Background and purpose On 11 March 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 infection a pandemic. The risk of ischemic stroke may be higher in patients with COVID-19 infection similar to those with other respiratory tract infections. We present a comprehensive set of practice implications in a single document for clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. Methods The practice implications were prepared after review of data to reach the consensus among stroke experts from 18 countries. The writers used systematic literature reviews, reference to previously published stroke guidelines, personal files, and expert opinion to summarize existing evidence, indicate gaps in current knowledge, and when appropriate, formulate practice implications. All members of the writing group had opportunities to comment in writing on the practice implications and approved the final version of this document. Results This document with consensus is divided into 18 sections. A total of 41 conclusions and practice implications have been developed. The document includes practice implications for evaluation of stroke patients with caution for stroke team members to avoid COVID-19 exposure, during clinical evaluation and performance of imaging and laboratory procedures with special considerations of intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Conclusions These practice implications with consensus based on the currently available evidence aim to guide clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke who are suspected of, or confirmed, with COVID-19 infection. Under certain circumstances, however, only limited evidence is available to support these practice implications, suggesting an urgent need for establishing procedures for the management of stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Objective: To present guidance for clinicians caring for adult patients with acuteischemic stroke with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. Methods: The summary was prepared after review of systematic literature reviews,reference to previously published stroke guidelines, personal files, and expert opinionby members from 18 countries. Results: The document includes practice implications for evaluation of stroke patientswith caution for stroke team members to avoid COVID-19 exposure, during clinicalevaluation and conduction of imaging and laboratory procedures with specialconsiderations of intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in strokepatients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Results: Conclusions-The summary is expected to guide clinicians caring for adult patientswith acute ischemic stroke who are suspected of, or confirmed, with

Background The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of balloon angioplasty-assisted mechanical thrombectomy without urgent stenting in the carotid artery as another approach for endovascular treatment of tandem occlusions. Methods Fifteen consecutive cases of tandem occlusions treated with the endovascular approach between January 2014 and May 2016 were reviewed. The study cohort included patients with an etiology of large vessel atherosclerosis. Extracranial carotid stenting was performed in another session if post-thrombectomy mRS modified Rankin Score (mRS) was 0–2. Good clinical outcome was determined by follow-up at 7–10, 30 and 90 days according to the mRS. Results Most patients (80%) were male. Eight (53.4%) patients received intravenous thrombolysis before angiography. Proximal revascularization was successful in 100% of cases with balloon angioplasty internal carotid artery (ICA) origin. Successful recanalization (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) 2b-3) (mTICI 2 b–3) occurred in 12 cases (80%) and good clinical outcomes were achieved in 10 patients (66.7%). Cervical ICA stent placement was performed in 10 patients with good clinical outcomes. No symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage occurred after delayed ICA stenting Conclusions This is the first reported case series to evaluate this approach for endovascular treatment of tandem occlusions. Carotid angioplasty-assisted mechanical thrombectomy without urgent stenting seems to be a safer approach.

Background: Anemia will negatively affect cerebral collaterals and penumbra. Eventually, it may cause worse clinical outcomes and even increase mortality rates in stroke patients. Anemia has recently been suggested to be an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of the presence of anemia on clinical outcomes in ischemic stroke patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy. Methods: This was a retrospective study involving the prospectively and consecutively collected data of 90 adult patients between January 2015 and August 2016. Hemoglobin (Hb) cutoff levels were accepted as 12 g/dL for women and 13 g/dL for men. Patients having anemia were further divided into three subgroups as severe anemia (Hb <8 g/dL for both genders), moderate anemia (Hb <10 g/dL for both genders), and mild anemia (Hb <13 g/dL for men and Hb <12 g/dL for women). Results: Forty of the subjects (44.4%) had anemia. Moderate anemia was detected in 14 out of 90 patients (15.5%) and severe anemia was found in only four of them (4.4%). Poor functional outcome (mRS 3-6) was similar in both anemic and non-anemic patients (37.5% vs. 38%, respectively, p = 0.08), but poor functional outcome was found to be statistically significant with severe anemic group (Hb <8 mg/dL) (p = 0.003). In multiple logistic regression analysis, moderate and severe anemia has been found to increase the mortality (p = 0.032). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated a poor functional outcome only in moderate to severe anemic patients. Clinicians should keep in mind the negative effect of moderate to severe anemia in the clinical course of acute stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy.

162Use of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is one of the key elements of acute ischemic stroke management. Its use has not become widespread, and has faced significant problems in our country for more than a quarter of a century most probably due to many unanswered questions about issues related with daily practice. However, recent developments, which adequately focused and found solutions for most of these problems and questions, have led to a major change of point of view and understanding of the hyperacute management of stroke. This article, in the light of the relevant literature, discusses and provides clear recommendations for questions directed by neurologists practicing in Turkey mainly about typical neurologic issues faced in the setting of tPA use for acute stroke.Keywords: Stroke, thrombectomy, contraindication, avoidance, training Akut iskemik inme tedavisinin kritik elementlerinin başında gelen intravenöz doku plazminojen aktivatörü (tPA) kullanımının yirmi yılı aşkın süre içinde ülkemizde yeterince yaygınlaşamamasının başta gelen nedenlerinden biri, kullanımına dair birçok sorunun yanıtsız kalmasıdır. Ancak, son gelişmeler ile bu soruların pek çoğuna yeterli açıklamanın getirilebilmiş olması önemli bir anlayış değişikliğine yol açmaktadır. Bu makalede akut inmede tPA tedavisi ile ilgili uzmanlarımızın yönelttiği birincil olarak nörolojik sorulara ilişkin yanıt ve açıklamalar mevcut literatür ışığında etraflıca ele alınmış ve herbiri için net tavsiyelerde bulunulmuştur.Anahtar Kelimeler: Strok, trombektomi, kontrendikasyon, kaçınma, eğitim Abstract Öz