Obstructive shock due to right ventricular compression by a massively expanded reconstructed gastric tube.

Obstructive shock is often associated with poor right ventricular (RV) output and requires rapid obstruction release. A 54-year-old man was brought to our emergency department, presenting with shock. He had previously undergone esophagectomy with gastric interposition through the retrosternal route, after which he could not eat solid foods. After eating a ball of rice, he became critically ill, with a significantly increased lactate level, an indicator of shock. Though initial examinations showed no abnormalities, he was hospitalized for observation. The following day, he experienced similar discomfort while in the supine position, an hour after breakfast. Cardiac sonography revealed that the RV was remarkably compressed by a massively expanded gastric tube, causing diastolic dysfunction. After propping him into a sitting position, he recovered from shock. Upon a second examination of CT images, we recognized the massively dilated gastric tube compressing the RV. Anatomically, the retrosternal route is located directly in front of the RV. Thus, it is thought that the massively dilated gastric tube externally compressed the RV, preventing adequate RV filling and causing the obstructive shock. In such cases, the patient's position should be changed immediately to release the RV compression.

Clinical significance of prehospital 12-lead electrocardiography in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction presenting with syncope: from a multicenter observational registry (K-ACTIVE study).

Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) presenting with syncope have poor clinical outcomes partly due to a delay in the diagnosis. Although the impact of prehospital 12-lead electrocardiography (PHECG) on the reduction of first medical contact (FMC)-to-device time and subsequent adverse clinical events in patients with AMI has been demonstrated, the impact of PHECG for the patients presenting with syncope remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to explore the impact of PHECG on 30-day mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presenting with syncope. From a cohort of multi-center registry [Kanagawa-ACuTe cardIoVascular rEgistry (K-ACTIVE)], a total of 90 consecutive patients with STEMI presenting with syncope were included. The 30-day mortality were compared between patients with PHECG (PHECG group, n = 25) and those without PHECG (non-PHECG group, n = 65). There was no significant difference in the baseline clinical characteristics between the 2 groups. FMC-to-device time was significantly shorter in the PHECG group than in the non-PHECG group (122 [86, 128] vs. 131 [102, 153] min, p = 0.03) due to the shorter door-to-device time. Thirty-day mortality was significantly lower in the PHECG group than in the non-PHECG group (16.0 vs. 44.6%, p = 0.03). In conclusion, PHECG was associated with shorter FMC-to-device time and lower 30-day mortality in patients with STEMI presenting with syncope.

Impact of Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation on the Mid-Term Outcomes of Patients After Acute Myocardial Infarction Treated With Current Acute-Phase Management and Optimal Medical Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Early reported beneficial effects of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) have recently been disputed. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical impact of CR on the mid-term outcomes of patients following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with currently available management. METHODS: This study reviewed 145 consecutive patients who underwent primary coronary intervention and were discharged without any disability after STEMI during 2013-2015. RESULTS: Among the patients, 66 (45.5%) completed an outpatient CR program (CR group) and 79 were their non-CR counterparts or patients who dropped out of the program (N-D group). There were no between-group differences in patient demographics and clinical profiles, including door-to-balloon times and prescriptions. A total of 27 patients developed major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) during follow-up. The MACCE-free survival rates were 88% and 76% in the CR and N-D groups, respectively (log-rank, p=0.04). Cox proportional analysis demonstrated that inclusion in the N-D group was a significant predictor of MACCEs (HR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.07-5.74; p=0.03). In the CR group, peak oxygen consumption and ventilatory efficiency determined by cardiopulmonary exercise testing significantly improved after the program (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of CR on the mid-term prognosis of patients with STEMI, even in the current myocardial infarction management era, was beneficial.

Penetration rate of the placement of a drug-eluting stent for the treatment of superficial femoral artery lesions in Japan.

Stent placement for treating superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions has been approved. The Zilver PTX stent, a drug-eluting stent (DES) for treating SFA lesions, has been available in Japan since 2012. However, the penetration rate of this DES has not yet been reported. This prospective multicenter registry study enrolled 314 patients (354 limbs) to be treated by stent placement in 2014 (UMIN000011551). The primary endpoint was the measurement of the penetration rate of the DES. The secondary endpoints were measuring the freedom from restenosis, freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR), freedom from major adverse limb event (MALE), and the survival rate at 12 months postoperatively. Female patients comprised 28% participants. The mean age was 73.1 ± 9.2 years. A total of 56% patients had diabetes mellitus (DM), 36% patients were receiving hemodialysis, and 30% used cilostazol at baseline. The mean lesion length was 156 ± 101 mm, and the percentage of TASC II C/D lesions was 58%. Critical limb ischemia (CLI) was observed in 32% limbs. The penetration rates of the Zilver PTX stent were only 8%. The primary patency rate was similar between DES and bare-metal stents (BMS) at 12 months postoperatively (77 vs. 84%, p = 0.52). In this study, the rates of freedom from restenosis, freedom from TLR, freedom from MALE, and the survival rate at 12 months postoperatively were 83, 86, 85, and 89%, respectively. The penetration rate of a first-generation DES placement for treating SFA lesions is low in Japan. On the other hand, BMS is well utilized and its primary patency is acceptable.

The efficacy of a multidisciplinary team approach in critical limb ischemia.

The aim of the present study was to clarify the characteristics of Japanese critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients and analyze the rates of real-world mortality and amputation-free survival (AFS) in all patients with Fontaine stage IV CLI who were treated with/without revascularization therapy by an intra-hospital multidisciplinary care team. All consecutive patients who presented with CLI at Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital between April 2008 and March 2014 were prospectively registered. The intra-hospital committee consisted of cardiologists, plastic surgeons, dermatologists, diabetologists, nephrologists, cardiovascular surgeons, and vascular technologists. The primary endpoint of this study was all-cause mortality and AFS during the follow-up period. The present study included 145 patients with Fontaine stage IV CLI. The mean age was 76.5 ± 10.2 years. The all-cause mortality rate during the follow-up period (15.5 ± 16.1 months) was 21.4 %. The AFS rate during the follow-up period (14.1 ± 16.4 months) was 58.6 %. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis found that age >75 years and hemodialysis were significantly associated with all-cause mortality; and that age >75 years, Rutherford 6, and wound infection were significantly associated with AFS. A multidisciplinary approach and comprehensive care may improve the outcomes and optimize the collaborative treatment of CLI patients. However, all-cause mortality remained high in patients with Fontaine stage IV CLI and early referral to a hospital that can provide specialized treatment for CLI, before the occurrence of major tissue loss or infection, is necessary to avoid primary amputation.

Acute limb ischemia due to abdominal compartment syndrome.

Acute limb ischemia (ALI) is caused by embolisms or progressive atherosclerosis. We report the case of a 68-year-old female who presented with acute total occlusion of left iliac artery due to remarkably massive ascites from pancreatic cancer. To our knowledge, no other case reports of ALI caused by acute compartment syndrome have been published. We treated our case successfully by draining the ascites fluid without any balloon angioplasty or stent implantation. The removal of extrinsic compression may be the best treatment for cases of this type.

Laryngopharyngeal Mucosal Injury Due to Nasogastric Tube Insertion during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients under cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are at high risk of aspirating gastric contents. Nasogastric tube insertion (NGTI) after tracheal intubation is usually performed blindly. This sometimes causes laryngopharyngeal mucosal injury (LPMI), leading to severe bleeding. This study clarified the incidence of LPMI due to blind NGTI during CPR. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 84 patients presenting with cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival, categorized them into a Smooth group (Smooth; blind NGTI was possible within 2 min), and Difficult group (blind NGTI was not possible), and consequently performed video laryngoscope-assisted NGTI. The laryngopharyngeal mucosal condition was recorded using video laryngoscope. Success rates and insertion time for the Smooth group were calculated. Insertion number and LPMI scores were compared between the groups. Each regression line of outcome measurements was obtained using simple regression analysis. We also analyzed the causes of the Difficult group, using recorded video laryngoscope-assisted videos. RESULTS: The success rate was 78.6% (66/84). NGTI time was 48.8 ± 4.0 s in the Smooth group. Insertion number and injury scores in the Smooth group were significantly lower than those in the Difficult group. The severity of LPMI increased with NGT insertion time and insertion number. CONCLUSIONS: Whenever blind NGTI is difficult, switching to other methods is essential to prevent unnecessary persistence.

Combination of rRT-PCR and Clinical Features to Predict Coronavirus Disease 2019 for Nosocomial Infection Control.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), immediately became a pandemic. Therefore, nosocomial infection control is necessary to screen for patients with possible COVID-19. Objective: This study aimed to investigate commonly measured clinical variables to predict COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 1087 patients in the isolation ward of a university hospital. Conferences were organized to differentiate COVID-19 from non-COVID-19 cases, and multiple nucleic acid tests were mandatory when COVID-19 could not be excluded. Multivariate logistic regression models were employed to determine the clinical factors associated with COVID-19 at the time of hospitalization. Results: Overall, 352 (32.4%) patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. The majority of the non-COVID-19 cases were predominantly caused by bacterial infections. Multivariate analysis indicated that COVID-19 was significantly associated with age, sex, body mass index, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, and malignancy. Conclusion: Some clinical factors are useful to predict patients with COVID-19 among those with symptoms similar to COVID-19. This study suggests that at least two real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reactions of SARS-CoV-2 are recommended to exclude COVID-19.

Reply to Maxwell, A. Comment on "Miyamoto et al. Laryngopharyngeal Mucosal Injury Due to Nasogastric Tube Insertion during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13, 261".

We are grateful for the insightful comments provided by the author [...].

Stroke in Toddler After Minor Head Injury: An Emerging Diagnostic Challenge.

The diagnosis of ischemic stroke in toddlers in ED is a challenge due to non-specific neurological symptoms and difficulties in conducting a detailed neurological examination in toddlers. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) requires patient sedation and the cooperation of several medical personnel. A 33-month-old male presented with the immobility of the left upper extremity after a fall from a child chair. A head computerized tomography scan revealed no obvious bleeding. An orthopedic surgeon, a neurosurgeon, and a pediatrician were consulted but could not provide a definitive diagnosis. The following day, the patient developed left incomplete hemiplegia and dysarthria, and an emergency MRI detected a high signal at the right nucleus basalis. The patient was diagnosed with acute cerebral infarction and transferred to a children's hospital. Pediatric minor head injuries and pulled elbows are commonly presented in ED, and most patients are discharged safely. Despite persistent neurological deficits several hours after arrival, we could not perform an MRI, which delayed the diagnosis. We recommend that early MRIs are performed in similar cases to aid rapid diagnoses. The collaboration between several specializations allowed the successful diagnosis and treatment of this case.

Radial versus femoral access in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction: A propensity-matched analysis from real-world data of the K-ACTIVE registry.

BACKGROUND: The access site for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) recently shifted from femoral to radial. However, few real-world data on Japanese patients exist. METHODS: To elucidate the clinical selection and impact of the access site in STEMI patients, we analyzed a Japanese observational prospective multicenter registry of acute myocardial infarction (K-ACTIVE: Kanagawa ACuTe cardIoVascular rEgistry) in 2015 to 2021. Data were analyzed in the entire population and a propensity score-matched population adjusted for confounding factors. Major adverse cardiac event (MACE) was defined as cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3 or 5 was used to assess bleeding events. MACE plus BARC type 3 or 5 bleeding were considered composite events. Clinical outcomes were followed for 30 days. RESULTS: The 6802 STEMI patients included 4786 patients with radial access (70.3 %) and 2016 with femoral access (29.7 %). Femoral access tended to be selected for more severe conditions than radial access. The median door-to-device time in the radial access group was significantly shorter than the femoral access group in the entire population (75 min versus 79 min, p < 0.01). After propensity score matching (each group, n = 1208), the incidence of MACE tended to be lower in the radial access group [risk ratio (RR) 0.83, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.63-1.09, p = 0.17]. The incidence of BARC 3 or 5 bleeding was significantly less in the radial access group (RR 0.47, 95%CI 0.23-0.97, p = 0.04). The incidence of composite events was significantly less in the radial access group (RR 0.74, 95%CI 0.57-0.96, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: In STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI, in comparison to femoral access, radial access reduced composite events in the entire population and the matched population, through a reduction in MACE and BARC 3 or 5 bleeding.

Current status of active cooling, deep body temperature measurement, and face mask wearing in heat stroke and heat exhaustion patients in Japan: a nationwide observational study based on the Heatstroke STUDY 2020 and 2021.

Aim: The study aimed to determine the current status of face mask use, deep body temperature measurement, and active cooling in patients suffering from heat stroke and heat exhaustion in Japan. Methods: This was a prospective, observational, multicenter study using data from the Heatstroke STUDY 2020-2021, a nationwide periodical registry of heat stroke and heat exhaustion patients. Based on the Bouchama heatstroke criteria, we classified the patients into two groups: severe and mild-to-moderate. We compared the outcomes between the two groups and reclassified them into two subgroups according to the severity of the illness, deep body temperature measurements, and face mask use. Cramer's V was used to determine the effect sizes for a comparison between groups. Results: Almost all patients in this study were categorized as having degree III based on the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine heatstroke criteria (JAAM-HS). However, the severe group was significantly worse than the mild-to-moderate group in outcomes like in-hospital death and modified Rankin Scale scores, when discharged. Heat strokes had significantly higher rates of active cooling and lower mortality rates than heat stroke-like illnesses. Patients using face masks often use them during labor, sports, and other exertions, had less severe conditions, and were less likely to be young male individuals. Conclusions: It is suggested that severe cases require a more detailed classification of degree III in the JAAM-HS criteria, and not measuring deep body temperature could have been a factor in the nonperformance of active cooling and worse outcomes.

Computed tomography tractography of anterior abdominal stab wounds.

CT tractography is a simple and useful examination. a non-ionic contrast agent was compression-injected into the stab wound and CT tractography was performed.

A Case of Acute Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Later Revealed by Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography.

BACKGROUND Acute coronary syndrome is life-threatening. The diagnosis can be confirmed by electrocardiography (ECG) and serum cardiac biomarkers. Early diagnosis and treatment of non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is important because delayed treatment is associated with poor prognosis, especially in older adults. CASE REPORT An 82-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with epigastric and back pain. Despite the symptoms, the electrocardiogram revealed no abnormality, and the high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (Hs-cTn) value was below the detection limit. Chest contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) performed to exclude fatal diseases such as aortic dissection revealed no obvious abnormalities. The patient's symptoms improved and she was discharged. On the following day, the radiologist reviewed the CT and noted reduced cardiac uptake of contrast medium, and so suspected a subendocardial infarction. The patient was immediately recalled to the ED. She had no symptoms, but her Hs-cTn level was markedly elevated and asynergy was found on echocardiography. Emergency coronary angiography revealed complete obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery. CONCLUSIONS Similar to patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, those with unstable angina or NSTEMI should be treated early. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndrome is associated with poor prognosis, especially in older adults. Therefore, in patients presenting to the ED with chest pain, careful attention should be paid to myocardial staining in addition to the aorta, pulmonary arteries, and abdominal organs, when performing contrast-enhanced CT.

Heatstroke-induced late-onset neurological deficits in mice caused by white matter demyelination, Purkinje cell degeneration, and synaptic impairment in the cerebellum.

Global warming increases heatstroke incidence. After heatstroke, patients exhibit neurological symptoms, suggesting cerebellar damage. However, the potential long-term adverse outcomes are poorly understood. We studied the cerebellum after heatstroke in mouse heatstroke models. In this study, motor coordination disorder significantly appeared 3 weeks after heatstroke and gradually improved to some extent. Although white matter demyelination was detected at 1 and 3 weeks after heatstroke in the cerebellum, it was not found in the corpus callosum. The Purkinje cell numbers significantly decreased at 1, 3, and 9 weeks after heatstroke. The intensity of synaptophysin and postsynaptic density-95 temporarily appeared to attenuate at 3 weeks after heatstroke; however, both appeared to intensify at 9 weeks after heatstroke. Motor coordination loss occurred a few weeks after heatstroke and recovered to some extent. Late-onset motor impairment was suggested to be caused by cerebellar dysfunctions morphologically assessed by myelin staining of cerebellar white matter and immunostaining of Purkinje cells with pre- and postsynaptic markers. Purkinje cell number did not recover for 9 weeks; other factors, including motor coordination, partially recovered, probably by synaptic reconstruction, residual Purkinje cells, and other cerebellar white matter remyelination. These phenomena were associated with late-onset neurological deficits and recovery after heatstroke.

A Japanese Dose of Prasugrel versus a Standard Dose of Clopidogrel in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction from the K-ACTIVE Registry.

BACKGROUND: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin plus P2Y12 inhibitor is used as a standard therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with drug-eluting stents (DESs). In Japan, clopidogrel was the major P2Y12 inhibitor used for a decade until the new P2Y12 inhibitor, prasugrel, was introduced. Based on clinical studies considering Japanese features, the set dose for prasugrel was reduced to 20 mg as a loading dose (LD) and 3.75 mg as a maintenance dose (MD); these values are 60 and 10 mg, respectively, globally. Despite this dose discrepancy, little real-world clinical data regarding its efficacy and safety exist. METHODS: From the K-ACTIVE registry, based on the DAPT regimen, patients were divided into a prasugrel group and a clopidogrel group. The ischemic event was a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal MI, and non-fatal stroke. The bleeding event was type 3 or 5 bleeding based on the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria. RESULTS: Substantially more patients were prescribed prasugrel (n = 2786) than clopidogrel (n = 890). Clopidogrel tended to be selected over prasugrel in older patients with numerous comorbidities. Before adjustments were made, the cumulative incidence of ischemic events at 1 year was significantly greater in the clopidogrel group than in the prasugrel group (p = 0.007), while the cumulative incidence of bleeding events at 1 year was comparable between the groups (p = 0.131). After adjustments were made for the age, sex, body weight, creatine level, type of AMI, history of MI, approach site, oral anticoagulation therapy, presence of multivessel disease, Killip classification, and presence of intra-aortic balloon pumping, both ischemic and bleeding events became comparable between the groups. CONCLUSION: A Japanese dose of prasugrel was commonly used in AMI patients in the real-world database. Both the prasugrel and clopidogrel groups showed comparable rates of 1 year ischemic and bleeding events.

Impact of atrial fibrillation and the clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction from the K-ACTIVE registry.

BACKGROUND: The clinical incidence and impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) in Japanese acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients is not fully understood. METHODS: To elucidate the clinical incidence and impact of AF on in-hospital mortality in AMI patients, we analyzed a Japanese observational prospective multicenter registry of acute myocardial infarction (K-ACTIVE: Kanagawa ACuTe cardIoVascular rEgistry), which spans 2015 to 2019. A major adverse cardiac event (MACE) was defined as cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and non-fatal stroke. For assessing bleeding events, Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3 or 5 was used. MACE plus BARC type 3 or 5 bleeding were considered as composite events. The clinical outcomes were followed for 1 year. RESULTS: The total of 5059 patients included 531 patients with AF (10.5%) and 4528 patients with sinus rhythm (SR; 89.5%). AF patients were significantly older and tended to have more comorbidities than SR patients. Oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC) was used in 44% of AF patients while single antiplatelet therapy was selected for 52% of patients with OAC. Crude in-hospital mortality was significantly greater in AF patients than in SR patients (10.4%, 5.0%, respectively, p < 0.01). The multivariate analysis was adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, hemodialysis, smoking, previous MI, body mass index, Killip classification, out of hospital cardiac arrest, and OAC. In-hospital mortality was still significantly greater in AF patients than in SR patients in the logistic regression analysis [adjusted odds ratio 2.02 (1.31-3.14)]. AF was an independent risk factor for MACE and composite events in the Cox proportional hazards model [adjusted risk ratio (ARR) 1.91 (1.36-2.69), p < 0.01; ARR 1.72 (1.25-2.36), p < 0.01]. In contrast, AF was not an independent risk factor for bleeding [ARR 1.71 (0.79-3.71), p = 0.18]. CONCLUSION: In Japanese AMI patients, AF was often observed and was associated with worse MACE but not worse bleeding.

Combination therapy with levofloxacin and cefepime to treat severe respiratory infection due to Aeromonas caviae after a near-drowning accident in river water.

BACKGROUND: Aeromonas spp. are gram-negative anaerobic rods that are mainly found in water. Respiratory infections due to Aeromonas sp. are rare but have a high mortality rate. CASE PRESENTATION: A 43-year-old man fell into a river following an automobile accident and almost drowned. He developed a severe respiratory infection and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Ampicillin/sulbactam was given; however, Aeromonas caviae was detected in his blood culture. Despite treatment with levofloxacin, to which A. caviae was susceptible, his condition failed to improve. However, with additional treatment with cefepime, his blood culture results were negative, and his condition improved. CONCLUSION: When a patient develops a respiratory infection after aspiration of river water, empiric antimicrobial therapy should be given as soon as possible to manage the risk of Aeromonas sp. infection.

A novel risk stratification system "Angiographic GRACE Score" for predicting in-hospital mortality of patients with acute myocardial infarction: Data from the K-ACTIVE Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score is the most accurate risk assessment system for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which was proposed in Western countries. However, it is unclear whether GRACE score is applicable to the present Japanese patients with a high prevalence of emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and vasospasm. This study aimed to clarify the usefulness of GRACE risk score for risk stratification of Japanese AMI patients treated with early PCI and to evaluate a novel risk stratification system, "angiographic GRACE score," which is the GRACE risk score adjusted by the information of the culprit coronary artery and its flow at pre- and post-PCI, to improve its predicting availability. METHODS: The subjects were 1817 AMI patients who underwent PCI within 24 h of onset between October 2015 and August 2017 and were registered in Kanagawa Acute Cardiovascular (K-ACTIVE) Registry via survey form. The association between the clinical parameters and in-hospital mortality was investigated. RESULTS: A total of 79 (4.3%) in-hospital deaths were identified. The C-statistics for the in-hospital mortality of the GRACE score was 0.86, which was higher than that of the other conventional risk factors, including age (0.65), systolic blood pressure (0.70), heart rate (0.62), Killip classification (0.77), and serum levels of creatinine (0.68) and peak creatine kinase (0.74). The angiographic GRACE score improved the C-statistics from 0.86 of the original GRACE score to 0.89 (p < 0.05). In the setting of the cut-off value at 200, in-hospital mortality in the patients with the angiographic GRACE score <200 was 0.6%, which was relatively lower than those with ≥200, 9.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The GRACE score is a useful predictor of in-hospital mortality among Japanese AMI patients in the PCI era. Moreover, the angiographic GRACE score could improve the predicting availability.

The impact of pre-hospital 12-lead electrocardiogram and first contact by cardiologist in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction in Kanagawa, Japan.

Background pre-hospital 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) by emergency medical service (EMS) personnel at the site of first medical contact (FMC) and the physician of first contact both play important roles in managing patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, in Japan, pre-hospital 12-lead ECG is not routinely performed by EMS personnel at the site of FMC and the physician of first contact is not always a cardiologist. Methods from October 2015 to October 2019, 2035 consecutive STEMI patients transported from the field by ambulance were analyzed from the K-ACTIVE registry. Based on the presence (+) or absence (-) of pre-hospital 12-lead ECG / first contact by cardiologist, patients were divided into 4 groups (+/+, +/-, -/+, -/-). Patient characteristics, FMC to door time, door to device time and in-hospital mortality were compared. Results the numbers of patients in each group were as follows (+/+, n = 987; +/-, n = 211; -/+, n = 610; -/-, n = 227). For patient characteristics, there were significant differences in the prevalence of dyslipidemia and the presence of chest pain. The FMC to door time was similar (median value, +/+, 24 min; +/-, 25 min; -/+, 24 min; -/-, 24 min; p = 0.23). The door to device time was the shortest in the +/+ group (median value, +/+, 65 min; +/-, 80 min; -/+, 69 min; -/-, 88 min; p < 0.0001). Crude in-hospital mortality was the highest in the -/- group (+/+, 3.9%; +/-, 2.4%; -/+, 5.8%; -/-, 11.9%; p < 0.0001). After adjustment for age and sex, the adjusted odds ratios for in-hospital mortality were as follows [odds ratio (with 95% confidence interval) +/+, 0.33 [0.19-0.57]; +/-, 0.19 [0.07-0.52]; -/+, 0.49 [0.29-0.86]; -/-, 1 [reference)]. Conclusion pre-hospital 12-lead ECG and the physician of first contact had a significant impact on the door to device time and in-hospital mortality. Continuous efforts should be made to improve acute management of STEMI.