Endovascular Therapy in Pediatric Stroke: Utilization, Patient Characteristics, and Outcomes

Despite strong evidence for endovascular therapy in adults with acute arterial ischemic stroke, limited data exist in children. We aimed to describe endovascular therapy utilization and explore outcomes in a national sample of pediatric arterial ischemic stroke.

We queried the 2012 Kids' Inpatient Database for children aged greater than 28 days to 20 years with the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for arterial ischemic stroke and evaluated groups based on the procedure code for endovascular therapy. Poor outcome was defined as need for tracheostomy or gastrostomy, discharge to rehabilitation facility, or death. Logistic regression evaluated the association between endovascular therapy and poor outcome, adjusted for age, disease severity (hemiplegia, critical care interventions, neurosurgical interventions), and comorbidities.

We identified 3184 pediatric discharges with a diagnosis code for arterial ischemic stroke. Thirty-eight (1%) had an endovascular therapy procedure code. Endovascular therapy patients were older (10.2 versus 4.5 years, P < 0.001) and more likely to have hemiplegia/paresis (relative risk [RR] 3.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0-7.4), aphasia (RR 5.3, 95% CI 2.8-10.1), and facial droop (RR 4.0, 95% CI 1.9-8.7). Endovascular therapy was not associated with critical care and neurosurgical interventions or intracranial hemorrhage. Length of hospitalization, mortality, and discharge disposition were similar between groups. In a multivariable model, endovascular therapy was not associated with poor outcome (adjusted odds ratio 1.7, 95%, CI 0.7-4.1).

In a national sample of children with a diagnosis of arterial ischemic stroke, endovascular therapy was infrequently utilized. Patients with a procedure code for endovascular therapy had significant stroke-related deficits, but outcomes were similar to those in children who did not receive endovascular therapy. Our data, in conjunction with evidence of benefit in adults, support consideration of endovascular therapy for select children with acute stroke.