Contemporary trends in stroke complicating cardiac catheterisation

Stroke remains an important complication of diagnostic cardiac catheterisation and percutaneous coronary intervention and is associated with high rates of in-hospital mortality.

To evaluate the incidence of stroke over a 10-year period and assess the long-term influence of stroke following cardiac catheterisation and PCI on functional outcomes, based on modified Rankin score and mortality.

The study was performed using a case-control design in a single tertiary referral centre. Patients were identified by correlating those patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation between October 2006 and December 2016 with patients who underwent neuroimaging within 7 days to identify possible cases of suspected stroke or transient ischaemic attack.

A total of 21 510 patients underwent cardiac catheterisation during the study period. Sixty (0.28%) patients experienced stroke or transient ischaemic attack. Compared to control patients, those who did experience cerebral ischaemic events were older (70.5 vs 64 years; P < 0.001), with higher rates of atrial fibrillation, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Stroke complicating cardiac catheterisation was associated with an increased risk of readmission, with a significantly higher hazard of readmission for stroke noted. Despite minimal functional impairment based on modified Rankin score, stroke was associated with a significant risk of early and cumulative mortality. Stroke incidence remained stable over the study period despite changes in procedural practice.

The incidence and functional severity of stroke remains low despite evolving procedural practice with a stable incidence over time despite changes in procedural practice; however, post-procedural stroke confirms an increased mortality hazard.