Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stroke Epidemiology and Clinical Stroke Practice in the US.

Introduction: To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke, the number of stroke patients, time since last known well (LKW), morbidity, and mortality of stroke patients in Southwest Healthcare System (SHS), California (CA) and the United States (US) were analyzed during 2019 and compared to 2020. Our hypothesis is that there are regional differences in stroke outcome depending on location during the COVID-19 study period which influences stroke epidemiology and clinical stroke practice.

Methods: The American Heart Association's 'Get with the Guidelines' (GWTG) database was used to evaluate the following categories: code stroke, diagnosis of stroke upon discharge, inpatient mortality, modified Rankin Score (mRS) upon discharge (morbidity), and time since last known well (LKW).

Surgonomics of unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

Background/aims: A comparison of reimbursement for endovascular coil embolization and surgical clipping of unruptured aneurysms has not been previously reported. The aim of this study is to assess the reimbursement to physicians and hospitals for each of these two unruptured aneurysm treatments with long-term follow-up.

Methods: Hospital and physician payents were determined for 14 patients treated with coil embolization or surgical clipping of a single unruptured aneurysm per patient from 2004 to 2005, retrospectively.

Retrospective analysis of parenteral magnesium sulfate administration in decreased incidence of clinical and neuroradiological cerebral vasospasm: a single center experience.

Objective: Experimental work suggests a neuroprotective role for magnesium sulfate in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. We retrospectively review the incidence of clinically relevant vasospasm in patients treated or not with continuous magnesium infusion after onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Methods: All patient records in Albany Medical Center with the diagnosis of SAH between January 1999 and June 2004 were reviewed.

Intracranial endoscopy.

The authors' intention is to reduce the invasiveness of intracranial procedures while avoiding traumatization of brain tissue, to decrease the risk of neurological and mental deficits. Intracranial endoscopy is a minimally invasive technique that provides rapid access to the target via small burr holes without the need for brain retraction. Craniotomy as well as microsurgical brain splitting and dissection can often be avoided.