Neurological outcomes for patients meeting radiographic criteria for DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2

The DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2 thrombectomy trials included some patients with similar radiographic profiles, although the rates of good functional outcomes differed widely between the studies.

To report neurological outcomes for patients who meet CT and CT perfusion (CTP) inclusion criteria common to both DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2.

Retrospective study of thrombectomy patients, presenting between November 2016 and December 2023 to a large health system, with Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score ≥6, core infarction 50-69 mL, mismatch ratio ≥1.8, and mismatch volume ≥15 mL. The primary outcome was 90-day modified Rankin Scale score 0-2. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of the primary outcome.

85 patients, with mean age 64.6 (16.6) years and median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 18 (15-23), were included. Thirty-eight of 85 patients (44.7%) were functionally independent at 90 days. Predictors of functional independence included age (OR=0.943, 95% CI 0.908 to 0.980; P=0.003), initial glucose (OR=0.989, 95% CI 0.978 to 1.000; P=0.044), and time last known well to skin puncture (OR=0.997, 95% CI 0.994 to 1.000; P=0.028). The area under the curve for the multivariable model predicting the primary outcome was 0.82 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.92).

Nearly half of patients meeting radiographic criteria common to DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2 are functionally independent at 90 days, similar to rates reported for the treated DEFUSE 3 cohort. This might be due to their moderate core volumes and large ischemic penumbra.