New York: A new study reveals that keeping stroke patients’ heads flat before a thrombectomy may significantly reduce early neurologic deterioration and death.
According to findings from the ZODIAC trial, conducted between 2018 and 2023, stroke patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) who were positioned at 0° experienced far better outcomes than those positioned at the conventional 30° angle. The trial, which involved 92 patients (mean age 67), randomly assigned them to flat (n = 45) or elevated (n = 47) head-of-bed positions before the procedure.
Only 2% of the flat group experienced early neurologic deterioration, compared to 55% in the elevated group. Severe neurologic deterioration was also significantly lower (1 vs. 20 cases). Researchers assessed patients’ NIH Stroke Scale scores every 10 minutes until the thrombectomy began.
The flat position was also linked to reduced 3-month all-cause mortality. These findings highlight how a simple change in head positioning could significantly improve stroke care.
