Abstract
SUMMARY: New York City has become the global epicenter of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite a massive shift in health care resources, cerebrovascular disease continues to be a substantial burden. We review the first 10 patients undergoing thrombectomy following a series of governmental and institutional policy changes diverting resources to the care of critically ill patients with COVID-19. Ten patients with emergent large-vessel occlusion underwent thrombectomy between March 23 and April 1, 2020. Five patients tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Successful reperfusion was achieved in 9 of 10 patients, at a median time of 37 minutes from vascular access. The postprocedural NIHSS score improved by an average of 7.7 points. Of the 5 patients positive for COVID-19, none have experienced a critical respiratory illness. We report the early incidence of COVID-19 positivity in patients with emergent large-vessel occlusion and demonstrate that thrombectomy continues to be an efficacious option, as well as safe for health care providers.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1357-1360 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | American Journal of Neuroradiology |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 1 2020 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
- Clinical Neurology