Cohen, Marc

Background There are limited contemporary data prevalence and outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods and Results Adult (>18 years) AMI admissions using the National Inpatient Sample database (2000–2017) were evaluated for in‐hospital AIS. Outcomes of interest included in‐hospital mortality, hospitalization costs, length of stay, discharge disposition, and use of tracheostomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. The discharge destination was used to classify survivors into good and poor outcomes. Of a total 11 622 528 AMI admissions, 183 896 (1.6%) had concomitant AIS. As compared with 2000, in 2017, AIS rates increased slightly among ST‐segment–elevation AMI (adjusted odds ratio, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.04–1.15]) and decreased in non–ST‐segment–elevation AMI (adjusted odds ratio, 0.47 [95% CI, 0.46–0.49]) admissions ( P <0.001). Compared with those without, the AIS cohort was on average older, female, of non‐White race, with greater comorbidities, and higher rates of arrhythmias. The AMI‐AIS admissions received less frequent coronary angiography (46.9% versus 63.8%) and percutaneous coronary intervention (22.7% versus 41.8%) ( P <0.001). The AIS cohort had higher in‐hospital mortality (16.4% versus 6.0%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.75 [95% CI, 1.72–1.78]; P <0.001), longer hospital length of stay, higher hospitalization costs, greater use of tracheostomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, and less frequent discharges to home (all P <0.001). Among AMI‐AIS survivors (N=153 318), 57.3% had a poor functional outcome at discharge with relatively stable temporal trends. Conclusions AIS is associated with significantly higher in‐hospital mortality and poor functional outcomes in AMI admissions.

This study was undertaken to determine whether carotid intima-media thickness can predict complex aortic atherosclerosis. A retrospective review was conducted of 64 consecutive patients who underwent transesophageal echocardiography and carotid ultrasonography for evaluation of recent ischemic stroke at MCP Hahnemann University, Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 1999. The mean age was 65 ± 14 years and 59% of the patients were women. Thirty-nine patients (61 %) had carotid atherosclerosis (defined as an intima-media thickness ≥ 1 mm) and seven patients (11%) had complex aortic atherosclerosis (defined as the presence of protruding atheroma ≥4 mm thick, mobile atherosclerotic debris, or plaque ulceration in any aortic segment by transesophageal echocardiography). Compared to patients without complex aortic atherosclerosis, patients with complex aortic atherosclerosis were more likely to have hypercholesterolemia (19% vs 57%, p = 0.05) and a carotid intima-media thickness of 2 mm or greater (35% vs 86%, p = 0.02). A carotid intima-media thickness of 2 mm or more had 86% sensitivity, 65% specificity, 23% positive predictive value, 97% negative predictive value, 2.5 positive likelihood ratio, and 0.22 negative likelihood ratio for the diagnosis of complex aortic atherosclerosis. Carotid intima- media thickness measurement can be used to noninvasively estimate the probability of complex aortic atherosclerosis. A carotid intima-media thickness less than 2 mm makes complex aortic atherosclerosis very unlikely.