Abstract WP284: National Trends in Utilization and Outcomes of Thrombolytic Use by Drip and Ship Paradigm in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients in United States

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The drip and ship paradigm has rapidly expanded in the last decade allowing higher thrombolytic utilization and endovascular treatment. We performed this analysis to evaluate trends in utilization of drip and ship paradigm in United States and associated outcomes. Methods: We analyzed data for patients admitted with primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke in the United States from Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the largest nationally representative data, for the years 2009 to 2015. We studied changes in utilization of drip-and-ship paradigm and subsequent performance of endovascular treatment, and rates of discharge with none to minimal disability and moderate to severe disability. Results: Of the 3,043,190 patients admitted with ischemic stroke, 56,449 (1.85%) patients received thrombolytic treatment through drip-and-ship paradigm over a 7 year period. Of all patients who received thrombolytic treatment (n=243,824), 56,449 (23.15%) received using drip and ship paradigm. There was almost 3 fold increase in drip and ship paradigm (in 0.98% 2009 to 2.80% in 2015 (test for trend= p < 0.001). Among the patients who underwent drip and ship paradigm, 5,061 (8.97%) underwent endovascular treatment. The rate of endovascular treatment increased from 6.62% to 12.39% among patients treated with drip and ship paradigm (test for trend= p < 0.001). The rate of none minimal disability at discharge increased from 39.93% to 47.08%, (test for trend p < 0.001) while moderate to severe disability decreased 51.22% to 47.08%, (test for trend p < 0.001) in ischemic stroke patients treated using drip-and-ship paradigm. Similar trends were observed for hospital outcomes in multivariate logistic regression model, adjusted for age, gender, medical comorbidities and secondary intracranial hemorrhages. Conclusion: There has been a significant increase in the proportion of acute ischemic stroke patients treated using drip-and-ship paradigm (out of proportion to overall thrombolytic use) with increase in subsequent endovascular treatment in United States. The in hospital outcomes of patients have improved perhaps due to higher utilization of endovascular treatment.