Impact of Code Stroke Activation and Warfarin Use on Time to Anticoagulation Reversal in Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Implications For Quality Improvement
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Background
Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most devastating type of stroke but lacks the established time-critical treatment guidelines available for acute ischemic stroke. This study investigated the impact of Code Stroke activation and warfarin use on anticoagulation reversal times to identify opportunities for quality improvement.
Methods
We retrospectively assessed patients with anticoagulation-associated ICH admitted to our medical center between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2025. Patients with warfarin- or direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC)-associated ICH were identified from our ICH clinical trial screening log, Vizient, and AHA’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke registry. Code Stroke activation, warfarin or DOAC use, anticoagulation reversal times, causes of delay, and clinical outcomes at hospital discharge were analyzed.
Results
Of 892 ICH admissions, 50 patients had confirmed anticoagulation-associated ICH. Among those who underwent reversed at our center (n=34), Code Stroke activation (n=24) significantly reduced door-to-CT time (16.5 [12.8-22.0] vs 172.5 [49.0-261.5] minutes, p <0.001), reversal agent order-to-needle time (37.5 [24.7-56.9] vs 57.0 [39.0-85.0] minutes, p <0.001), and door-to-treatment (DTT) time (64 [48– 98] vs 277 [159–305] minutes, p <0.001) compared to non-activation (n=10). Conversely, warfarin use was associated with higher international normalized ratios (INR) (2.7 [2.2-3.6] vs 1.3 [1.2-1.9], p =0.003) and significantly longer DTT time (95 [51-108] vs 64 [48-77] minutes, p =0.007). Primary DTT delays stemmed from the absence of a time-critical treatment protocol, weight-based dosing for 4F-PCC, waiting for INR results, and a lack of Code Stroke activation for patients with mild symptoms, trauma or unexplained unresponsiveness.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that Code Stroke activation for all suspected cases of ICH, a time-critical emergency department algorithm targeting a DTT time of less than 60 minutes, and immediate anticoagulation reversal with fixed-dose 4F-PCC without waiting for INR results may optimize the acute management of anticoagulation-associated ICH.
