Impact of immediate postrecanalization cooling on outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients with a large ischemic core: prospective cohort study

Background: Patients with large acute ischemic strokes (AIS) often have a poor prognosis despite successful recanalization due to multiple factors including reperfusion injury. The authors aim to describe our preliminary experience of endovascular cooling in patients with a large AIS after recanalization. Methods: From January 2021 to July 2022, AIS patients presenting with large infarcts (defined as ASPECTS ≤5 on noncontrast CT or ischemic core ≥50 ml on CT perfusion) who achieved successful recanalization after endovascular treatment were analyzed in a prospective registry. Patients were divided into targeted temperature management (TTM) and non-TTM group. Patients in the TTM group received systemic cooling with a targeted core temperature of 33° for at least 48 h. The primary outcome is 90-day favorable outcome [modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0–2]. The secondary outcomes are 90-day good outcome (mRS 0–3), mortality, intracranial hemorrhage and malignant cerebral edema within 7 days or at discharge. Results: Forty-four AIS patients were recruited (15 cases in the TTM group and 29 cases in the non-TTM group). The median Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) was 3 (2–5). The median time for hypothermia duration was 84 (71.5–147.6) h. The TTM group had a numerically higher proportion of 90-day favorable outcomes than the non-TTM group (46.7 vs. 27.6%, P =0.210), and no significant difference were found regarding secondary outcomes (all P >0.05). The TTM group had a numerically higher rates of pneumonia (66.7 vs. 58.6%, P =0.604) and deep vein thrombosis (33.3 vs. 13.8%, P =0.138). Shivering occurred in 4/15 (26.7%) of the TTM patients and in none of the non-TTM patients ( P =0.009). Conclusions: Postrecanalization cooling is feasible in patients with a large ischemic core. Future randomized clinical trials are warranted to validate its efficacy.