtronic/Covidien/EV3, Medac/Lamepro, Penumbra, Stryker, and Top Medical.
Summary Background Published work suggests a survival benefit for patients with trauma who undergo total-body CT scanning during the initial trauma assessment; however, level 1 evidence is absent. We ...aimed to assess the effect of total-body CT scanning compared with the standard work-up on in-hospital mortality in patients with trauma. Methods We undertook an international, multicentre, randomised controlled trial at four hospitals in the Netherlands and one in Switzerland. Patients aged 18 years or older with trauma with compromised vital parameters, clinical suspicion of life-threatening injuries, or severe injury were randomly assigned (1:1) by ALEA randomisation to immediate total-body CT scanning or to a standard work-up with conventional imaging supplemented with selective CT scanning. Neither doctors nor patients were masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality, analysed in the intention-to-treat population and in subgroups of patients with polytrauma and those with traumatic brain injury. The χ2 test was used to assess differences in mortality. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01523626. Findings Between April 22, 2011, and Jan 1, 2014, 5475 patients were assessed for eligibility, 1403 of whom were randomly assigned: 702 to immediate total-body CT scanning and 701 to the standard work-up. 541 patients in the immediate total-body CT scanning group and 542 in the standard work-up group were included in the primary analysis. In-hospital mortality did not differ between groups (total-body CT 86 16% of 541 vs standard work-up 85 16% of 542; p=0·92). In-hospital mortality also did not differ between groups in subgroup analyses in patients with polytrauma (total-body CT 81 22% of 362 vs standard work-up 82 25% of 331; p=0·46) and traumatic brain injury (68 38% of 178 vs 66 44% of 151; p=0·31). Three serious adverse events were reported in patients in the total-body CT group (1%), one in the standard work-up group (<1%), and one in a patient who was excluded after random allocation. All five patients died. Interpretation Diagnosing patients with an immediate total-body CT scan does not reduce in-hospital mortality compared with the standard radiological work-up. Because of the increased radiation dose, future research should focus on the selection of patients who will benefit from immediate total-body CT. Funding ZonMw, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development.
Background CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is commonly used as the first imaging test in the diagnostic workup of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). Other CTPA findings may provide an ...alternative explanation for signs and symptoms in these patients, but the clinical impact is not clear. Methods In 203 consecutive patients with suspected PE, we prospectively evaluated the clinical implication of abnormalities on CTPA. Alternative diagnoses were defined on clinical grounds before and after CTPA. Subsequent diagnostic tests and therapeutic consequences were assessed by criteria defined a priori. Results Sixty-one of the 203 patients (30%) had no abnormality on CTPA. Thirty-nine patients (19%) were given a diagnosis of PE. Before CTPA, alternative diagnoses were suspected in 97 patients (48%). Findings supporting an alternative diagnosis were detected in 88 patients (43%). In 28 patients, this was a new finding; in 18, a conclusive and previously unknown alternative diagnosis was made on the basis of the CTPA results. Overall, the findings supporting alternative diagnoses had therapeutic consequences in 10 patients (4.9%). Incidental findings (nodules and enlarged lymph nodes) requiring diagnostic procedures were present in 17 patients (8.4%), with one (0.5%) having a therapeutic consequence. Conclusions In patients undergoing CTPA for suspected PE, findings supporting an alternative diagnosis were found in almost one-half of the patients. However, in only a few patients, the alternative diagnosis had therapeutic consequences. Hence, CTPA should principally be used to confirm or exclude PE in high-probability cases but not to establish an alternative diagnosis.
In patients with pulmonary embolism, right ventricular dysfunction is associated with early mortality. The Hokusai-VTE study used N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and right to ...left ventricular diameter ratio on CT as indicators of right ventricular dysfunction and reported that recurrent venous thromboembolism rates were lower with edoxaban than warfarin. The aim of the current study was to further explore the significance of right ventricular dysfunction and investigate potential explanations for the superiority of edoxaban-ie, differences in baseline clinical characteristics, duration of initial heparin treatment, bleeding rates, or quality of warfarin treatment.
The Hokusai-VTE trial was a randomised, double-blind, event-driven non-inferiority trial in patients from centres in 37 countries that compared edoxaban with warfarin in the treatment of acute venous thromboembolism. Patients received treatment for at least 3 months and up to a maximum of 12 months. Patients were followed up for 12 months. Outcome data at 12 months was collected for all patients irrespective of treatment duration. This prespecified subgroup analysis focuses on the included patients with pulmonary embolism. The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of adjudicated symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolism defined as a composite of deep vein thrombosis or non-fatal or fatal pulmonary embolism at 12 months. Recurrence rates with edoxaban and warfarin were compared in patients with and without right ventricular dysfunction. In those with NT-proBNP concentrations of 500 pg/mL or higher, we compared baseline characteristics, duration of heparin treatment, and bleeding leading to study drug discontinuation in the edoxaban and warfarin groups. We also assessed quality of warfarin treatment. All analyses were done with the modified intention-to-treat population. The Hokusai-VTE trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00986154.
Between Jan 28, 2010, and Oct 5, 2012, 8292 patients were enrolled from 439 centres, of whom 8240 received at least one dose of study drug. 3319 patients had pulmonary embolism. NT-proBNP was 500 pg/mL or higher in 465 (30%) of 1565 patients given edoxaban and in 507 (32%) of 1599 given warfarin. Recurrent venous thromboembolism occurred in 14 (3%) of 465 patients in the edoxaban group and 30 (6%) of 507 in the warfarin group (hazard ratio HR 0·50, 95% CI 0·26-0·94; p=0·033). The right to left ventricular diameter ratio was 0·9 or higher in 414 (44%) of 937 patients in the edoxaban group and 427 (45%) of 946 in the warfarin group. Recurrent venous thromboembolism occurred in 11 (3%) of 414 and 20 (5%) of 427 patients in the edoxaban and warfarin groups (HR 0·57, 95% CI 0·27-1·17; p=0·13). Baseline characteristics, duration of heparin treatment, and rates of bleeding leading to study drug discontinuation were similar in the edoxaban and warfarin groups and the quality of warfarin management was adequate for patients with NT-proBNP concentrations of 500 pg/mL or higher.
Findings from our analysis suggest that edoxaban is more effective than warfarin in the treatment and prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism in patients with pulmonary embolism and evidence of right ventricular dysfunction.
Daiichi Sankyo.
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