Microembolic Detection in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Outcome

Microembolic Detection in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Outcome - A Prospective Multicenter Study With Transcranial Doppler

This multicenter international prospective cohort study will include patients with AIS with a known or newly diagnosed anticoagulant-naïve AF. All centers will use the same transcranial Doppler machine for one-hour monitoring with bilateral 2-MHz probes within 24 hours of symptom onset. Recordings will be analyzed for MES by a blinded central reader. The primary aim is to determine the proportion of patients with MES and the association of MES with functional outcomes assessed by a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at 90 days.

Inclusion Criteria:

• acute ischemic stroke admitted to the Stroke Unit, history of AF/flutter or a new diagnosis of AF at the stroke, and with a possibility to be monitored within 24 hours after symptom onset.

Exclusion Criteria:

• use of anticoagulants at stroke onset; prosthetic valves; inadequate temporal bone window; uncooperative patients.