Postinterventional Sedation Worsens Functional Outcomes in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated with Endovascular Therapy

Abstract Background Post-interventional sedation is commonly used in clinical practice to ensure patient safety and comfort. While sedation or anesthesia during thrombectomy has been well studied, the association between post-interventional sedation and functional outcomes in endovascularly treated acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients has yet to be investigated. Here we seek to describe the association between post-interventional sedation and functional outcomes in AIS patients treated with endovascular therapy (EVT). Methods This observational study was based on a prospective registry. AIS patients treated with EVT from January 2013 to August 2017 at Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University were included. The patients receiving post-interventional sedation were compared to patients not receiving sedation. The primary outcome was the 3-months modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results A total of 268 patients were eligible for study. This included 112 patients (41.8%) receiving post-interventional sedation and 156 patients (58.2%) without sedation. At 3-months follow-up, the median mRS score was 4 (IQR, 3-6) in the sedation group and 2 (IQR, 1-4) in the non-sedation group (P Conclusions Post-interventional sedation worsens functional outcomes in AIS patients with large-vessel occlusions treated with EVT. Whether the sedation is a causative factor or a surrogate for poor functional outcomes remains to be determined.