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Effect of Mechanical Thrombectomy Without vs With Intravenous Thrombolysis on Functional Outcome Among Patients With Acute Ischemic StrokeThe SKIP Randomized Clinical Trial

Educational Objective
To learn about the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke.
1 Credit CME
Key Points

Question  In patients with acute large vessel occlusion stroke, is mechanical thrombectomy alone noninferior to combined intravenous thrombolysis using 0.6-mg/kg alteplase plus mechanical thrombectomy regarding functional outcomes?

Findings  In this randomized clinical trial of 204 patients, a favorable functional outcome occurred in 59.4% of those randomized to mechanical thrombectomy alone and in 57.3% of those randomized to combined intravenous thrombolysis plus mechanical thrombectomy (odds ratio, 1.09 [95% confidence limit below the noninferiority margin of 0.74]).

Meaning  The findings failed to demonstrate noninferiority of mechanical thrombectomy alone, compared with combined intravenous thrombolysis plus mechanical thrombectomy, for favorable functional outcome following acute large vessel occlusive ischemic stroke, although the wide confidence intervals around the effect estimate also did not allow a conclusion of inferiority.

Abstract

Importance  Whether intravenous thrombolysis is needed in combination with mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute large vessel occlusion stroke is unclear.

Objective  To examine whether mechanical thrombectomy alone is noninferior to combined intravenous thrombolysis plus mechanical thrombectomy for favorable poststroke outcome.

Design, Setting, and Participants  Investigator-initiated, multicenter, randomized, open-label, noninferiority clinical trial in 204 patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion enrolled at 23 hospital networks in Japan from January 1, 2017, to July 31, 2019, with final follow-up on October 31, 2019.

Interventions  Patients were randomly assigned to mechanical thrombectomy alone (n = 101) or combined intravenous thrombolysis (alteplase at a 0.6-mg/kg dose) plus mechanical thrombectomy (n = 103).

Main Outcomes and Measures  The primary efficacy end point was a favorable outcome defined as a modified Rankin Scale score (range, 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]) of 0 to 2 at 90 days, with a noninferiority margin odds ratio of 0.74, assessed using a 1-sided significance threshold of .025 (97.5% CI). There were 7 prespecified secondary efficacy end points, including mortality by day 90. There were 4 prespecified safety end points, including any intracerebral hemorrhage and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage within 36 hours.

Results  Among 204 patients (median age, 74 years; 62.7% men; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 18), all patients completed the trial. Favorable outcome occurred in 60 patients (59.4%) in the mechanical thrombectomy alone group and 59 patients (57.3%) in the combined intravenous thrombolysis plus mechanical thrombectomy group, with no significant between-group difference (difference, 2.1% [1-sided 97.5% CI, −11.4% to ∞]; odds ratio, 1.09 [1-sided 97.5% CI, 0.63 to ∞]; P = .18 for noninferiority). Among the 7 secondary efficacy end points and 4 safety end points, 10 were not significantly different, including mortality at 90 days (8 [7.9%] vs 9 [8.7%]; difference, –0.8% [95% CI, –9.5% to 7.8%]; odds ratio, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.33 to 2.43]; P > .99). Any intracerebral hemorrhage was observed less frequently in the mechanical thrombectomy alone group than in the combined group (34 [33.7%] vs 52 [50.5%]; difference, –16.8% [95% CI, –32.1% to –1.6%]; odds ratio, 0.50 [95% CI, 0.28 to 0.88]; P = .02). Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was not significantly different between groups (6 [5.9%] vs 8 [7.7%]; difference, –1.8% [95% CI, –9.7% to 6.1%]; odds ratio, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.25 to 2.24]; P = .78).

Conclusions and Relevance  Among patients with acute large vessel occlusion stroke, mechanical thrombectomy alone, compared with combined intravenous thrombolysis plus mechanical thrombectomy, failed to demonstrate noninferiority regarding favorable functional outcome. However, the wide confidence intervals around the effect estimate also did not allow a conclusion of inferiority.

Trial Registration  umin.ac.jp/ctr Identifier: UMIN000021488

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CME Disclosure Statement: Unless noted, all individuals in control of content reported no relevant financial relationships. If applicable, all relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Article Information

Corresponding Author: Kazumi Kimura, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan (k-kimura@nms.ac.jp).

Accepted for Publication: November 18, 2020.

Correction: This article was corrected on May 4, 2021, to fix a P value reported in the Results section and Table 2, as well as labels in Figure 3.

Author Contributions: Drs Kimura and Suzuki had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. The first and subsequent drafts of the manuscript were written by Drs Suzuki and Kimura, incorporating input from all authors.

Concept and design: Suzuki, Matsumaru, Fujimoto, Higashida, Kimura.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Suzuki, Takeuchi, Morimoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kamiya, Shigeta, Okubo, Hayakawa, Ishii, Koguchi, Takigawa, Inoue, Naito, Ota, Hirano, Kato, Ueda, Iguchi, Akaji, Tsuruta, Miki, Fujimoto, Higashida, Iwasaki, Aoki, Nishiyama, Otsuka, Kimura.

Drafting of the manuscript: Suzuki, Higashida, Kimura.

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Suzuki, Matsumaru, Takeuchi, Morimoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kamiya, Shigeta, Okubo, Hayakawa, Ishii, Koguchi, Takigawa, Inoue, Naito, Ota, Hirano, Kato, Ueda, Iguchi, Akaji, Tsuruta, Miki, Fujimoto, Iwasaki, Aoki, Nishiyama, Otsuka, Kimura.

Statistical analysis: Suzuki, Higashida, Otsuka.

Obtained funding: Suzuki, Kimura.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Suzuki, Takeuchi, Morimoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kamiya, Shigeta, Okubo, Ishii, Koguchi, Inoue, Naito, Ota, Hirano, Kato, Ueda, Iguchi, Akaji, Tsuruta, Miki, Higashida, Iwasaki, Aoki, Nishiyama, Kimura.

Supervision: Matsumaru, Fujimoto, Otsuka, Kimura.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Suzuki reported receiving grants from the Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy during the conduct of the study and a scholarship to study abroad from the Uehara Memorial Foundation. Dr Matsumaru reported receiving personal fees from Medtronic Co Ltd, Stryker Co Ltd, Sanofi Co Ltd, Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, and Biomedical Solutions outside the submitted work. Dr Takeuchi reported receiving lecture fees from Stryker Co Ltd outside the submitted work. Dr Kamiya reported receiving personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd and grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co Ltd outside the submitted work. Dr Hirano reported receiving personal fees from Bayer Healthcare Co Ltd, Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co Ltd, Medtronic Co Ltd, Sanofi Co Ltd, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co, CSL Behring KK, Astellas Pharma Inc, and Pfizer Japan Inc outside the submitted work. Dr Iguchi reported receiving grants and personal fees from Sanofi SA, Daiichi-Sankyo Co Ltd, and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Bayer AG; personal fees from Pfizer Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb; and lecture fees from Bayer Healthcare Co Ltd, Pfizer Japan Inc, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co Ltd, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, and Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd outside the submitted work. Dr Fujimoto reported receiving personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd, Bayer Yakuhin Ltd, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Pfizer Japan Inc, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Sanofi KK, MSD KK, and Dai-Nippon Sumitomo Pharma Co Ltd outside the submitted work. Dr Nishiyama reported receiving personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd outside the submitted work. Dr Kimura reported receiving grants from 38th Mihara Cerebrovascular Disorder Research Promotion Fund Ltd during the conduct of the study and grants from Teijin Pharma Ltd, Medtronic Co Ltd, Pfizer Japan Inc, Daiichi Sankyo Co, and Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co Ltd, personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo Co, personal fees from Bayer Healthcare Co Ltd and personal fees from Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co Ltd and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co Ltd outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Funding/Support: Funding was provided by the Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy.

Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funding source had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Group Information: The SKIP Study Investigators are listed in Supplement 3.

Additional Contributions: We thank Akio Morita, MD, PhD (Department of Neurosurgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan), as the independent data monitoring committee without compensation and Hiroyuki Yokota, MD, PhD (Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan), as the event evaluation committee without compensation.

Data Sharing Statement: See Supplement 4.

AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

  • 1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
  • 1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
  • 1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
  • 1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
  • 1.00 credit toward the CME [and Self-Assessment requirements] of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.

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