Secondary Prevention of Childhood Arterial Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

This study aimed to know how frontline physicians in France, Belgium, and Switzerland implement guidelines regarding the secondary prevention of childhood arterial ischemic stroke and to introduce physicians’ point of view on a clinical trial assessing the efficacy of aspirin as a preventive strategy. The authors conducted an online survey directed at specialists throughout dedicated networks and used a mixed method for data analysis. Overall, 63 physicians responded, and 88% prescribe aspirin when sickle cell disease, cardio-embolic stroke, and dissection of cervical arteries are excluded. Prescribing habits vary among respondents with respect to their specialty. A majority would choose placebo or a treatment given to historical controls to compare with an aspirin arm in a trial. In studied countries, there seems to be good adherence to guidelines regarding the secondary prevention of childhood stroke. A trial assessing the efficacy of aspirin could be well accepted if several factors regarding study design were taken into account.