30-Day Cardiac Event Monitor Belt for Recording Atrial Fibrillation After a Cerebral Ischemic Event
EMBRACE
1 other identifier
interventional
564
1 country
17
Brief Summary
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac cause of ischemic stroke. Detecting atrial fibrillation after a stroke or TIA is critical because highly effective secondary stroke prevention therapy is available for individuals who are recognized to have atrial fibrillation. However, atrial fibrillation is likely under-diagnosed after stroke and TIA because atrial fibrillation is often difficult to detect as it is frequently paroxysmal and asymptomatic, and patients do not routinely undergo prolonged screening. The purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic yield of a novel 30-day cardiac event monitor compared to a repeat 24-hour Holter monitor for detecting occult paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with a recent ischemic stroke or TIA of undetermined etiology after completion of a standard clinical stroke work-up (including an initial negative Holter monitor.)
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable stroke
Started May 2009
Longer than P75 for not_applicable stroke
17 active sites
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
February 18, 2009
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
February 19, 2009
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
May 1, 2009
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
April 1, 2014
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
October 30, 2018
CompletedOctober 5, 2018
October 1, 2018
4.9 years
February 18, 2009
October 3, 2018
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Detection of one or more episodes of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter ≥30 seconds, as assessed at the 90 day follow-up
90 days
Secondary Outcomes (7)
Atrial fibrillation <30 seconds
90 days
Atrial flutter <30 seconds
90 days
Non-sustained (>3 beats, <30 seconds) irregular atrial tachyarrhythmia (including brief runs of atrial fibrillation)
90 days
Proportion of patients in each group that are prescribed oral anticoagulation, as assessed at the 90-day follow-up
90 days
Patient adherence with 30-day monitoring: average proportion of days wearing the monitor per patient, and the percentage of patients wearing the monitor for >75% of the target period
90 days
- +2 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (2)
repeat 24-hour Holter monitor
ACTIVE COMPARATOR30-day ambulatory cardiac event monitor
EXPERIMENTALInterventions
Patients will be fitted with dry electrode belt (including cardiac event monitor)and instructed to wear the device for as many hours(waking and sleeping) each day as possible, for a total of 30 days.
Repeat standard 24-hour Holter Monitor
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Diagnosis of the index event\* made by a stroke specialist of an acute ischemic stroke or TIA (WHO definition) of undetermined etiology (cryptogenic) occurring within the previous 6 months (180 days).The event must be either:
- an embolic arterial ischemic stroke confirmed by neuroimaging; or
- a transient ischemic attack, defined as involving a focal unilateral motor deficit, speech/language deficit, or hemianopia, with symptom duration \<24 hours (note: amaurosis fugax/transient monocular blindness, pure sensory spells, isolated vertigo spells, etc. do not qualify for enrolment given the potential for misdiagnosis of such events).
- Patient meets the following:
- At least one 12-lead ECG has already been obtained as part of the routine clinical post-stroke/TIA work-up, and no ECGs have shown any episodes of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, and;
- A Holter monitor has already been obtained as part of the routine clinical post-stroke/TIA work-up, and does not show any episodes of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter ≥30 seconds.
- The patient is being actively investigated for the etiology of the stroke/TIA event and additional cardiac monitoring is desired to screen further for the possibility of occult paroxysmal atrial fibrillation/flutter, i.e. patients selected for this study are those for whom the investigator, in his/her clinical judgment, would consider ordering a repeat Holter monitor as part of clinical care.
- The following diagnostic tests have already been completed as part of clinical routine post-stroke/TIA:
- brain imaging with CT or MRI,
- vascular imaging of the extracranial and intracranial circulation with either CT angiography or MR angiography to exclude significant large vessel occlusive disease as the most likely mechanism for the index ischemic event (carotid Doppler ultrasound is acceptable for those presenting with anterior circulation ischemic events),
- transthoracic (or transesophageal) echocardiography to exclude thrombus or other structural heart disease that in the opinion of the investigator is the most likely cause for the stroke/TIA event. \[Note: If a baseline echocardiogram cannot be obtained clinically after the index event and prior to study enrollment, then it is acceptable for study purposes for an echocardiogram to be obtained after patient enrollment into the study but prior to the 90-day follow-up visit. Alternatively, an echocardiogram already performed within one year prior to study enrollment may serve as the baseline echocardiogram for study purposes.\]
- Age 55 years or older \[Note: Participants aged 55-59 years should have imaging confirmation of the index stroke/TIA event with an embolic imaging pattern of acute cerebral ischemia\]
- Informed consent from the patient (or from a legally authorized representative if the patient is not competent, e.g. due to stroke-related cognitive impairment, aphasia, or anosognosia).
- The patient is expected to survive at least 6 months.
- The patient has a valid provincial health insurance number.
- +1 more criteria
You may not qualify if:
- Exclusively retinal stroke or TIA event.
- A most responsible etiological diagnosis for the qualifying stroke/TIA event has already been determined, i.e. probable small-vessel (lacunar) disease, probable large vessel disease, cervicocephalic artery dissection, venous sinus thrombosis, hypercoagulable states, or other known cause.
- Planned carotid endarterectomy within 90 days.
- Patient is already currently participating in a clinical trial involving an investigational medication or device.\*
- Any finding on echocardiography for which there is already an evidence-based indication for long-term anticoagulation (e.g. mechanical heart valve, thrombus, etc.).
- Endocarditis
- Pacemaker or ICD device.
- Patients with known skin reactions to synthetic polymers or to silver. (Some people who display sensitivity to silver jewellery are sensitive to the impurities present in silver alloys and not to the silver itself. These people may participate.)
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (17)
Foothills Medical Centre
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Grey Nuns Hospital
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island Health Research Centre (VIHA)
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Hamilton Health Sciences Centre
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Kingston General Hospital
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
London Health Sciences Centre
London, Ontario, Canada
Robarts Research Institute
London, Ontario, Canada
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute -The Ottawa Hospital
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Thunder Bay Regional HSC
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
St. Michael's Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
UHN / Toronto Western Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
York Central Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Montreal General Hospital
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
CHA-Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jesus
Québec, Quebec, Canada
Related Publications (2)
Gladstone DJ, Dorian P, Spring M, Panzov V, Mamdani M, Healey JS, Thorpe KE; EMBRACE Steering Committee and Investigators. Atrial premature beats predict atrial fibrillation in cryptogenic stroke: results from the EMBRACE trial. Stroke. 2015 Apr;46(4):936-41. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.008714. Epub 2015 Feb 19.
PMID: 25700289DERIVEDGladstone DJ, Spring M, Dorian P, Panzov V, Thorpe KE, Hall J, Vaid H, O'Donnell M, Laupacis A, Cote R, Sharma M, Blakely JA, Shuaib A, Hachinski V, Coutts SB, Sahlas DJ, Teal P, Yip S, Spence JD, Buck B, Verreault S, Casaubon LK, Penn A, Selchen D, Jin A, Howse D, Mehdiratta M, Boyle K, Aviv R, Kapral MK, Mamdani M; EMBRACE Investigators and Coordinators. Atrial fibrillation in patients with cryptogenic stroke. N Engl J Med. 2014 Jun 26;370(26):2467-77. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1311376.
PMID: 24963566DERIVED
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
David J Gladstone, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- DIAGNOSTIC
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Study Principal Investigator
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
February 18, 2009
First Posted
February 19, 2009
Study Start
May 1, 2009
Primary Completion
April 1, 2014
Study Completion
October 30, 2018
Last Updated
October 5, 2018
Record last verified: 2018-10