RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with a chronic total occlusion (CTO) in a Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) cohort. BACKGROUND: There is limited data on the clinical characteristics, revascularisation strategies and outcomes of patients presenting with a NSTEMI and a CTO. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a six-centre percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) registry in the UK between January 2015 and December 2020 was performed. Patients with a NSTEMI with and without a CTO were compared for baseline characteristics and outcomes. RESULTS: There were 17,355 NSTEMI patients in total of whom 1813 patients had a CTO (10.4 %). Patients with a CTO were more likely to be older (CTO: 67.8 (±11.5) years vs. no CTO: 67.2 (±12) years, p = 0.04), male (CTO: 81.1 % vs.71.9 %, p < 0.0001) with a greater prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. All-cause mortality at 30 days: HR 2.63, 95 % CI 1.42-4.84, p = 0.002 and at 1 year: HR: 1.87, 95 % CI 1.25-2.81, p = 0.003 was higher in the CTO cohort. CTO patients who underwent revascularisation were younger (Revascularisation 66.4 [±11.7] years vs. no revascularisation 68.4 [±11.4] years, p = 0.001). Patients with failed CTO revascularisation had lower survival (HR 0.21, 95 % CI 0.10-0.42, p < 0.0001). The mean time to revascularisation was 13.4 days. There was variation in attempt at CTO revascularisation between the 6 centres for (16 % to 100 %) with success rates ranging from 65 to 100 %. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the presence of a CTO in NSTEMI patients undergoing PCI was associated with worse in-hospital and long-term outcomes.