Stroke Hospitalization Administration & Monitoring: Routine or COVID-19 Care (SHAMROCC)

Monitoring stroke patients in critical-care units for 24 h after thrombolysis or endovascular thrombectomy is considered standard of care in current guidelines but is not evidence-based. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our center adopted a targeted protocol in April 2021 with 24-h critical-care monitoring no longer being guaranteed for stroke patients receiving reperfusion treatment. We aim to compare the incidence and timing of complications during the year under the targeted approach compared to prior years when the standard of care was followed.

We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study. We analyzed data from stroke patients treated with thrombolysis and/or endovascular thrombectomy in 2019 (pre-COVID-19, standard of care), 2020 (during COVID-19, standard of care) and 2021 (during COVID-19, targeted protocol). Data extracted included demographics, the nature and timing of complications within the first 24 h, and the unit at the time of complication.

Three hundred forty-nine patients were included in our study: 78 patients in 2019, 115 patients in 2020, and 156 patients in 2021. In 2021, 32% of patients experienced at least 1 complication within the first 24 h compared to 34% in 2020 and 27% in 2019. In 2021, 33% of patients admitted to critical-care units had a complication compared to 29% in non-critical care units. In 2021, 70% of complications had occurred by hour 8 compared to 49% in 2020 and 29% in 2019.

The incidence and timing of complications did not significantly worsen under the targeted approach compared to prior years and were not associated with hospital location.