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Head of Bed After Ischemic Stroke Thrombectomy (HoBIT)

A Pragmatic, Multicentre, Adaptive, Prospective, Open-label, Blinded Endpoint Randomized Clinical Trial Assessing the Impact of Head-of-bed Positioning at 0-degrees Versus 30-degrees or More on Functional Recovery Following Endovascular Thrombectomy for Anterior Circulation Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke.

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07367633
Acronym
HoBIT
Enrollment
2240
Registered
2026-01-26
Start date
2026-03-01
Completion date
2028-12-01
Last updated
2026-02-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Ischemic Stroke, Large Vessel Occlusion, Stroke

Keywords

head of bed, stroke, large vessel occlusion, endovascular thrombectomy, EVT

Brief summary

Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), also known as clot retrieval, is a procedure that improves recovery for people who suffer a stroke by removing blood clots from large blood vessels in the brain. However, half of the patients undergoing EVT to remove the clot from a brain vessel still face lasting disabilities or even die within three months. The investigators of the HoBIT trial are trying to find out if the position of the head of bed improves recovery in patients who undergo EVT after suffering from a stroke. The purpose of this study is to establish the benefit of head of bed positioning at 0-degrees compared with 30-degrees or more after EVT for improving functional outcomes in adults that suffer from a stroke.

Interventions

OTHERHead of bed position of 0-degrees

Flat position with the HoB at 0° elevation for a continuous 24-hour period. Turning to the side (left or right) is permitted, as long as there is no head elevation.

OTHERHead of bed position of 30-degrees or greater

Semi-recumbent position with the HoB to at least 30 degrees for a continuous 24-hour period. Head and torso must remain elevated at 30 degrees or higher, using the hospital bed's positioning system.

Sponsors

Population Health Research Institute
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 18 years or older on the date of randomization * Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the anterior circulation, according to current guidelines and local standards of clinical care. The definition of LVO may include the intracranial segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA), and/ or the M1 segment (proximal, mid, distal) of the middle cerebral artery (M1-MCA), and/ or the proximal M2 segment of the MCA (M2-MCA) * Capable of giving signed informed consent either independently, or by a legally authorized representative (LAR), or via a deferred consent process approved by the relevant ethics committee, which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the informed consent form (ICF) and in this protocol.

Exclusion criteria

* Mechanical ventilatory support for acute medical condition prior to procedure (i.e. required for reasons other than procedure) * Symptomatic congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or any other medical condition that would make either HoB position inappropriate for patient care in the judgement of the investigator. * Any condition, such as but not limited to, agitation/ delirium or severe nausea/ vomiting, that, in the view of the investigator, is expected to significantly impede maintaining the assigned HoB * Any condition with life expectancy of less than 3 months * Inability to randomize within 1 hour from the end of the EVT

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Functional disability90±14 days from randomizationFunctional disability assessed with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. Scores: 0 - No symptoms 1. \- No significant difficulty despite symptoms; able to carry out all usual duties and activities 2. \- Slight disability; unable to carry out all previous activities, but able to look after own affairs without assistance 3. \- Moderate disability; requiring some help, but able to walk without assistance 4. \- Moderately severe disability; unable to walk without assistance and unable to attend to own bodily needs without assistance 5. \- Severe disability; bedridden, incontinent and requiring constant nursing care and attention 6. \- Dead

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Absolute difference in NIHSS scoreBetween randomization and 36±12 hours from randomizationAbsolute difference in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores Scores: 0 - No stroke symptoms 1-4 - Minor stroke 5-15 - Moderate stroke 16-20 - Moderate to severe stroke 21-42 - Severe stroke
Early neurological improvement36±12 hours from randomization, compared with randomizationEarly neurological improvement, defined as an absolute decrease of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score by 4 points or more Scores: 0 - No stroke symptoms 1-4 - Minor stroke 5-15 - Moderate stroke 16-20 - Moderate to severe stroke 21-42 - Severe stroke
Functional impairmentDay 7 from randomization or discharge if happens firstFunctional impairment assessed with the Modified Rankin Score (mRS) Scores: 0 - No symptoms 1. \- No significant difficulty despite symptoms; able to carry out all usual duties and activities 2. \- Slight disability; unable to carry out all previous activities, but able to look after own affairs without assistance 3. \- Moderate disability; requiring some help, but able to walk without assistance 4. \- Moderately severe disability; unable to walk without assistance and unable to attend to own bodily needs without assistance 5. \- Severe disability; bedridden, incontinent and requiring constant nursing care and attention 6. \- Dead
Functional independenceDay 7 from randomization or discharge if happens first and 90±14 days from randomizationFunctional independence defined as Modified Rankin Score (mRS) of 2 or less Scores: 0 - No symptoms 1. \- No significant difficulty despite symptoms; able to carry out all usual duties and activities 2. \- Slight disability; unable to carry out all previous activities, but able to look after own affairs without assistance 3. \- Moderate disability; requiring some help, but able to walk without assistance 4. \- Moderately severe disability; unable to walk without assistance and unable to attend to own bodily needs without assistance 5. \- Severe disability; bedridden, incontinent and requiring constant nursing care and attention 6. \- Dead
Quality of life assessment90±14 days from randomizationQuality of life assessed with the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) Scores range from 1 (full health) to 0 (dead), with negative values indicating states that are "worse than dead".
Intervention adherenceFirst 24 hours from randomizationAdherence to the assigned HoB position for 24 hours from randomization, defined as \>80% of total time spent in the assigned HoB
Total time spentFirst 24 hours from randomizationTotal time spent in the assigned HoB position
Infarct volume24 +/- 12 hours from randomization and 5-7 days from randomizationInfarct volume on the brain imaging (CT/ MRI) performed as part of standard clinical care

Countries

Canada

Contacts

CONTACTSamantha Block, BSc
hobit@phri.ca905-521-2100
CONTACTAmanda Taylor, BSc
hobit@phri.ca905-521-2100
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAristeidis Katsanos, MD

Population Health Research Institute

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMike Sharma, MD

Population Health Research Institute

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 6, 2026