BUN/Cr-based Hydration Therapy to Improve Outcome of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke

English Synopsis I. Title of Study: A trial of BUN/Cr-based hydration therapy to reduce stroke-in-evolution and improve short-term functional outcomes for dehydrated patients with acute ischemic stroke-version 2. II. Indication: We use blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/blood creatinine (Cr) ratio≧15 as a dehydration biomarker. This clinical trial aims to determine if more aggressive intravenous fluid supplement instead of present treatment would yield a better outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke and a BUN/Cr ratio≧15. III. Phase of Development: Phase III, randomized double-blind control trial. IV. Study Rationale: We have recently reported a novel finding that the blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine (Cr) ratio, a marker of hydration status, was an independent predictor of early neurological deterioration among patients who had suffered acute ischemic stroke. Pilot study was then designed to determine if providing hydration therapy, specifically intravenous saline infusion, to patients with a blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio (BUN/Cr) ≥15 improves outcomes after acute ischemic stroke. The results showed that patients with a presenting BUN/Cr ≥ 15 who received saline hydration therapy experienced a better functional outcome compared with similar patients who received standard therapy. V. Study Objectives: Primary objective: To compare the effectiveness of BUN/Cr-based hydration therapy with standard treatment in early neurological improvement (ENI) rate at 72 hours for dehydrated subjects with acute ischemic stroke Secondary objectives: To compare the benefit of BUN/Cr-based hydration therapy with standard treatment after three months using measure of modified Rankin scale (mRS) VI. Study Design: Duration of Treatment: 12 hours Number of Planned Patients: 288 subjects Investigational Product: normal saline Endpoints: 1. Primary endpoint: To compare the ENI rate between group at 72 hours. ENI is defined as the improvement of the NIHSS score by 2 or