Feasibility of the Big 5—Jena eCS Protocol (original) (raw)

2021, Clinical Neuroradiology

Purpose The most common protocols in the initial diagnostic of acute ischemic stroke do not assess cardiogenic or aortic causes of embolism. These are usually evaluated later by transthoracic (TTE) or transesophageal (TEE) echocardiography. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a diagnostic tool for thoracic cardiovascular thrombi according to the first experience with a new extended cardio-stroke protocol (Big 5—Jena eCS protocol) in acute stroke patients. Methods Retrospective analyses of the tomography scans database of the Jena University Hospital were performed. We included a total of 67 patients in the feasibility analyses, based on the evaluation of three outcomes. Results Primary outcome: the Big 5—Jena eCS protocol was able to detect thoracic cardiovascular thrombi in a total of 20 patients in different locations including the arch of the aorta, the aortic valve, the left atrium, the left atrial appendage, the left ventricle, and the pulmonary arteries. Secondary ...