This study looked at patients aged 75 and older who had acute ischemic stroke and received either bridging thrombectomy or direct mechanical thrombectomy. The team analyzed data from 87 patients treated at Liuan City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine to compare their recovery over 90 days. They also checked neurological scores and inflammatory markers like CRP to see how these factors affected outcomes.
The main finding was that both treatment methods produced comparable short-term and long-term results. However, the researchers identified specific factors that predicted a poorer outcome. These included a longer time to puncture, higher NIHSS scores at 24 hours, and elevated CRP levels at seven days. A predictive model using these factors showed high accuracy in forecasting patient status.
No safety concerns or adverse events were reported in this group of patients. While the results are promising for elderly stroke patients, the study was conducted at a single center with a limited number of participants. Readers should understand that this early evidence does not prove one method is superior, and larger studies are needed to confirm these findings before changing standard treatment strategies.
