Abstract Number ‐ 98: Intravenous dose‐adjusted cangrelor use for neuroendovascular procedures: An institutional experience

Abstract

Introduction The optimal antiplatelet therapy regimen for certain neuroendovascular procedures remains unclear. This study investigates the safety and feasibility of intravenous dose‐adjusted cangrelor in patients undergoing neuroendovascular procedures. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of all consecutive patients who underwent neuroendovascular procedures and were placed on intravenous cangrelor between September 1, 2020 and March 13, 2022. Cangrelor was administered as a 15 mcg/kg bolus followed by 2 mcg/kg/min infusion titrated to goal P2Y12reaction unit (PRU) level of 50 to 150, and then transitioned to oral antiplatelet therapy. Demographic characteristics, interventional variables, and clinical outcomes were collected. Results A total of 50 patients were included. The mean age (years) was 56.0±18.6, and 26 (52.0%) were males. Most patients were African American (n = 39/48, 81.3%). The most common comorbidities were hypertension (n = 25/49, 51.0%), active smoking status (n = 14/40, 35.0%), and prior ischemic stroke (n = 13/49, 26.5%). Intravenous thrombolysis was used in 4 patients (8.0%). Cangrelor infusion was used for the following procedures: embolization (n = 10/50, 20.0%), embolization and stent placement (n = 9/50, 18.0%), thrombectomy alone (n = 5/50, 10.0%), thrombectomy and stent placement (n = 10/50, 20.0%), and stent placement only (n = 14/50, 28.0%). Stent placement occurred intracranially beyond petrous segment of the internal carotid artery in 18 patients, remainder of internal or common carotid artery in 12 patients, and both intracranial and carotid arteries in 3 patients. PRU levels were measured in 48 patients (96.0%), with 26 patients (54.2%) achieving a PRU level of 50–150 greater than or equal to 50% of the time. Approximately 51.5% of the patients had a favorable functional outcome with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 to 2 at 90 days (n = 17/33).During 1‐year follow up, approximately 4 patients had recurrent or new strokes (9.5%), 1 patient had in‐stent thrombosis (2.9%) and 1 patient with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage [sICH] (2.4%), both while not on antiplatelet therapy, 2 patients with asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage [ICH] (4.8%), and no gastrointestinal bleeding events were recorded. When stratified by PRU level, there were no significant differences in sICH (p = 0.841) or asymptomatic ICH (p = 0.853). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of intravenous cangrelor use titrated based on platelet function testing in the largest cohort of patients who underwent neuroendovascular procedures to date. Further studies, including comparative studies to standard dose maintenance cangrelor, are necessary.