Diffusion-weighted imaging determinants for acute ischemic stroke diagnosis in the emergency room

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical-radiological determinants of diffusion-weighted image (DWI) abnormalities in patients with suspected acute ischemic stroke (AIS) seen at the emergency room (ER).

During the study period, 882 consecutive patients were screened at Clínica Alemana de Santiago, Chile; 786 had AIS and 711 (90.4%) were included.

DWI demonstrated 87.3% sensitivity and 99.0% specificity, with a positive likelihood ratio of 79 and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.13 for the detection of AIS. In the univariate analysis, a positive DWI in AIS was associated with admission National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.1%), time from symptom onset to DWI (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05), presence of a relevant intracranial artery occlusion (OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.75-5.76), posterior circulation ischemia (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.28-0.7), brainstem location of the AIS (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.093-0.27), infratentorial location of AIS (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.28-0.70), and lacunar (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.11-0.68) or undetermined stroke etiology (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.3-0.31). In multivariate analysis, only admission NIHSS score (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.13), time from symptom onset to DWI (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.13), brainstem location (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.051-0.37), and lacunar (OR: 0.4, 95% CI 0.21-0.78) or undetermined etiology (OR: 0.4, 95% CI 0.22-0.78) remained independently associated.

DWI detects AIS accurately; the positivity of these evaluations in the ER is associated only with NIHSS on admission, time to DWI, brainstem location, and AIS etiology.