Derivation and validation of a predictive scale to expedite endovascular intervention for acute stroke patients with an intervenable vessel occlusion.

Background: Early endovascular intervention team mobilization may reduce reperfusion times and improve clinical outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with a possible intervenable vessel occlusion (IVO). In an emergency department or mobile stroke unit, incorporating rapidly available non-contrast CT (NCCT) information with examination findings may improve the accuracy of arterial occlusion prediction scales. For this purpose, we developed a rapid and straightforward IVO predictive instrument-the T³AM²PA¹ scale.

Methods: The T³AM²PA¹ scale was retrospectively derived from our 'Get with the Guidelines' database. We included all patients with acute stroke alert between January 2017 and August 2018 with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score between 5 and 25 inclusive. Different pre-intervention variables were collected, including itemized NIHSS and NCCT information. The T³AM²PA¹ scale was also compared with other commonly used scales and was validated in a separate sequential retrospective cohort of patients with a full range of NIHSS scores.

Results: 574 eligible patients from 2115 acute stroke alerts were identified. The scale was established with five items (CT hyperdense sign, parenchymal hypodensity, lateralizing hemiparesis, gaze deviation, and language disturbance), with a total score of 9. To minimize unnecessary angiography, a cut-off of ≥5 for IVO detection yielded a sensitivity of 52%, a specificity of 90%, and a positive predictive value of 76%.

Conclusions: The T³AM²PA¹ scale accurately predicts the presence of clinical IVO in patients with AIS. Adopting the T³AM²PA¹ scale could reduce revascularization times, improve treatment outcomes, and potentially reduce disability.