You are seeing this message because your Web browser does not support basic Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing and what you can do to make your experience on this site better.


ABOUT JAMA
Advanced Search

Welcome   | My Account | E-mail Alerts | Access Rights | Sign In


  Vol. 279 No. 16, April 22, 1998 TABLE OF CONTENTS
  JAMA
  •  Online Features
  Original Contribution
 This Article
 •Abstract
 •PDF
 •Send to a friend
 • Save in My Folder
 •Save to citation manager
 •Permissions
 Citing Articles
 •Citation map
 •Citing articles on HighWire
 •Contact me when this article is cited
 Related Content
 •Related article
 •Similar articles in JAMA
 Topic Collections
 •Thrombolysis
 •Neurology
 •Cerebrovascular Disease
 •Cardiovascular System
 •Cardiovascular Intervention
 •Alert me on articles by topic
 Social Bookmarking
  Add to CiteULike Add to Connotea Add to Del.icio.us Add to Digg Add to Reddit Add to Technorati
What's this?

Low Molecular Weight Heparinoid, ORG 10172 (Danaparoid), and Outcome After Acute Ischemic Stroke

A Randomized Controlled Trial

The Publications Committee for the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) Investigators

JAMA. 1998;279:1265-1272.

ABSTRACT

Context.— Anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin is used commonly for treatment of acute ischemic stroke, but its use remains controversial because it has not been shown to be effective or safe. Low molecular weight heparins and heparinoids have been shown to be effective in preventing deep vein thrombosis in persons with stroke, and they might be effective in reducing unfavorable outcomes following ischemic stroke.

Objective.— To test whether an intravenously administered low molecular weight heparinoid, ORG 10172 (danaparoid sodium), increases the likelihood of a favorable outcome at 3 months after acute ischemic stroke.

Design.— Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial.

Setting and Participants.— Between December 22, 1990, and December 6, 1997, 1281 persons with acute stroke were enrolled at 36 centers across the United States.

Intervention.— A 7-day course of ORG 10172 or placebo was given initially as a bolus within 24 hours of stroke, followed by continuous infusion in addition to the best medical care. Doses were adjusted in response to anti–factor Xa activity.

Main Outcome Measures.— Favorable outcome rated as the combination of a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of I or II and a modified Barthel Index of 12 or greater on a scale of 0 to 20 at 3 months or 7 days; very favorable outcome was recorded for the combination of a Glasgow Outcome Scale of I and a Barthel Index of 19 or 20 at 3 months or 7 days.

Results.— At 3 months, 482 (75.2%) of 641 persons assigned to treatment with ORG 10172 and 467 (73.7%) of 634 patients treated with placebo had favorable outcomes (P=.49); 49.5% and 47%, respectively, of patients in each group had very favorable outcomes at 3 months. At 7 days, 376 (59.2%) of 635 persons given ORG 10172 and 344 (54.3%) of 633 receiving placebo had favorable outcomes (P=.07). For the same interval, 215 (33.9%) of 635 persons given ORG 10172 and 176 (27.8%) of 633 persons administered placebo had very favorable outcomes (P=.01; odds ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.73). Within 10 days of onset of treatment, serious intracranial bleeding events occurred in 14 patients given ORG 10172 (15 events) and in 4 placebo-treated patients (5 events) (P=.05).

Conclusion.— Despite an apparent positive response to treatment at 7 days, emergent administration of the antithrombotic agent, ORG 10172, is not associated with an improvement in favorable outcome at 3 months.



INTRODUCTION
 Jump to Section
 •Top
 •Introduction
 •Methods
 •Results
 •Comment
 •Author information
 •References

ANTICOAGULATION with unfractionated heparin commonly is used to treat persons with acute ischemic stroke.1 However, the use of heparin remains controversial because it is not established as safe or effective.2-6 A recent open trial demonstrated a modest effect from subcutaneously administered heparin in preventing recurrent stroke within 14 days but no improvement in outcomes.7 Thus, whether an intravenously administered anticoagulant that would act more rapidly would be effective remains unanswered. The search for alternative medications that possess the antithrombotic characteristics of heparin but have a lower propensity for bleeding or thrombocytopenia led to the development of low molecular weight heparins and heparinoids. A clinical trial recently showed a lower rate of unfavorable outcomes at 6 months after stroke following the administration of the low molecular weight heparin, nadroparin, but no significant differences were noted at 10 days or 3 months.8

ORG 10172 (danaparoid sodium [Orgaran]) is a mixture of glycosaminoglycans with a mean molecular weight of 5500 d that is isolated from porcine intestinal mucosa. The anti–factor Xa activity of ORG 10172 is attributed to its heparan sulfate component,9 which has a high affinity for antithrombin III. It is not inactivated by endogenous heparin-neutralizing factors such as histidine-rich glycoprotein or platelet factor 4, and it has virtually no effect on platelet function. It has minimal effects on the activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, or thrombin time.10 The drug has low cross-reactivity to antibodies correlated with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, and it is used to treat persons at high risk for thrombosis who have a history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.11 It is also used for prophylaxis against deep vein thrombosis.12 Pilot studies examined the safety and potential utility of ORG 10172 in persons with acute ischemic stroke.13-14 Based on the results of these projects, the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) was performed to test the efficacy of the drug in improving outcomes among persons with acute ischemic stroke.


METHODS
 Jump to Section
 •Top
 •Introduction
 •Methods
 •Results
 •Comment
 •Author information
 •References

Design

TOAST was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial conducted from December 1990 to December 1996 that treated persons within 24 hours of the onset of acute ischemic stroke. The design of the trial has been reported elsewhere.15

Patient Population

Patients were eligible for the trial if their age was 18 to 85 years, if they had evidence of acute or progressing ischemic stroke with symptoms present more than 1 hour but less than 24 hours, if they were diagnosed by 1 of the investigators in the trial, and if they had an estimated prestroke modified Barthel Index of 12 or more.

Patients were excluded if they had the following: resolution of neurologic symptoms, an isolated mild neurologic deficit, a stroke less than 24 hours old even with recent progression, coma, mass effect (shift of midline structures) on baseline computed tomogram (CT), intracranial blood on a CT, CT evidence of a nonvascular cause of symptoms, active bleeding, major surgery in the previous 24 hours, another illness that required anticoagulation, were currently receiving heparin or warfarin, received thrombolytic therapy in the previous 24 hours, active bleeding, abnormal baseline coagulation studies, mean blood pressure greater than 130 mm Hg, major organ failure, known vasculitis or infective endocarditis, a complex medical illness or terminal illness, confounding neurologic disease, allergy to heparin, prior participation in TOAST, or were participating in another clinical trial. Women of childbearing potential were excluded at the beginning of the trial but, subsequently, women who were not pregnant or lactating and who had a negative pregnancy test were enrolled.

Outcome Measures

Patients were assessed daily during the acute treatment period and had a follow-up examination at 3 months. Investigators who rated the patients were certified in use of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale using a videotape testing system.16

The primary outcome was a favorable outcome at 3 months after stroke, defined as a score of I or II on the Glasgow Outcome Scale and a score of 12 to 20 on the modified Barthel Index.17-19 The intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis required that the patient have at least 1 postbaseline assessment of the Glasgow Outcome Scale and Barthel Index. The study was designed to detect an improvement of 20% with treatment (from an assumed base rate of 50%) with 90% power.

Prespecified secondary hypotheses included a favorable outcome at 7 days, reducing recurrent stroke within 7 days, halting worsening of neurologic deficits within 7 days, and reducing mortality at 7 days and 3 months. After a trial of thrombolytic therapy demonstrated a benefit in improving very favorable outcomes after stroke,20 the TOAST investigators added analyses evaluating similar responses (defined as a combination of a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of I and a Barthel Index score of 19 or 20) at 7 days and 3 months. Neurologic worsening was assessed by evaluating differences between the day 7 and baseline scores of the NIHSS.21 Patients whose day 7 NIHSS score was 4 or more points less than baseline or was 0 were classified as improved, a score that was within 3 points of baseline was considered unchanged, and a score of 4 or more additional points or death was rated as worse.

Subtypes of acute ischemic stroke were also a prespecified end point. Classification was based on a central-blinded evaluation assessing the clinical findings and the results of brain imaging and ancillary diagnostic tests, such as carotid duplex or echocardiography. Categories were large-artery atherosclerosis, cardioembolism, small-artery occlusion, other determined cause, or undetermined cause.22

Safety analyses assessed events experienced by any treated patient subcategorized by the time of onset and included adverse experiences that occurred (1) during treatment with the study drug, (2) during the first 10 days after entry, and (3) during the follow-up period. Major adverse events included deaths, symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation of the infarction, other intracranial bleeding, other major hemorrhages, myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemic stroke, systemic embolism, clinically diagnosed deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and thrombocytopenia. A panel of 3 physicians who were not aware of treatment allocation ascertained the most likely cause of death.

Two amendments were added to the protocol during the trial to assure patient safety. Because an increased risk of hemorrhage among persons with severe strokes was observed in September 1993, as discussed in the "Results" section, persons with an NIHSS score greater than 15 were excluded at the direction of the trial's National Institutes of Health–appointed Performance and Safety Monitoring Board. In May 1996, patients who weighed less than 56.2 kg (<125 lb) were excluded after high levels of anti–factor Xa activity and excess bleeding were observed.

Institutional review boards at the participating centers approved the project and periodically reviewed the progress of the study. Informed consent was obtained directly from the patients or from the next-of-kin.

Randomization

Patients were randomized 1:1 to treatment with ORG 10172 or placebo using permuted blocks with randomly ordered sizes of 6, 6, and 4 balanced for every 16 consecutive patients entered.

Treatment

An intravenous bolus dose was administered within 24 hours of onset of stroke symptoms to rapidly reach desired levels followed by a continuous infusion for 7 days.14-15 Rates of the infusion were adjusted after 24 hours to maintain the anti–factor Xa activity at 0.6 to 0.8 anti–factor Xa U/mL. Dosage adjustments were recommended by a local unblinded safety monitor. Based on preprinted instructions, the local safety monitor also recommended "sham" dose adjustments for selected patients receiving placebo. The study agent could be stopped prematurely for safety reasons, if the patient withdrew consent, if the patient required potentially confounding therapy, or if the patient's discharge was mandated by third party payers. Ancillary care to treat medical and neurologic complications of stroke was permitted, but heparin, warfarin, aspirin, ticlopidine, and nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs were prohibited during the 7-day treatment period. After the completion of the treatment period, attending physicians remained unaware of the treatment arm. They selected medical or surgical therapies aimed at preventing recurrent stroke and rehabilitation.

Statistical Analyses

Analyses were ITT. All tests were 2-sided and an {alpha} level of .05 was used to assess statistical significance. No adjustments were made for multiple comparisons. The primary analysis examined the rates of favorable outcomes using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test stratified by the participating site.23-24 The day 7 evaluation was used in the analysis for persons who did not have a 3-month follow-up evaluation for any reason other than death (last observation carried forward). Deaths were assigned the worst-case score for each scale. Mortality also was assessed using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test stratified by site.24 In addition, survival curves for each treatment group were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test.25 The Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test stratified by site also was used to test rates of stroke progression during the first 7 days.24 Four interim analyses for the Performance and Safety Monitoring Board were performed approximately yearly during the course of the study. The procedure of Lan and DeMets26 for interim analyses was used utilizing the O'Brien-Fleming spending function.27 Incidence rate differences between drug groups for each adverse experience were evaluated using the Fisher exact test.28


RESULTS
 Jump to Section
 •Top
 •Introduction
 •Methods
 •Results
 •Comment
 •Author information
 •References

A total of 1281 persons were enrolled from a screened group of 25624 (Figure 1). The reasons for exclusion of the screened group were consent could not be obtained in 623 cases; 8345 patients arrived after 24 hours of stroke onset; 2448 persons were outside the age range; 1196 patients did not have an acute stroke; 252 had severe preexisting disability; 379 were not enrolled because an investigator was unavailable; intracranial blood on baseline CT was detected in 2505 persons; symptoms resolved in 1976 persons; a minor stroke with isolated signs occurred in 1367; coma was present in 254; active bleeding was present in 272; and 1066 were receiving heparin or warfarin. After September 1, 1993, 316 persons were excluded because their baseline NIHSS score was greater than 15. Other exclusion criteria were cited in 5432 instances.



View larger version (30K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
The populations were reported in TOAST (Trial of ORG 10172 [(danaparoid sodium, low molecular weight heparinoid] in Acute Stroke Treatment). The ITT (intention-to-treat) data were collected from persons who had at least 1 postbaseline outcome assessment. Postbaseline primary efficacy (Glasgow Outcome Scale and Barthel Index scores) data were not provided by 5 patients assigned to treatment with ORG 10172 and 1 patient treated with the placebo. These 6 patients were excluded from the ITT analysis. The safety analyses involve data collected from persons who received any amount of the study drug or placebo.


No differences were seen in the baseline characteristics of patients enrolled randomized to the 2 groups (Table 1). Of those enrolled, 3-month follow-up data were available from 591 patients treated with ORG 10172 and 583 patients treated with placebo (Figure 1). Past treatment interventions did not differ between groups: 460 patients in the ORG 10172 group (77.8%) and 474 patients in the control group (81.3%) received antiplatelet agents; 174 patients in the ORG 10172 group (29.4%) and 177 patients in the placebo-treated group (30.4%) received anticoagulants, and 17 patients in each group had a carotid endarterectomy.


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
Table 1.—Baseline Characteristics of Enrolled Patients With Intention-to-Treat Analyses


Primary Efficacy Analysis: Favorable Outcome at 3 Months

No significant difference in the rate of favorable outcomes at 3 months after stroke was noted between the 2 treatment groups (Table 2). Approximately 75% of patients in both groups achieved favorable outcomes by the end of the observation period.


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
Table 2.—Outcomes at 7 Days and 3 Months After Stroke*


Secondary Efficacy Analyses

Favorable Outcome at 7 Days and Very Favorable Outcomes at 7 Days and 3 Months. At 7 days, 376 patients receiving ORG 10172 (59.2%) and 344 control patients (54.3%) had reached a favorable outcome (Table 2). The rates of very favorable outcomes at day 7 were 33.9% and 27.8% among persons administered ORG 10172 and placebo, respectively (Table 2). By 3 months, approximately 48% of patients in each group had very favorable outcomes (Table 2).

Neurologic Worsening or Improvement During the First 7 Days. Twenty persons (ORG 10172, 99; placebo, 11) had their study drug stopped prematurely because of neurological deterioration. By 1 week, 63 patients given ORG 10172 (10.0%) and 62 persons given placebo (9.9%) had worsening of 4 points or more. During the same interval, 261 patients receiving ORG 10172 (41.3%) and 223 placebo-treated patients (35.6%)(P=.09) had an improvement of 4 points or more or reached a score of 0.

Effects of Stroke Subtype and Baseline Severity of Stroke on Favorable or Very Favorable Outcomes at 3 Months. The effects of the severity of stroke on admission or the cause of stroke on outcomes at 3 months are listed in Table 3. For strokes due to large-artery atherosclerosis, the rates of favorable and very favorable outcomes were significantly higher among persons who received ORG 10172. No treatment effect was noted in the other stroke subtypes. While the severity of baseline neurologic deficits strongly predicted outcomes at 3 months, it did not influence outcomes between the 2 treatment groups.


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
Table 3.—Influence of Stroke TOAST Subtype on Rates of Favorable and Very Favorable Outcomes at 3 Months After Stroke*


Adverse Experiences

Approximately 14% of patients in the trial had their study drug stopped prematurely (Figure 1). Significantly more participants receiving ORG 10172 had adverse experiences, primarily bleeding, that prompted premature termination of therapy (Table 4). Symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation of the stroke prompted stopping of the study drug in 9 patients receiving ORG 10172 and in 3 who were given placebo (P=.14). Three patients in each group had the study drug stopped because of asymptomatic hemorrhagic transformation of the stroke. Four patients administered ORG 10172 and 2 receiving placebo had the study drug stopped because of new ischemic strokes.


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
Table 4.—Reasons for Premature Termination of Study Drug


Bleeding. Minor and more severe hemorrhages were more frequent among persons receiving ORG 10172 (Table 5). In the entire trial, 80 patients with an NIHSS score greater than 15 received ORG 10172 and 80 patients received placebo. Eleven patients who had a baseline NIHSS score greater than 15 had serious bleeding within 10 days; 10 patients received ORG 10172 (P=.01). By 3 months, serious brain hemorrhages were noted in 11 patients and 3 patients, respectively (P=.06). Differences in the rates of major bleeding events within 10 days of starting therapy were significant (P<.005) (Table 5). By 3 months after entry, 14 patients receiving ORG 10172 had 16 intracranial bleeding events and 8 events were reported among 7 patients assigned placebo. By 3 months, 3 of the 14 patients in the ORG 10172 group and 1 of the 7 placebo-treated patients had favorable outcomes. Hemorrhagic transformation of ischemic stroke was found by brain imaging within 10 days of enrollment in 61 persons receiving ORG 10172 (9.6%) and in 55 placebo-treated patients (8.6%) (P=.69). By 3 months, among persons who weighed less than 56.2 kg (<125 lb), serious bleeding occurred in 6 of 55 patients (7 events) given ORG 10172 and 0 of 47 patients administered placebo (P=.03).


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
Table 5.—Major Bleeding and Ischemic Adverse Experiences Among Patients Who Received the Study Drug*


Recurrent Ischemic Events. Recurrent ischemic strokes were diagnosed during the treatment period in approximately 1.2% of patients (Table 5). The rates of early recurrent stroke (first 7 days) as influenced by etiologic subtype were as follows: large-artery atherosclerosis (ORG 10172, 3 of 113 and placebo, 3 of 117), cardioembolism (ORG 10172, 0 of 143 and placebo, 2 of 123), small-artery occlusion (ORG 10172, 1 of 158 and placebo, 2 of 148), other cause (ORG 10172, 1 of 13 and placebo, 1 of 17), and undetermined cause (ORG 10172, 3 of 210 and placebo, 1 of 226). By 3 months, the total of ischemic events, including systemic embolism, myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism, was higher among persons treated with placebo (Table 5). By the end of the follow-up, recurrent stroke as influenced by stroke subtype were large-artery atherosclerosis (ORG 10172, 7 of 113 and placebo, 13 of 117), cardioembolism (ORG 10172, 4 of 143 and placebo, 9 of 123), small-artery occlusion (ORG 10172, 5 of 158 and placebo, 7 of 148), other cause (ORG 10172, 1 of 13 and placebo, 1 of 17), and undetermined cause (ORG 10172, 9 of 210 and placebo, 6 of 226).

Mortality. Overall, 44 patients assigned to treatment with ORG 10172 and 38 patients given placebo died by 3 months (Table 6). At 7 days, 12 persons in the ORG 10172 cohort and 9 patients in the placebo group had died. Two deaths in the ORG 10172 group occurred in persons who did not receive any study medication; 1 had a fatal brain hemorrhage after randomization but before the infusion could begin. These 2 deaths are not listed in Table 6.


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
Table 6.—Causes of Death Among Patients Who Received the Study Drug



COMMENT
 Jump to Section
 •Top
 •Introduction
 •Methods
 •Results
 •Comment
 •Author information
 •References

TOAST is the largest trial of an intravenously administered antithrombotic drug for treatment of acute ischemic stroke; it demonstrated no treatment effect in achieving either a favorable or very favorable outcome at 3 months after stroke, although higher rates of neurologic improvement, favorable outcome, and very favorable outcome were shown at day 7.

Approximately 75% of persons in both cohorts had reached favorable outcomes at the end of the period of observation, a rate that is higher than reported in other clinical trials. Because of our concern of a risk of symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation, we did not enroll patients with severe deficits and, as a result, our patients had less severe neurological deficits than those reported in the recent trial of rt-PA (recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator).20 Our trial demonstrates that neurologic worsening during the first week is approximately 10%, regardless of treatment assignment. As a whole, the risk of early recurrent stroke in TOAST was only 1.5% within 1 week. Our data at 1 week are comparable to the 14-day rates described by the International Stroke Trial and the 30-day rates reported by the Chinese Acute Stroke Trial.7, 29 The experience of TOAST suggests that the risk of early recurrent ischemic stroke is relatively low. Thus, immediate administration of anticoagulants to prevent recurrent stroke may be unnecessary within the first days after a stroke.

Many physicians consider persons with cardioembolic stroke to be at particularly high risk for recurrent ischemic events.1 Still, past data about the efficacy of emergent antithrombotic therapy in preventing early recurrent cardioembolic stroke are minimal.4 Our data show that the risk among persons with cardioembolism is not much different than for persons with strokes due to other causes. Our data suggest that early administration of intravenous antithrombotic drugs may have a limited impact when compared with long-term anticoagulation in lowering the overall risks of recurrent cardioembolic stroke.

Drugs that affect coagulation are associated with an inherent risk of bleeding, and intracranial hemorrhage is the most life-threatening complication. The likelihood of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage may be particularly high following ischemic brain injury and many physicians have been reluctant to give antithrombotic drugs because of the risk of bleeding.1 Asymptomatic hemorrhages often are found by brain imaging performed after ischemic stroke, and symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation of an infarction can occur spontaneously.30 However, the recent experience with thrombolytic therapy highlights the importance of intracranial hemorrhage as a potential complication.20, 31 Studies of heparin report intracranial bleeding as an adverse reaction to treatment and correlate the complication with the severity of the stroke, the patient's age, and the level of anticoagulation.32-33 Our experience confirms the conclusion that emergent administration of antithrombotic drugs to persons with severe strokes increases the chance of symptomatic intracranial bleeding.

Serious hemorrhages in other parts of the body are associated with the level of anticoagulation and the presence of other diseases that predispose to bleeding. During TOAST, we detected higher rates of anti–factor Xa activity and more bleeding events among persons who weighed less than 56.2 kg (<125 lb). At the time TOAST was designed, weight-based nomograms had not been developed for emergent administration of antithrombotic drugs; such regimens now are available for heparin.34 A weight-based nomogram for the use of ORG 10172 might result in improved safety and efficacy in management of persons with acute ischemic stroke.

We examined the influence of the cause of stroke on responses to treatment. We previously showed that determining stroke subtype can be difficult and such diagnoses often change as the results of ancillary tests become available.35-36 In order to maintain uniformity in subtype diagnoses, we developed a system of central determination of diagnoses of subtype using the previously defined TOAST criteria for subtype.21 These diagnoses were made when the results of ancillary tests were available. This situation is different from the one that a physician faces in an emergency room. Such qualification of our data is important because TOAST shows a significant response to treatment at 7 days and 3 months among persons who had stroke secondary to large-artery atherosclerosis. The positive response to treatment among patients with stroke secondary to occlusion of a major extracranial or intracranial artery or artery-to-artery embolism is intriguing. Antithrombotic drugs might help maintain collateral flow or halt progression of thrombosis in this group of seriously ill persons. Our data should prompt further testing of antithrombotic drugs in persons with ischemic stroke secondary to large-artery atherosclerosis. However, if this treatment is to be effective, early and accurate determination of this subtype will mandate the use of ancillary tests, such as duplex ultrasound of the carotid artery, transcranial Doppler, magnetic resonance angiography, or CT angiography. Based on the results of TOAST, we encourage a prospective study evaluating such an approach to treatment of persons with acute ischemic stroke.

Although our trial demonstrates no efficacy of ORG 10172 in improving outcomes at 3 months after stroke, TOAST provides other information that hopefully will influence patient care. Our data suggest that antithrombotic drugs administered as late as 24 hours after onset of stroke might improve outcomes of persons whose strokes are secondary to large-artery atherosclerosis. Our data imply that the likelihood of early recurrent stroke is relatively low, which lessens the urgency for early antithrombotic treatment. In addition, the findings of TOAST mean that the emergent administration of antithrombotic drugs is associated with major bleeding and an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage, especially among persons with major stroke.


AUTHOR INFORMATION
 Jump to Section
 •Top
 •Introduction
 •Methods
 •Results
 •Comment
 •Author information
 •References

This study was funded by the US Public Health Service, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke grants R0-1-NS-27863 and R01-NS-27960. Additional support, including a supply of the study drug, was given by Organon Inc, West Orange, NJ. The principal investigator for the randomized Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Ischemic Stroke was Harold P. Adams, Jr, MD, and the principal investigator for the data management component of the trial was Robert F. Woolson, PhD. The project officer for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke was John R. Marler, MD.

Presented in part at the Sixth European Stroke Conference, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, May 29, 1997, and at the 23rd International Joint Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation, Orlando, Fla, February 7, 1998.

The TOAST Investigators

Publications Committee: H. P. Adams, Jr, MD, chair, Iowa City, Iowa; R. F. Woolson, PhD, Iowa City; C. Helgason, MD, Chicago, Ill; P. N. Karanjia, MD, Marshfield, Wis; D. L. Gordon, MD, Jackson, Miss.

Operations Committee: H. P. Adams, Jr, MD, chair, Iowa City, Iowa; R. F. Woolson, PhD, cochair, Iowa City; E. Feldmann, MD, Providence, RI; C. R. Gomez, MD, St Louis, Mo; J. P. Mohr, MD, New York, NY; C. S. Kase, MD, Boston, Mass; J. Rothrock, MD, San Diego, Calif; J. Byer, MD, Columbia, Mo; B. Love, MD, West Des Moines, Iowa; A. Bruno, MD, Albuquerque, NM; José Biller, MD, Indianapolis, Ind.

Advisory Committee: M. L. Dyken, MD, Indianapolis, Ind; R. F. Frankowski, PhD, Houston, Tex; C. S. Greenberg, MD, Durham, NC; L. A. Harker, MD, Atlanta, Ga; J. P. Whisnant, MD, Rochester, Minn; H. P. Adams, Jr, MD; R. F. Woolson, PhD (members ex officio).

NIH Safety and Monitoring Committee: E. C. Haley, Jr, MD, chair, Charlottesville, Va; J. R. Marler, MD, ex officio, Bethesda, Md; H. J. Day, MD, Philadelphia, Pa; K. M. Detre, MD, DrPH, Pittsburgh, Pa; J. C. Grotta, MD, Houston, Tex; W. T. Longstreth, Jr, MD, Seattle, Wash.

In-House Safety Committee: W. R. Clarke, PhD; R. W. Fincham, MD; T. C. Kisker, MD; B. B. Love, MD; J. D. Olson, MD; R. B. Wallace, MD, chair; R. F. Woolson, PhD, University of Iowa, Iowa City.

Adjudication Panel: H. P. Adams, Jr, MD; J. Biller, MD; M. L. Dyken, MD.

Clinical Coordinating Center: H. P. Adams, Jr, MD, project director; B. H. Bendixen, PhD, MD; P. H. Davis, MD; B. B. Love, MD, medical monitors; K. J. Grimsman, RN, center coordinator; J. D. Olson, MD, PhD; B. J. Pennell (Central Laboratory); K. Johnson, RPh (Central Pharmacy); S. H. Cornell, MD; D. L. Crosby, MD; T. M. Simonson, MD (Central Radiology); K. Flack; V. Krumbholz, financial administrative assistant; C. A. Moores; J. A. Comine; C. R. Zalesky, secretary, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City.

Data Management Center: R. F. Woolson, PhD, director; W. R. Clarke, PhD, associate director; P. A. Wasek, BA, center coordinator; J. A. Dieleman, BA, systems coordinator; J. M. Paulsen, BS; J. P. Boreen, BS; R. D. Peters, BS, programmers; M. F. Jones, MA; B. M. Robb, BA; L. A. Oberbroeckling, BS; M. D. Hansen, MS; M. L. Combs, PhD; K. M. Hicklin, research assistants; M. A. Albanese, PhD, reliability consultant; J. D. Clark, BA, accountant; E. R. Skiye, secretary,University of Iowa, Iowa City.

Organon: R. Niecestro, PhD, West Orange, NJ; H. Magnani, MD; D. Nicholson, PhD, Oss, the Netherlands.

TOAST Participating Clinical Centers:

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City (enrolled patients, 117): B. H. Bendixen, PhD, MD, principal investigator; H. P. Adams, Jr, MD; P. H. Davis, MD; J. Biller, MD; M. R. Jacoby, MD; F. J. Gomez, MD; B. Hughes, MD; M. E. Dyken, MD; E. Y. Uc, MD; J. M. Wojcieszek, MD; L. J. Kappelle, MD; J. Khan, MD; R. Hamilton, MD; E. C. Leira, MD, coinvestigators; A. B. Tanna, RN; V. L. Mitchell, RN, study coordinators.

Albuquerque VA Medical Center, Albuquerque, NM (enrolled patients, 89): G. D. Graham, PhD, MD; M. K. King, MD; A. Bruno, MD, principal investigator; E. D. Lakind, PhD, MD; D. R. Jeffrey, Jr, MD; E. K. Mladinich, MD; J. Iqbal, MD; M. Reiners, MD; D. W. Barrett, MD; D. Shibuya, MD; J. K. Williams, Jr, MD; P. Russell, DO; J. E. Chapin, MD; W. Ahmed, MD; M. Bryniarski, MD, coinvestigators; E. Bryniarski; S. Carter, RN; L. Jeffries, RN, study coordinators.

Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY (enrolled patients, 88): R. B. Libman, MD, principal investigator; T. G. Kwiatkowski, MD; R. M. Kanner, MD; E. J. Wirkowski, MD; R. Abrams, MD; J. A. Bressler, MD; S. R. Sharfstein, MD, coinvestigators; R. Donnarumma, RN, MA; D. deJesus, RN, MS, ANP; V. Cullen, RN, study coordinators.

University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego (enrolled patients, 78): C. M. Jackson, MD; J. F. Rothrock, MD, principal investigators; P. D. Lyden, MD; M. L. Brody, MD; R. M. Zweifler, MD; W. M. Clark, MD; T. Tom, MD; G. Forde, MD; H. Noack, MD; C. Chang, MD; R. Ellis, MD; M. Shanks, MD; D. Moorhouse, MD; M. Grundman, MD; M. Sabbagh, MD; B. J. Schoos, DO, coinvestigators; N. M. Kelly, BSN; J. Werner, RN, study coordinators.

Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wis (enrolled patients, 77): P. N. Karanjia, MD, MRCP, principal investigator; K. P. Madden, MD, PhD; K. H. Ruggles, MD; S. F. Mickel, MD; P. G. Gottschalk, MD; P. L. Hansotia, MD; R. W. Sorensen, MD; D. M. Jacobson, MD; B. C. Hiner, MD, coinvestigators; K. Mancl; E. Lukasik, study coordinator.

St Louis University Medical Center, St Louis, Mo (enrolled patients, 73): C. M. Burch, MD; C. R. Gomez, MD, principal investigators; M. D. Malkoff, MD; R. Tulyapronchote, MD; C. M. Sauer, MD; G. Riaz, MD; J. G. Schmidt, MD; M. M. Malik, MD; L. R. Vives-Castro, MD; S. Cruz-Flores, MD; D. W. Thompson, MD; E. C. Leira, MD, coinvestigators; G. A. Banet, RN, MSN, study coordinators.

University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles (enrolled patients, 56): M. J. Fisher, MD, principal investigator; S. F. Ameriso, MD; M. H. Garabedian, MD; R. F. Macko, MD; M. Hanna, MD; G. A. Yegyan, MD; S. J. U. Park, MD; H. Rabiee, MD; E. Lozano, MD, coinvestigators; A. Martin, HT, HTL; A. Scicli, study coordinators.

University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago (enrolled patients, 55): C. M. Helgason, MD, principal investigator; D. B. Hier, MD; R. A. Shapiro, DO; S. U. Brint, MD; Y. Park, MD; B. Vern, MD; Y. Daaboul, MD, coinvestigators; T. Gnutek, RN; J. Hoff, RN; D. O'Connell, RN, study coordinators.

Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis (enrolled patients, 54): J. Biller, MD, principal investigator; A. Bruno, MD; A. Durocher, MD; M. D. Malkoff, MD; R. M. Pascuzzi, MD; R. Pourmand, MD; V. R. Reddy, MD; L. Williams, MD; J. Meschia, MD; J. D. Fleck, MD, coinvestigators; L. R. Chadwick, RN, BSN, study coordinator.

University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson (enrolled patients, 48): D. L. Gordon, MD, principal investigator; A. A. Thiel, MD; R. K. Fredericks, MD; R. Singh, MD; A. Rafique, MD, coinvestigator; J. Dendinger, RN, study coordinator.

Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Ill (enrolled patients, 47): P. B. Gorelick, MD, MPH, principal investigator; B. J. Riskin, MD; D. B. Mirza, MD; M. A. Kelly, MD; A. Bijari, MD; J. C. Murray, MD; J. Curtin, MD; F. G. Bozzola, MD; J. C. Kofman, MD; A. K. Pajeau, MD; V. Shanmugam, MD; W. Agnello-Dimitrijevic, MD; G. T. Gardziola, DO, coinvestigator; N. Brown; W. C. Dollear, RN, MPH, study coordinators.

Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY (enrolled patients, 42): D. M. Rosenbaum, MD, principal investigator; S. A. Sparr, MD; P. M. Katz, MD; A. M. Valencia, MD, coinvestigators; S. Ryback; E. Klonowski, study coordinators.

SUNY Health Sciences Center, Syracuse, NY (enrolled patients, 39): A. Culebras, MD, principal investigator; G. C. Carey, MD; N. M. Martir, MD; P. F. Kent, MD; H. Rabiee, MD; R. A. Guevara, MD; M. S. Bangco, MD; T. M. Gondolo, MD; E. Green, MD; R. Todd, MD; V. Gupta, MD; S. A. Abbasi, MD; K. Shah, MD; H. Attarian, MD; P. A. Pacquiao, MD, coinvestigators; T. Dean; D. Pastor, RN; C. Ficarra, study coordinators.

Mt Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY (enrolled patients, 35): J. M. Weinberger, MD, principal investigator; S. Tuhrim, MD; S. H. Rudolph, MD; D. R. Horowitz, MD; K. F. Sheinart, MD; T. M. Gondolo, MD, coinvestigators; J. Ali, RN; A. Bitton, RN, study coordinators.

Rhode Island Hospital, Providence (enrolled patients, 32): E. Feldmann, MD, principal investigator; J. L. Wilterdink, MD; J. L. Saver, MD; K. Furie, MD; J. Stamoulis, MD, coinvestigators; E. Baldwin, RN; L. Ricks, BSN, study coordinator.

Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY (enrolled patients, 31): J. P. Mohr, MD, principal investigator; R. L. Sacco, MD, coinvestigator; M. Clavijo, LPN, study coordinator.

Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill (enrolled patients, 28): J. Biller, MD, principal investigator; J. L. Saver, MD; J. I. Frank, MD; J. T. Patrick, MD; E. Fernandez-Beer, MD, coinvestigators; L. R. Chadwick, RN, study coordinator.

The University of South Carolina, Columbia (enrolled patients, 26): T. L. Hwang, MD, principal investigator; W. L. Brannon, MD; A. C. Trujillano, MD, coinvestigators; R. L. Frank, PhD, study coordinator.

University of Missouri Health Sciences Center, Columbia (enrolled patients, 25): J. A. Byer, MD, principal investigator; H. H. White, MD, co-principal investigator; S. Sundrani, MD; M. J. Zafar, MD; R. Arora, MD; E. C. Gamboa, MD; M. Stacy, MD, coinvestigators; A. Bonnett, RN; C. Kelley, RN, study coordinators.

University of South Alabama, Mobile (enrolled patients, 25): J. F. Rothrock, MD, principal investigator; R. M. Zweifler, MD, coprincipal investigator; B. A. Bassam, MD; M. L. Brody, MD; B. Stanley, MD; I. Lopez, MD; G. Graves, MD, coinvestigators; R. Drinkard, RN, BSN; S. Cunningham, RN, MSN, study coordinators.

Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY (enrolled patients, 24): J. Hollander, MD, principal investigator; G. W. Honch, MD; H. D. Lesser, MD, PhD, coinvestigators; C. Weber, RN, MS, study coordinator.

Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland (enrolled patients, 23): B. M. Coull, MD, principal investigator; D. P. Briley, MD; W. M. Clark, MD, coinvestigators; C. Kenny; T. Austin, BS; P. L. de Garmo, ANP, study coordinators.

Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minn (enrolled patients, 22): D. C. Anderson, MD, principal investigator; R. M. Tarrel, DO; M. A. Nance, MD; S. R. Bundlie, MD; J. J. Doyle, MD, coinvestigators; M. Dierich, RN, study coordinator.

Kern Medical Center, Bakersfield, Calif (enrolled patients, 22): C. J. Wrobel, MD, principal investigator; O. B. Leramo, MD, coinvestigator; S. Buxton, RN, study coordinator.

Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Des Moines (enrolled patients, 21): B. B. Love, MD, principal investigator; L. K. Struck, MD, coinvestigator; C. Mueller, BSN, study coordinator.

Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston (enrolled patients, 19): E. L. Hogan, MD, principal investigator; T. D. Carter, MD; P. Gurecki, MD; J. W. Plyler, MD, coinvestigators; B. K. Muntz-Pope, BSN, CNRN, study coordinator.

Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo (enrolled patients, 16): C. Y. Hsu, MD, PhD, principal investigator; P. Akins, MD; D. Rodriguez, MD; J. Y. Choi, MD; J. Meschia, MD, coinvestigators; E. Balestreri, RN, study coordinator.

Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn (enrolled patients, 13): P. B. Fayad, MD; L. M. Brass, MD, principal investigators; F. J. Pavalkis, PA, study coordinator.

University of California at Los Angeles (enrolled patients, 10): J. L. Saver, MD, principal investigator; S. Starkman, MD; P. M. Vespa, MD; C. S. Kidwell, MD, coinvestigators, G. B. Schubert, MPH, study coordinator.

Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich (enrolled patients, 10): S. Chaturvedi, MD, principal investigator; P. V. Chappidi, MD; R. Qadir, MD, coinvestigators; L. Femino, RN; L. Tvardek, RN, study coordinators.

Beth Israel Hospital, Boston Mass (enrolled patients, 7): S. J. Warach, MD; C. I. Mayman, MD, principal investigators; D. G. Darby, MD; J. F. Dashe, MD, PhD, coinvestigators; M. L. Tijerina, study coordinator.

Wichita Institute for Clinical Research, Inc, Wichita, Kan (enrolled patients, 7): M. A. Mandelbaum, MD, principal investigator; R. U. Hassan, MD; D. H. Abbas, MD; C. G. Olmstead, MD, coinvestigators; L. Sedlacek, RN, MN, study coordinator.

Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY (enrolled patients, 6): A. E. Miller, MD, principal investigator; M. J. Keilson, MD; K. M. Bruining, MD; E. E. Drexler, MD, coinvestigators; L. Morgante, RN, study coordinator.

Medical College of Ohio, Toledo (enrolled patients, 6): N. N. Futrell, MD, principal investigator; D. Wang, DO; R. M. Dafer, MD; G. E. Tietjen, MD; J. Dissin, MD, coinvestigators; K. A. Davis, RN; A. M. Korsnack, RN, study coordinators.

St Paul Ramsey Medical Center, St Paul, Minn (enrolled patients, 5): M. Ramirez-Lassepas, MD, principal investigator; J. W. Tulloch, MD; M. R. Quinones, MD; A. Clavel, MD; M. F. Mendez, MD; S. Zhang, MD; T. A. Ala, MD, coinvestigators; C. Espinosa; K. L. Johnston, study coordinators.

Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass (enrolled patients, 3): C. S. Kase, MD, principal investigator; P. A. Wolf, MD; V. L. Babikian, MD, coinvestigators; E. E. Licata-Gehr, RN, MS; N. C. Allen, RN, MSN, study coordinators.

Evanston Hospital, Evanston, Ill (enrolled patients, 2): D. Homer, MD, principal investigator; S. Neely, MD, coinvestigator; J. Carpenter, RN, MSN, study coordinator.

Reprints: Harold P. Adams, Jr, MD, Division of Cerebrovascular Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA 52252 (e-mail: harold-adams{at}uiowa.edu).

From the Publications Committee for the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) Investigators.


REFERENCES
 Jump to Section
 •Top
 •Introduction
 •Methods
 •Results
 •Comment
 •Author information
 •References

1. Marsh EE III, Adams HP Jr, Biller J, et al. Use of antithrombotic drugs in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke: a survey of neurologists in practice in the United States. Neurology. 1989;39:1631-1634. FREE FULL TEXT
2. Sherman DG, Dyken ML Jr, Gent M, Harrison MJG, Hart RG, Mohr JP. Antithrombotic therapy for cerebrovascular disorders: an update. Chest. 1995;108(suppl):444S-456S.
3. Adams HP Jr, Brott TG, Crowell RM, et al. Guidelines for the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke. Stroke. 1994;25:1901-1914. ISI | PUBMED
4. Cerebral Embolism Study Group. Immediate anticoagulation of embolic stroke: a randomized trial. Stroke. 1983;14:668-676. FREE FULL TEXT
5. Duke RJ, Bloch RF, Turpie AGG, Trebilcock R, Bayer N. Intravenous heparin for the prevention of stroke progression in acute partial stable stroke: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 1986;105:825-828. FREE FULL TEXT
6. Sandercock PAG, van den Bolt AGM, Lindley RI, Slatery J. Antithrombotic therapy in acute ischaemic stroke: an overview of the completed randomised trials. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1993;56:17-25. FREE FULL TEXT
7. International Stroke Trial Collaborative Group. The International Stroke Trial (IST): a randomised trial of aspirin, subcutaneous heparin, both, or neither among 19435 patients with acute ischemic stroke. Lancet. 1997;349:1569-1581. FULL TEXT | ISI | PUBMED
8. Kay RJ, Wong KS, Yu YL, et al. Low-molecular-weight heparin for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:1588-1593. FREE FULL TEXT
9. Bradbrook ID, Magnani HN, Moelker HCT, et al. ORG 10172, a low molecular weight heparinoid anticoagulant with a long half-life in man. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1987;23:667-675. ISI | PUBMED
10. Danhof M, de Boer A, Magnani HN, Stiekema JCJ. Pharmacokinetic considerations on Orgaran (ORG 10172) therapy. Haemostasis. 1992;22:73-84. ISI | PUBMED
11. Magnani HN. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT): an overview of 230 patients treated with Orgaran (ORG 10172). Thromb Haemost. 1993;70:554-561. ISI | PUBMED
12. Turpie AGG, Gent M, Cote R, et al. A low-molecular-weight heparinoid compared with unfractionated heparin in the prevention of deep vein thrombosis in patients with ischemic stroke: a randomized, double-blind study. Ann Intern Med. 1992;117:353-357. FULL TEXT | ISI | PUBMED
13. Biller J, Massey EW, Marler JR, et al. A dose escalation study of ORG 10172 (low molecular weight heparinoid) in stroke. Neurology. 1989;39:262-265. FREE FULL TEXT
14. Massey EW, Biller J, Davis JN, et al. A study of large dose infusions of heparinoid ORG 10172 in ischemic stroke. Stroke. 1990;21:1289-1292. FREE FULL TEXT
15. Adams HP Jr, Woolson RF, Clarke WR, et al. Design of the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST). Control Clin Trials. 1997;18:358-377. FULL TEXT | ISI | PUBMED
16. Albanese M, Clarke WR, Adams HP Jr, Woolson RF, and the TOAST Investigators. Ensuring reliability of outcome measures in multicenter clinical trials of treatments of acute ischemic stroke: the program developed for the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST). Stroke. 1994;25:1746-1751. ABSTRACT
17. Jennet B, Bond M. Assessment of outcome after severe brain damage: a practical scale. Lancet. 1975;1:480-484. ISI | PUBMED
18. Mahoney FI, Barthel DW. Function evaluation: the Barthel Index. Md State Med J. 1965;14:61-65. PUBMED
19. Wade DE. Measurement in Neurologic Rehabilitation. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press; 1992.
20. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rtPA Stroke Study Group. Tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:1588-1593. FREE FULL TEXT
21. Brott T, Adams HP Jr, Olinger CP, et al. Measurements of acute cerebral infarction: a clinical examination scale. Stroke. 1989;20:864-870. FREE FULL TEXT
22. Adams HP Jr, Bendixen BH, Kappelle LJ, et al. Classification of subtypes of acute ischemic stroke: definitions for use in a multicenter clinical trial. Stroke. 1993;24:35-41. FREE FULL TEXT
23. Cochran WG. Some methods of strengthening the common {chi}2 tests. Biometrics. 1954;10:417-451. PUBMED
24. Mantel N, Haenszel W. Statistical aspects of the analysis of data from retrospective studies of disease. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1959;22:719-748. ISI | PUBMED
25. Kalbfleisch JD, Prentice RL. The Statistical Analysis of Failure Time Data. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc; 1980.
26. Lan KKG, DeMets DL. Discrete sequential boundaries for clinical trials. Biometrika. 1983;70:659-663. FREE FULL TEXT
27. O'Brien PC, Fleming TR. A multiple testing procedure for clinical trials. Biometrics. 1979;35:549-556. FULL TEXT | ISI | PUBMED
28. Woolson RF. Statistical Methods for the Analysis of Biomedical Data. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc; 1987.
29. CAST (Chinese Acute Stroke Trial) Collaborative Group. CAST: randomised placebo-controlled trial of early aspirin use in 20000 patients with acute ischaemic stroke. Lancet. 1997;349:1641-1649. FULL TEXT | ISI | PUBMED
30. Hornig CR, Bauer T, Simon C, Trittmacher S, Dorndorf W. Hemorrhagic transformation in cardioembolic cerebral infarction. Stroke. 1993;24:465-468. FREE FULL TEXT
31. Hacke W, Kaste M, Fieschi C, et al. Intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator for acute hemispheric stroke: the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS). JAMA. 1995;274:1017-1025. FREE FULL TEXT
32. Camerlingo M, Casto L, Censori B, et al. Immediate anticoagulation with heparin for first-ever ischemic stroke in the carotid artery territories observed within hours of onset. Arch Neurol. 1994;51:462-467. FREE FULL TEXT
33. Chammaro A, Vila N, Saiz A, Alday M, Tolosa E. Early anticoagulation after large cerebral embolic infarction. Neurology. 1995;45:861-865. ABSTRACT
34. Raschke RA, Reilly BM, Guidry JR, et al. The weight-based heparin dosing nomogram compared with a "standard care" nomogram. Ann Intern Med. 1993;119:874-881. FREE FULL TEXT
35. Gordon DL, Bendixen BH, Adams HP Jr, et al. Interphysician agreement in the diagnosis of subtypes of acute ischemic stroke: implications for clinical trials. Neurology. 1993;43:1021-1027. FREE FULL TEXT
36. Madden KP, Karanjia PN, Adams HP Jr, Clarke WR, and the TOAST Investigators. Accuracy of initial stroke subtype diagnosis in the TOAST study. Neurology. 1995;45:1975-1979. ABSTRACT


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati     What's this?

RELATED ARTICLE

Stroke Treatment: Promising but Still Struggling
Louis R. Caplan
JAMA. 1998;279(16):1304-1306.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

What Is a Lacune? Dogged deja vu doggerel
Landau
Stroke 2009;40:e498-e499.
FULL TEXT  

Definition and Evaluation of Transient Ischemic Attack: A Scientific Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke Council; Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; Council on Cardiovascular Nursing; and the Interdisciplinary Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease: The American Academy of Neurology affirms the value of this statement as an educational tool for neurologists.
Easton et al.
Stroke 2009;40:2276-2293.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Inflammatory and Hemostatic Biomarkers Associated With Early Recurrent Ischemic Lesions in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Kang et al.
Stroke 2009;40:1653-1658.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Extending Acute Trials to Remote Populations: A Pilot Study During Interhospital Helicopter Transfer
Leira et al.
Stroke 2009;40:895-901.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The 2008 William M. Feinberg Lecture: Prioritizing Stroke Research
Johnston
Stroke 2008;39:3431-3436.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Molecular mechanisms of thrombus formation in ischemic stroke: novel insights and targets for treatment
Stoll et al.
Blood 2008;112:3555-3562.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Early Clinical Diagnosis of Lacunar Strokes
Toni et al.
Stroke 2008;39:e152-e152.
FULL TEXT  

71-Year-Old Woman With Loss of Right-Sided Vision and Cognitive Deficits
Barrett and Freeman
Mayo Clin Proc. 2008;83:708-711.
FULL TEXT  

Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy for Ischemic Stroke: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (8th Edition)
Albers et al.
Chest 2008;133:630S-669S.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Systematic Review of Immediate Anticoagulation for Ischemic Stroke of Presumed Cardioembolic Origin
Guedes and Ferro
Stroke 2008;39:e81-e82.
FULL TEXT  

Hyperglycemia in Patients Undergoing Cerebral Aneurysm Surgery: Its Association With Long-term Gross Neurologic and Neuropsychological Function
Pasternak et al.
Mayo Clin Proc. 2008;83:406-417.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

NINDS Clinical Trials in Stroke: Lessons Learned and Future Directions
Marler
Stroke 2007;38:3302-3307.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Shift Analysis Versus Dichotomization of the Modified Rankin Scale Outcome Scores in the NINDS and ECASS-II Trials
Savitz et al.
Stroke 2007;38:3205-3212.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment in 2007
Goldstein
Circulation 2007;116:1504-1514.
FULL TEXT  

Antiplatelets Versus Anticoagulation in Cervical Artery Dissection
Engelter et al.
Stroke 2007;38:2605-2611.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Sulfonylureas Improve Outcome in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Acute Ischemic Stroke
Kunte et al.
Stroke 2007;38:2526-2530.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Impact of Abnormal Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Results on Short-term Outcome Following Transient Ischemic Attack
Prabhakaran et al.
Arch Neurol 2007;64:1105-1109.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pharmacological Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Hospitalized Medical Patients: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Wein et al.
Arch Intern Med 2007;167:1476-1486.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Thrombolytic therapy for acute ischaemic stroke in octogenarians: selection by magnetic resonance imaging improves safety but does not improve outcome
Ringleb et al.
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 2007;78:690-693.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Intra-arterial therapies for acute ischemic stroke
Mandava and Kent
Neurology 2007;68:2132-2139.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The time horizons of formal decision analyses
Benbassat and Baumal
QJM 2007;100:383-388.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Guidelines for the Early Management of Adults With Ischemic Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke Council, Clinical Cardiology Council, Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention Council, and the Atherosclerotic Peripheral Vascular Disease and Quality of Care Outcomes in Research Interdisciplinary Working Groups: The American Academy of Neurology affirms the value of this guideline as an educational tool for neurologists.
Adams et al.
Circulation 2007;115:e478-e534.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Guidelines for the Early Management of Adults With Ischemic Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association Stroke Council, Clinical Cardiology Council, Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention Council, and the Atherosclerotic Peripheral Vascular Disease and Quality of Care Outcomes in Research Interdisciplinary Working Groups: The American Academy of Neurology affirms the value of this guideline as an educational tool for neurologists
Adams et al.
Stroke 2007;38:1655-1711.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Efficacy and Safety of Anticoagulant Treatment in Acute Cardioembolic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Paciaroni et al.
Stroke 2007;38:423-430.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Intracranial Hemorrhage Associated With Revascularization Therapies
Khatri et al.
Stroke 2007;38:431-440.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Antithrombotic and interventional treatment options in cardioembolic transient ischaemic attack and ischaemic stroke
McCabe and Rakhit
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 2007;78:14-24.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Silent Ischemic Lesion Recurrence on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Predicts Subsequent Clinical Vascular Events
Kang et al.
Arch Neurol 2006;63:1730-1733.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Immediate Anticoagulation for Acute Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation: No, but ....
Davis and Donnan
Stroke 2006;37:3056-3056.
FULL TEXT  

Predictors of recurrent stroke in African Americans.
Ruland et al.
Neurology 2006;67:567-571.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Clot Removal Therapy by Aspiration and Extraction for Acute Embolic Carotid Occlusion
Imai et al.
Am. J. Neuroradiol. 2006;27:1521-1527.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pretreatment Hemostatic Markers of Symptomatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Patients Treated With Tissue Plasminogen Activator
Cocho et al.
Stroke 2006;37:996-999.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

D-Dimer Predicts Early Clinical Progression in Ischemic Stroke: Confirmation Using Routine Clinical Assays
Barber et al.
Stroke 2006;37:1113-1115.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Recurrent stroke and cardiac risks after first ischemic stroke: The Northern Manhattan Study
Dhamoon et al.
Neurology 2006;66:641-646.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Using Change in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale to Measure Treatment Effect in Acute Stroke Trials
Bruno et al.
Stroke 2006;37:920-921.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Premorbid antiplatelet use and ischemic stroke outcomes
Sanossian et al.
Neurology 2006;66:319-323.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Are There Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation That Benefit From Low Molecular Weight Heparin?
O'Donnell et al.
Stroke 2006;37:452-455.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Prophylaxis of Thrombotic and Embolic Events in Acute Ischemic Stroke With the Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin Certoparin: Results of the PROTECT Trial
Diener et al.
Stroke 2006;37:139-144.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Recruiting Subjects for Acute Stroke Trials: A Meta-Analysis
Elkins et al.
Stroke 2006;37:123-128.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Hemispheric asymmetry of gaze deviation and relationship to neglect in acute stroke
Ringman et al.
Neurology 2005;65:1661-1662.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Intravenous Heparin Started Within the First 3 Hours After Onset of Symptoms as a Treatment for Acute Nonlacunar Hemispheric Cerebral Infarctions
Camerlingo et al.
Stroke 2005;36:2415-2420.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Applying a Phase II Futility Study Design to Therapeutic Stroke Trials
Palesch et al.
Stroke 2005;36:2410-2414.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Management of Adult Stroke Rehabilitation Care: A Clinical Practice Guideline
Duncan et al.
Stroke 2005;36:e100-e143.
FULL TEXT  

Current status of stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation
Bath et al.
Eur Heart J Suppl 2005;7:C12-C18.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Editorial Comment-- Time to Burn the TOAST
Landau and Nassief
Stroke 2005;36:902-904.
FULL TEXT  

Emergency Administration of Abciximab for Treatment of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: Results of a Randomized Phase 2 Trial
Abciximab Emergent Stroke Treatment Trial Investi
Stroke 2005;36:880-890.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Heparin use in acute ischaemic stroke: does evidence change practice?
Benatar
QJM 2005;98:147-152.
FULL TEXT  

Early and late recurrence of ischemic lesion on MRI: Evidence for a prolonged stroke-prone state?
Kang et al.
Neurology 2004;63:2261-2265.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy for Ischemic Stroke: The Seventh ACCP Conference on Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy
Albers et al.
Chest 2004;126:483S-512S.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Poststroke Neurological Improvement Within 7 Days Is Associated With Subsequent Deterioration
Aslanyan et al.
Stroke 2004;35:2165-2170.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Frequency, risk factors, anatomy, and course of unilateral neglect in an acute stroke cohort
Ringman et al.
Neurology 2004;63:468-474.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Argatroban Anticoagulation in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke (ARGIS-1): A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Safety Study
LaMonte et al.
Stroke 2004;35:1677-1682.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Sample Size Calculations in Acute Stroke Trials: A Systematic Review of Their Reporting, Characteristics, and Relationship With Outcome
Weaver et al.
Stroke 2004;35:1216-1224.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Antiplatelet Effect of Aspirin in Patients With Cerebrovascular Disease
Alberts et al.
Stroke 2004;35:175-178.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Stroke Is Best Managed by a Neurologist: Battle of the Titans
Lees
Stroke 2003;34:2764-2765.
FULL TEXT  

Are Patients With Acutely Recovered Cerebral Ischemia More Unstable?
Johnston and Easton
Stroke 2003;34:2446-2450.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Aspirin and Ticlopidine for Prevention of Recurrent Stroke in Black Patients: A Randomized Trial
Gorelick et al.
JAMA 2003;289:2947-2957.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Adding to the Effectiveness of Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Treating Acute Stroke
Grotta
Circulation 2003;107:2769-2770.
FULL TEXT  

Homocysteine and Risk of Recurrent Stroke
Boysen et al.
Stroke 2003;34:1258-1261.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Guidelines for the Early Management of Patients With Ischemic Stroke: A Scientific Statement From the Stroke Council of the American Stroke Association
Adams et al.
Stroke 2003;34:1056-1083.
FULL TEXT  

Resolved: Heparin May Be Useful in Selected Patients With Brain Ischemia
Caplan
Stroke 2003;34:230-231.
FULL TEXT  

Full Heparin Anticoagulation Should Not Be Used in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Sandercock
Stroke 2003;34:231-232.
FULL TEXT  

Transient Ischemic Attack
Johnston
NEJM 2002;347:1687-1692.
FULL TEXT  

Atrial Fibrillation, Stroke, and Acute Antithrombotic Therapy: Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Hart et al.
Stroke 2002;33:2722-2727.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke: Part II: Neuroprotection and Medical Management
Broderick and Hacke
Circulation 2002;106:1736-1740.
FULL TEXT  

Anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents in acute ischemic stroke: Report of the Joint Stroke Guideline Development Committee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Stroke Association (a Division of the American Heart Association)
Coull et al.
Neurology 2002;59:13-22.
FULL TEXT  

Considering the Role of Heparin and Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Moonis and Fisher
Stroke 2002;33:1927-1933.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Anticoagulants and Antiplatelet Agents in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Report of the Joint Stroke Guideline Development Committee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Stroke Association (a Division of the American Heart Association)
Coull et al.
Stroke 2002;33:1934-1942.
FULL TEXT  

Use of Intravenous Heparin by North American Neurologists: Do the Data Matter?
Al-Sadat et al.
Stroke 2002;33:1574-1577.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Treatment of Patients With Stroke
Caplan
Arch Neurol 2002;59:703-707.
FULL TEXT  

Alcohol, Ischemic Stroke, and Lessons From a Negative Study
Dulli
Stroke 2002;33:890-891.
FULL TEXT  

Validation of a Weight-Based Nomogram for the Use of Intravenous Heparin in Transient Ischemic Attack or Stroke
Toth and Voll
Stroke 2002;33:670-674.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Emergent Use of Anticoagulation for Treatment of Patients With Ischemic Stroke
Adams
Stroke 2002;33:856-861.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Inhibition of Factor IX(a) Is Protective in a Rat Model of Thromboembolic Stroke
Toomey et al.
Stroke 2002;33:578-585.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery and Diffusion- and Perfusion-Weighted MRI Abnormalities in 117 Consecutive Patients With Stroke Symptoms Editorial Comment
Perkins et al.
Stroke 2001;32:2774-2781.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effect of Prior Aspirin Use on Stroke Severity in the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST)
Wilterdink et al.
Stroke 2001;32:2836-2840.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Risk Factors, Outcome, and Treatment in Subtypes of Ischemic Stroke: The German Stroke Data Bank
Grau et al.
Stroke 2001;32:2559-2566.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Risk of Early Death and Recurrent Stroke and Effect of Heparin in 3169 Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation in the International Stroke Trial
Saxena et al.
Stroke 2001;32:2333-2337.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Predictors of Fatal Brain Edema in Massive Hemispheric Ischemic Stroke
Kasner et al.
Stroke 2001;32:2117-2123.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Trends in Acute Ischemic Stroke Trials Through the 20th Century
Kidwell et al.
Stroke 2001;32:1349-1359.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Improving the Reliability of Stroke Subgroup Classification Using the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) Criteria Editorial Comment : Classifying the Mechanisms of Ischemic Stroke
Goldstein et al.
Stroke 2001;32:1091-1097.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Entry Criteria and Baseline Characteristics Predict Outcome in Acute Stroke Trials
Uchino et al.
Stroke 2001;32:909-916.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Enoxaparin in Experimental Stroke : Neuroprotection and Therapeutic Window of Opportunity
Mary et al.
Stroke 2001;32:993-999.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Frequency and predictors of stroke death in 5,888 participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study
Longstreth et al.
Neurology 2001;56:368-375.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke With the Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin Certoparin : Results of the TOPAS Trial
Diener et al.
Stroke 2001;32:22-29.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Hemorrhagic Complications of Anticoagulant Treatment
Levine et al.
Chest 2001;119:108S-121S.
FULL TEXT  

Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism
Geerts et al.
Chest 2001;119:132S-175S.
FULL TEXT  

Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy for Ischemic Stroke
Albers et al.
Chest 2001;119:300S-320S.
FULL TEXT  

Stroke: Management and Rehabilitation: Part III of III
Tegos et al.
ANGIOLOGY 2000;51:977-984.
ABSTRACT  

Low molecular weight heparins for arterial thrombosis
Nenci and Minciotti
Vasc Med 2000;5:251-258.
ABSTRACT  

Lubeluzole in Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment : A Double-Blind Study With an 8-Hour Inclusion Window Comparing a 10-mg Daily Dose of Lubeluzole With Placebo
Diener et al.
Stroke 2000;31:2543-2551.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Safety and Cost of Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin as Bridging Anticoagulant Therapy in Subacute Cerebral Ischemia
Kalafut et al.
Stroke 2000;31:2563-2568.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke
Brott and Bogousslavsky
NEJM 2000;343:710-722.
FULL TEXT  

Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Identifies the "Clinically Relevant" Small-Penetrator Infarcts
Oliveira-Filho et al.
Arch Neurol 2000;57:1009-1014.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins and Heparinoids in Acute Ischemic Stroke : A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Bath et al.
Stroke 2000;31:1770-1778.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Randomized trial of graded compression stockings for prevention of deep-vein thrombosis after acute stroke
MUIR et al.
QJM 2000;93:359-364.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Outcome Measures in Acute Stroke Trials : A Systematic Review and Some Recommendations to Improve Practice
Duncan et al.
Stroke 2000;31:1429-1438.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Intravenous heparin for acute stroke: What can we learn from the megatrials?
Estol and Swanson
Neurology 2000;54:1542-1546.
FULL TEXT  

Abciximab in Acute Ischemic Stroke : A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Escalation Study
Investigators
Stroke 2000;31:601-609.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  





HOME | CURRENT ISSUE | PAST ISSUES | TOPIC COLLECTIONS | CME | SUBMIT | SUBSCRIBE | HELP
CONDITIONS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT US | SITE MAP
 
© 1998 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.