Correlates of pre-hospital morphine use in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients and its association with in-hospital outcomes and long-term mortality: the FAST-MI (French Registry of Acute ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction) programme.

AIMS: The use of opioids is recommended for pain relief in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) but may delay antiplatelet agent absorption, potentially leading to decreased treatment efficacy. METHODS AND RESULTS: In-hospital complications (death, non-fatal re-MI, stroke, stent thrombosis, and bleeding) and 1-year survival according to pre-hospital morphine use were assessed in 2438 ST-elevation MI (STEMI) patients from the French Registry of Acute ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (FAST-MI) 2010. The analyses were replicated in the 1726 STEMI patients of the FAST-MI 2005 cohort, in which polymorphisms of CYP2C19 and ABCB1 had been assessed. Specific subgroup analyses taking into account these genetic polymorphisms were performed in patients pre-treated with thienopyridines. The 453 patients (19%) receiving morphine pre-hospital were younger, more often male, with a lower GRACE score and higher chest pain levels. After adjustment for baseline differences, in-hospital complications and 1-year survival (hazard ratio = 0.69; 95% confidence interval: 0.35-1.37) were not increased according to pre-hospital morphine use. After propensity score matching, 1-year survival according to pre-hospital morphine was also similar. Consistent results were found in the replication cohort, including in those receiving pre-hospital thienopyridines and whatever the genetic polymorphisms of CYP2C19 and ABCB1. CONCLUSION: In two independent everyday-life cohorts, pre-hospital morphine use in STEMI patients was not associated with worse in-hospital complications and 1-year mortality. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00673036 (FAST-MI 2005); NCT01237418 (FAST-MI 2010).

Relation of hyperglycemia to ST-segment resolution after reperfusion for acute myocardial infarction (from Observatoire des Infarctus de Côte-d'Or Survey [RICO]).

Hyperglycemia has been shown to be a powerful predictor of worse outcome after ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which could be related to impaired myocardial reperfusion. This study investigated the association between hyperglycemia and ST-segment resolution (STR) after thrombolysis. From the French regional Observatoire des Infarctus de Côte-d'Or survey, admission glucose in 371 patients with STEMIs who were treated by lysis<12 hours was analyzed. The single worst lead electrocardiogram before and 90 minutes after lysis was analyzed, and patients were divided into 3 groups according to the degree of STR: none (<30%), partial (30% to 70%), or complete (>or=70%). Of the 371 patients, 101 (27.2%) had no STR, 124 (33.4%) had partial STR, and 146 (39.4%) had complete STR. STR decreased with increasing glycemia (p=0.029), and patients with hyperglycemia (glycemia>or=11 mmol/L) were more likely to have no STR. Moreover, hyperglycemia was an independent predictor of incomplete STR even after adjustment for potential confounders (odds ratio 2.348, 95% confidence interval 1.212 to 4.547). In conclusion, the present study suggests a strong association between hyperglycemia and electrocardiographic signs of reperfusion in patients with STEMIs after lysis and suggests the usefulness of evaluating early glycemic control in the setting of reperfusion for acute myocardial infarction.

Causes and prognosis of cardiac arrest in a population admitted to a general hospital; a diagnostic and therapeutic problem.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the causes and the prognosis of consecutive patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest occurring in a general hospital. We assessed 28 females and 94 males (aged 13-82 years) who were resuscitated from cardiac arrest not attributable to acute myocardial infarction. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was documented in 97. Non-cardiac causes were excluded. Non-invasive studies (24 h Holter monitoring, 2D echocardiogram, signal-averaged ECG, exercise testing, magnetic resonance imaging) and invasive studies (right and left ventricular angiography, coronary angiography and complete electrophysiologic study (EPS) were performed. RESULTS: An underlying cardiac disease was found in 107 patients (88%). Patients were followed for a period ranging from 6 months to 10 years (mean 4+/-5 years). Several causes for cardiac arrest were identified and treated specifically. The prognosis was variable. Among surviving patients the following causes of cardiac arrest were found: Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (n=2), rapid supraventricular tachycardia (n=6), acquired or congenital long QT syndrome (n=7), complete atrioventricular block (n=3), proarrhythmic effect of an antiarrhythmic drug (n=5), vasospastic angina (normal coronary arteries) (n=5). Among ten patients with VF related to cardiac ischaemia two died suddenly. Ventricular tachycardia (VT) or VF was the main cause leading to resuscitation after cardiac arrest (n=64). The risk of recurrence of arrest is confirmed in the present study particularly in patients in whom VT/VF could not be suppressed by antiarrhythmic drug therapy (n=45) and in those where an ICD was not implanted (18 cardiac deaths (nine sudden cardiac deaths (SCD's)). The cause of cardiac arrest was not elucidated in 20 patients (16%). The prognosis of these patients differed according to the documentation of VF at the time of cardiac arrest: of those with documented VF (n=12), six patients died suddenly (one with an ICD); of those without documented VF (n=8), all are alive. CONCLUSION: To determine the precise cause of cardiac arrest was the first problem; the diagnosis of cardiac arrest clearly was erroneous in 8 of 122 patients (6.5%). In other patients, a ventricular tachyarrhythmia was identified as the cause for cardiac arrest in half of the population; the indication for an ICD is evident in this group. In 31% of patients with proven cardiac arrest, another arrhythmia requiring specific treatment was identified and ICD implantation was avoided; these patients had a survival of 92% at 3 years. In patients without an identified cause of cardiac arrest and negative EPS, the prognosis was unfavorable only in those with documented VF.

Prognostic value of fragmented QRS on a 12-lead ECG in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the determinants and the prognostic value of fragmented QRS (fQRS) after AMI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort of 307 consecutive patients with AMI. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURED: MACE (death plus non-fatal recurrent MI), hospitalization for an episode of heart failure, ventricular arrhythmia (VT or VF) at two years follow-up. RESULTS: On the serial 12-lead ECG recorded during the in-hospital stay, 162 (53%) had no fQRS (no fQRS group). 145 (47%) presented an fQRS, which was persistent in 108 (34%) patients (persistent fQRS group) and transient in 37 (12%) patients (transient fQRS group). Patients with a fragmented QRS (transient or persistent) were older, more likely to be hypertensive and less likely to be smokers than were patients without fQRS. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, only hypertension (OR (95% CI): 1.66 (1.00-2.74); p = 0.047) was associated with an fQRS. During a mean follow-up of 846 ± 297 days, there were 82 MACE recorded: 17 patients died from a CV cause (10% event rate) among patients without fQRS, 22 (20% event rate) among patients with persistent fQRS and 3 (8% event rate) among patients with transient fQRS. Similarly, non-fatal recurrent MI occurred more frequently in patients with fQRS (18 (16%) and 10 (27%)) for persistent and transient fQRS, respectively, vs. 16 (10%) in the no fQRS group (p = 0.019). However, the occurrence of heart failure symptoms and ventricular arrhythmia was not significantly different (p = 0.162 and p = 0.242, respectively). Survival analysis by the Kaplan-Meier method showed a significant difference (log rank p = 0.026) between groups, and only persistent fQRS was associated with decreased survival. In multivariate cox regression analysis, the GRACE score, blood glucose on admission, and B-blockers in the acute phase were independent predictors of MACE at two years. fQRS was not a significant independent predictor of MACE (HR (95% CI): 1.57 (0.95-2.60); p = 0.08). Moreover, fQRS was not a predictor of heart failure or ventricular arrhythmia in univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent fQRS on a 12-lead ECG is a marker of decreased survival after AMI, whereas transient fQRS correlates with recurrent MI.

High N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels are associated with reduced heart rate variability in acute myocardial infarction.

AIM: We investigated the relationships between the autonomic nervous system, as assessed by heart rate variability (HRV) and levels of N-terminal Pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide (Nt-proBNP) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS AND RESULTS: The mean of standard deviation of RR intervals (SDNN), the percentage of RR intervals with >50 ms variation (pNN50), square root of mean squared differences of successive RR intervals (rMSSD), and frequency domain parameters (total power (TP), high frequency and low frequency power ratio (LF/HF)) were assessed by 24 h Holter ECG monitoring. 1018 consecutive patients admitted <24 h for an acute MI were included. Plasma Nt-proBNP (Elecsys, Roche) was measured from blood samples taken on admission. The median (IQR) Nt-proBNP level was 681(159-2432) pmol/L. Patients with the highest quartile of Nt-proBNP were older, with higher rate of risk factors and lower ejection fraction. The highest Nt-proBNP quartile group had the lowest SDNN, LF/HF and total power but similar pNN50 and rMSSD levels. Nt-proBNP levels correlated negatively with SDNN (r = -0.19, p<0.001), LF/HF (r = -0.37, p<0.001), and LF (r = -0.29, p<0.001) but not HF (r = -0.043, p = 0.172). Multiple regression analysis showed that plasma propeptide levels remained predictive of LF/HF (B(SE) = -0.065(0.015), p<0.001)), even after adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our population-based study highlights the importance of Nt-proBNP levels to predict decreased HRV after acute MI.

Pre-infarction angina and outcomes in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: data from the RICO survey.

BACKGROUND: The presence of pre-infarction angina (PIA) has been shown to confer cardioprotection after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the clinical impact of PIA in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) remains to be determined. METHODS AND RESULTS: From the obseRvatoire des Infarctus de Côte d'Or (RICO) survey, 1541 consecutive patients admitted in intensive care unit with a first NSTEMI were included. Patients who experienced chest pain <7 days before the episode leading to admission were defined as having PIA and were compared with patients without PIA. Incidence of in-hospital ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), heart failure and 30-day mortality were collected. Among the 1541 patients included in the study, 693 (45%) patients presented PIA. PIA was associated with a lower creatine kinase peak, as a reflection of infarct size (231(109-520) vs. 322(148-844) IU/L, p<0.001) when compared with the group without PIA. Patients with PIA developed fewer VAs, by 3 fold (1.6% vs. 4.0%, p = 0.008) and heart failure (18.0% vs. 22.4%, p = 0.040) during the hospital stay. Overall, there was a decrease in early CV events by 26% in patients with PIA (19.2% vs. 25.9%, p = 0.002). By multivariate analysis, PIA remained independently associated with less VAs. CONCLUSION: From this large contemporary prospective study, our work showed that PIA is very frequent in patients admitted for a first NSTEMI, and is associated with a better prognosis, including reduced infarct size and in hospital VAs. Accordingly, protecting the myocardium by ischemic or pharmacological conditioning not only in STEMI, but in all type of MI merits further attention.

Clinical predictors of successful thrombectomy with the Export® aspiration catheter in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. Data from the RICO survey working group.

BACKGROUND: Thrombus aspiration is applicable in a large majority of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and results in better reperfusion and clinical outcomes compared with percutaneous coronary intervention alone. Some aspiration procedures are, however, ineffective. To date, few clinical data are available on the predictors of successful thrombectomy in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. AIMS: To determine the baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics associated with successful thrombectomy. METHODS: Consecutive patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction with a baseline TIMI flow of 0 or 1, who underwent thrombus aspiration and primary or rescue angioplasty, were included. The main criterion for evaluation was an effective or ineffective aspiration defined, respectively, by the presence or absence of atherothrombotic material in the aspirate samples. RESULTS: Among the 180 patients included, material was collected in 155 patients (86%). Patients with the presence of material were younger (61 vs 74 years, P=0.015), less frequently hypertensive (41% vs 68%, P=0.023) and had a lower systolic blood pressure at admission (135 vs 148 mmHg, P=0.031). No difference was observed between the two groups for angiographic parameters except for visible thrombus (61% vs 28%, P=0.005) and calcification (37% vs 60%, P=0.048). In multivariable analysis, the ability to remove the clot was affected by: age greater than 70 years (odds ratio 0.18, 95% confidence interval 0.06-0.51; P=0.001), admission systolic blood pressure (0.97, 0.95-0.99; P=0.003) and thrombus seen on angiography (4.54, 1.54-13.45, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that manual thrombus aspiration is effective in most, but not all, patients. Further studies are needed to develop more efficient aspiration techniques and other aspiration devices to improve the results of such procedures.