Statewide Initiative to Reduce Patient Radiation Doses During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Improved radiation safety practices are needed across hospitals performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study was performed to assess the temporal trend in PCI radiation doses concurrent with the conduct of a statewide radiation safety initiative. METHODS: A statewide initiative to reduce PCI radiation doses was conducted in Michigan between 2017 and 2021 and included focused radiation safety education, reporting of institutional radiation doses, and implementation of radiation performance metrics for hospitals. Using data from a large statewide registry, PCI discharges between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2022, having a procedural air kerma (AK) recorded were analyzed for temporal trends. A multivariable regression analysis was performed to determine whether declines in procedural AK over time were attributable to changes in known predictors of radiation doses. RESULTS: Among 131 619 PCI procedures performed during the study period, a reduction in procedural AK was observed over time, from a median dose of 1.46 (0.86-2.37) Gy in the first year of the study to 0.97 (0.56-1.64) Gy in the last year of the study (P<0.001). The proportion of cases with an AK ≥5 Gy declined from 4.24% to 0.86% over the same time period (P<0.0001). After adjusting for variables known to impact radiation doses, a 1-year increase in the date of PCI was associated with a 7.61% (95% CI, 7.38%-7.84%) reduction in procedural AK (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent with the conduct of a statewide initiative to reduce procedural radiation doses, a progressive and significant decline in procedural radiation doses was observed among patients undergoing PCI in the state of Michigan.

Identifying potentially avoidable femoral to popliteal expanded polytetrafluoroethylene bypass for claudication using cross-site blinded peer review.

OBJECTIVE: The surgical treatment of claudication can be associated with significant morbidity and costs. There are growing concerns that some patients proceed to interventions without first attempting evidence-based nonoperative management. We used a direct, cross-site, blinded expert review to evaluate the appropriateness of the surgical treatment of claudication. METHODS: We enlisted practicing vascular surgeons to perform retrospective clinical assessments of lower extremity bypass procedures in a statewide clinical registry. Cases were limited to elective, open, infrainguinal bypasses performed for claudication using prosthetic grafts. Reviewing surgeons were randomly assigned 10 cases from a sample of 139 anonymized bypass operations and instructed to evaluate procedural appropriateness based on their expert opinion and evidence-based guidelines for preoperative treatment, namely, antiplatelet, statin, cilostazol, exercise, and smoking cessation therapy as documented in the medical record. Ninety-day episode payments were estimated from a distinct but similar cohort of patients undergoing lower extremity bypass for claudication. RESULTS: Of 325 total reviews, surgeons stated they would not have recommended bypass in 134 reviews (41%) and deemed bypass inappropriate in 122 reviews (38%). The most common reason for inappropriateness was lack of preoperative medical and lifestyle therapy, which was present in 63% of reviews where bypass was deemed appropriate and 39% of reviews where bypass was deemed inappropriate (P < .001). Surgeons stated they would have recommended additional preoperative therapy in 65% of reviews where bypass was deemed inappropriate and 35% of reviews where bypass was deemed appropriate (P < .001). The mean total episode payments in a similar cohort of 1458 patients undergoing elective open lower extremity bypass for claudication were $31,301 ± $21,219. Extrapolating to the 325 reviews, the 134 reviews in which surgeons would not have recommended bypass were associated with potentially avoidable estimated total payments of $4,194,334, and the 122 reviews in which bypass was deemed inappropriate were associated with potentially avoidable estimated total payments of $3,818,722. CONCLUSIONS: In this cross-site expert peer review study, 40% of lower extremity bypasses were deemed premature and, therefore, potentially avoidable, primarily owing to a lack of medical and lifestyle management before surgery. Reviews deemed inappropriate were associated with approximately $4 million in potentially avoidable costs. This approach could inform performance feedback among surgeons to help align clinical practice with evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of claudication.

Marijuana Use and In-Hospital Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Michigan, United States.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between reported marijuana use and post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in-hospital outcomes. BACKGROUND: Marijuana use is increasing as more states in the United States legalize its use for recreational and medicinal purposes. Little is known about the frequency of use and relative safety of marijuana among patients presenting for PCI. METHODS: The authors analyzed Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium PCI registry data between January 1, 2013, and September 30, 2016. One-to-one propensity matching and multivariable logistic regression were used to adjust for differences between patients with or without reported marijuana use, and rates of post-PCI complications were compared. RESULTS: Among 113,477 patients, 3,970 reported marijuana use. Compared with those without reported marijuana use, patients with reported marijuana use were likely to be younger (53.9 years vs 65.8 years), to use tobacco (73.0% vs 26.8%), to present with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (27.3% vs 15.9%), and to have fewer cardiovascular comorbidities. After matching, compared with patients without reported marijuana use, those with reported marijuana use experienced significantly higher risks for bleeding (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-1.97; P < 0.001) and cerebrovascular accident (aOR: 11.01; 95% CI: 1.32-91.67; P = 0.026) and a lower risk for acute kidney injury (aOR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.42-0.87; P = 0.007). There were no significant differences in risks for transfusion and death. CONCLUSIONS: A modest fraction of patients undergoing PCI used marijuana. Reported marijuana use was associated with higher risks for cerebrovascular accident and bleeding and a lower risk for acute kidney injury after PCI. Clinicians and patients should be aware of the higher risk for post-PCI complications in these patients.

Prevalence of coronary risk factors in contemporary practice among patients undergoing their first percutaneous coronary intervention: Implications for primary prevention.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and obesity are conventional risk factors (RFs) for coronary artery disease (CAD). Population trends for these RFs have varied in recent decades. Consequently, the risk factor profile for patients presenting with a new diagnosis of CAD in contemporary practice remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of RFs and their temporal trends among patients without a history of myocardial infarction or revascularization who underwent their first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: We examined the prevalence and temporal trends of RFs among patients without a history of prior myocardial infarction, PCI, or coronary artery bypass graft surgery who underwent PCI at 47 non-federal hospitals in Michigan between 1/1/2010 and 3/31/2018. RESULTS: Of 69,571 men and 38,930 women in the study cohort, 95.5% of patients had 1 or more RFs and nearly half (55.2% of women and 48.7% of men) had ≥3 RFs. The gap in the mean age at the time of presentation between men and women narrowed as the number of RFs increased with a gap of 6 years among those with 2 RFs to <1 year among those with 5 RFs. Compared with patients without a current/recent history of smoking, those with a current/recent history of smoking presented a decade earlier (age 56.8 versus 66.9 years; p <0.0001). Compared with patients without obesity, patients with obesity presented 4.0 years earlier (age 61.4 years versus 65.4 years; p <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Modifiable RFs are widely prevalent among patients undergoing their first PCI. Smoking and obesity are associated with an earlier age of presentation. Population-level interventions aimed at preventing obesity and smoking could significantly delay the onset of CAD and the need for PCI.

Trends and outcomes of non-primary PCI at sites without cardiac surgery on-site: The early Michigan experience.

INTRODUCTION: Non-primary percutaneous coronary intervention (non-PPCI) recently received certificate of need approval in the state of Michigan at sites without cardiac surgery on-site (cSoS). This requires quality oversight through participation in the BMC2 registry. While previous studies have indicated the safety of this practice, real-world comprehensive outcomes, case volume changes, economic impacts, and readmission rates at diverse healthcare centers with and without cSoS remain poorly understood. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing non-PPCI at 47 hospitals (33 cSoS and 14 non-cSoS) in Michigan from April 2016 to March 2018 were included. Using propensity-matching, patients were analyzed to assess outcomes and trends in non-PPCI performance at sites with and without cSOS. RESULTS: Of 61,864 PCI's performed, 50,817 were non-PPCI, with 46,096 (90.7%) performed at sites with cSoS and 4,721 (9.3%) at sites without cSoS. From this cohort, 4,643 propensity-matched patients were analyzed. Rates of major adverse cardiac events (2.6% vs. 2.8%; p = 0.443), in-hospital mortality (0.6% vs. 0.5%; p = 0.465), and several secondary clinical and quality outcomes showed no clinically significant differences. Among a small subset with available post-discharge data, there were no differences in 90-day readmission rates, standardized episode costs, or post-discharge mortality. Overall PCI volume remained stable, with a near three-fold rise in non-PPCI at sites without cSoS. CONCLUSIONS: Non-PPCI at centers without cardiac SoS was associated with similar comprehensive outcomes, quality of care, 90-day episode costs, and post-discharge mortality compared with surgical sites. Mandatory quality oversight serves to maintain appropriate equivalent outcomes and may be considered for other programs, including the performance of non-PPCI at ambulatory surgical centers in the near future.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusion-The Michigan Experience: Insights From the BMC2 Registry.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the performance and outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Michigan. BACKGROUND: CTO PCI has been associated with reduction in angina, but previous registry analyses showed a higher rate of major adverse cardiac events with this procedure. METHODS: To study uptake and outcomes of CTO PCI in Michigan, patients enrolled in the BMC2 (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium) registry (2010 to 2017) were evaluated. CTO PCI was defined as intervention in a 100% occluded coronary artery ≥3 months old. RESULTS: Among 210,172 patients enrolled in the registry, 7,389 CTO PCIs (3.5%) were attempted, with 4,614 (58.3%) achieving post-procedural TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) flow grade 3. The proportion of PCIs performed on CTOs increased over the study period (from 2.67% in 2010 to 4.48% in 2017). Thirty of 47 hospitals performed >50 CTO interventions in 2017. Pre-procedural angina class ≤2 was present in one-quarter, and functional assessment for ischemia was performed in 46.6% of patients. Major complications occurred in 245 patients (3.3%) and included death (1.4%), post-procedural stroke (0.4%), cardiac tamponade (0.5%), and urgent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (1.3%). Procedural success improved modestly from 44.5% in 2010 to 54.9% in 2017 (p for trend < 0.001). Rates of in-hospital mortality (p for trend = 0.247) and major adverse cardiac event (p for trend = 0.859) for CTO PCI remained unchanged over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of CTO PCI in Michigan increased over the study period. Although the success rate of CTO PCI has increased modestly in contemporary practice, it remained far below the >80% reported by select high-volume CTO operators. The rate of periprocedural major adverse cardiac events or death remained unchanged over time. These data suggest room for improvement in the selection and functional assessment of CTO lesions before subjecting patients to the increased procedural risk associated with CTO PCI.

Institutional Variability in Patient Radiation Doses ≥5 Gy During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate institutional variability in high radiation doses during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether radiation safety practices are optimally applied across institutions performing PCI. METHODS: Using data from a large statewide registry, PCI discharges between July 1, 2016, and March 31, 2018, with a procedural air kerma (AK) recorded were analyzed. PCI procedures were grouped by the performing hospital, and institutional frequency of procedural AK ≥5 Gy was calculated. Fitted hierarchical Bayesian modeling was performed to identify variables independently associated with an AK ≥5 Gy. The performing hospital was included as a random effect in the hierarchical model. RESULTS: Among 36,201 PCI procedures at 28 hospitals, procedural AK was ≥5 Gy in 1,477 cases (4.1%), ≥10 Gy in 185 (0.5%), and ≥15 Gy in 105 (0.3%). The institutional frequency of procedural AK ≥5 Gy ranged from 0.0% to 10.9%. Bayesian modeling identified body mass index, dyslipidemia, diabetes, prior coronary bypass surgery, use of mechanical circulatory support, and the performing hospital as independent predictors of an AK ≥5 Gy. The median odds ratio for the performing hospital, representing an estimate of the contribution of interhospital variability in determining the odds of having a procedural AK ≥5 Gy, was 3.08 (95% confidence interval: 3.01 to 3.16). CONCLUSIONS: Wide variability exists in the institutional frequency of procedural AK ≥5 Gy during PCI. After accounting for patient characteristics and procedural variables, the performing hospital appears to be a major factor in determining patient radiation dose in contemporary PCI.

Appropriateness and Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention at Top-Ranked and Nonranked Hospitals in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to compare the appropriate use and outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between top-ranked and nonranked hospitals. BACKGROUND: The U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals" rankings are an influential consumer-directed publication of hospital quality, and are commonly used in promotional campaigns by hospital systems. METHODS: Hospitals in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI registry between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015, were classified as top-ranked if they were included in the 2015 U.S. News & World Report 50 best "Cardiology and Heart Surgery" hospitals. The remaining were classified as nonranked. We compared in-hospital mortality, post-procedural bleeding, post-procedural acute kidney injury, and the proportion of appropriate PCI procedures between top-ranked and nonranked hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 509,153 PCIs at 654 hospitals were included, of which 55,550 (10.9%) were performed at 44 top-ranked hospitals. After adjusting for patient case mix, PCIs performed at top-ranked hospitals had similar odds of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83 to 1.12; p = 0.64), acute kidney injury (aOR: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.22; p = 0.099), and bleeding (aOR: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.31; p = 0.052). Top-ranked hospitals had a slightly lower proportion of appropriate PCI compared with nonranked hospitals (89.2% vs. 92.8%; OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.69; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PCI performed at top-ranked hospitals was not associated with superior outcomes compared with PCI at nonranked hospitals. The inclusion of metrics based on clinical data may be important for hospital quality rankings.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention at centers with and without on-site surgical support: Insights from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium (BMC2).

BACKGROUND: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is being increasingly performed nationally at sites without on-site cardiac surgery; however, recent guidelines only provide a Class IIa recommendation for this practice. The state of Michigan has permitted PPCI without on-site surgery under a closely monitored system that mandates auditing of all procedures and quarterly feedback on quality and outcomes. This study sought to compare outcomes of patients undergoing PPCI at centers with and without on-site surgery in the state of Michigan. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent PPCI at 47 hospitals in Michigan from January 2010 to December 2015 were included. From this cohort, 4,091 patients from sites with and without on-site cardiac surgery were propensity matched in a 1:1 fashion to compare baseline characteristics, procedural details, and in-hospital outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 25,886 PPCIs performed at 47 hospitals in Michigan from 2010 to 2015, 21,610 (83.5%) were performed at sites with on-site surgery and 4,276 (16.5%) at sites without on-site surgery. Using propensity score matched cohorts (4,091 patients for each site type), we found no significant differences in baseline characteristics. Overall mortality (5.4% vs 5.8%; P=.442); composite outcome of in-hospital mortality, contrast-induced nephropathy, bleeding, and stroke (13.8% vs 12.8%; P=.152); and individual outcomes within the composite group showed no significant differences. Additionally, there were no clinically meaningful differences in rates of urgent/emergent coronary artery bypass graft or length of stay. Significant differences, however, were found in procedural access site, antiplatelet therapy, contrast volume, and anticoagulant strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Primary PCI performed at centers with and without cardiac surgery have comparable outcomes and complication rates when performed with close monitoring of quality and outcomes.

Ninety-Day Readmission and Long-Term Mortality in Medicare Patients (≥65 Years) Treated With Ticagrelor Versus Prasugrel After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium).

Ticagrelor and prasugrel were found to be superior to clopidogrel for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, the comparative effectiveness of these 2 drugs remains unknown. We compared postdischarge outcomes among older patients treated with ticagrelor versus prasugrel after PCI for ACS. We linked clinical data from PCIs performed in older patients (age ≥65) for ACS at 47 Michigan hospitals to Medicare fee-for-service claims from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014, to ascertain rates of 90-day readmission and long-term mortality. We used propensity score matching to adjust for the nonrandom use of ticagrelor and prasugrel at discharge. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare rates of 90-day readmission and long-term mortality, respectively. Patients discharged on ticagrelor (n = 1,243) were more frequently older, female, had a history of cerebrovascular disease, and presented with ST- or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction compared with prasugrel (n = 1,014). After matching (n = 756 per group), there were no significant differences in the rates of 90-day readmission (16.7% ticagrelor vs 14.6% prasugrel; adjusted odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 0.86 to 1.55, p = 0.35) or 1-year mortality (5.4% ticagrelor vs 3.7% prasugrel; hazard ratio 1.3, 95% confidence interval 0.8 to 2.2, p = 0.31). In conclusion, we found no significant differences in the rates of 90-day readmission or long-term mortality between older patients treated with ticagrelor and patients treated with prasugrel after PCI for ACS. In the absence of randomized data to the contrary, these 2 treatments appear similarly effective.

The comparative safety of abciximab versus eptifibatide in patients on dialysis undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: Insights from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium (BMC2).

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the patterns of use and outcomes associated with eptifibatide and abciximab administration among dialysis patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: Contraindicated medications are frequently administered to dialysis patients undergoing PCI often resulting in adverse outcomes. Eptifibatide is a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor that is often used during PCI and is contraindicated in dialysis. METHODS: We included dialysis patients who underwent PCI from January 2010 to September 2015 at 47 hospitals in Michigan. We compared outcomes between patients who received eptifibatide compared with abciximab. Both groups required concurrent treatment with unfractionated heparin only. In-hospital outcomes included repeat PCI, bleeding, major bleeding, need for transfusion, and death. Optimal full matching was used to adjust for non-random drug administration. RESULTS: Of 177 963 patients who underwent PCI, 4303 (2.4%) were on dialysis. Among those, 384 (8.9%) received eptifibatide and 100 (2.3%) received abciximab. Prior to matching, patients who received eptifibatide had higher pre-procedural hemoglobin levels (11.3 g/dL vs. 10.7 g/dL; P < 0.001) and less frequently had a history of myocardial infarction (36.5% vs. 52.0%; P = 0.005). After matching, there were no significant differences in in-hospital outcomes between eptifibatide and abciximab including transfusion (aOR: 1.15; 95%CI: 0.55-2.40; P = 0.70), bleeding (1.47; 0.64-3.40; P = 0.36), major bleeding (4.68; 0.42-52.3; P = 0.21), repeat PCI (0.38; 0.03-4.23; P = 0.43), and death (1.53; 0.2-9.05; P = 0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Despite being contraindicated in dialysis, eptifibatide was used approximately 3.5 times more frequently than abciximab among dialysis patients undergoing PCI but was associated with similar in-hospital outcomes.

Contemporary Trends and Outcomes Associated With the Preprocedural Use of Oral P2Y12 Inhibitors in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium (BMC2).

OBJECTIVES: We sought to describe trends in the use of preprocedural P2Y12 inhibitors and their clinical impact in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: Oral P2Y12 inhibitors are ubiquitously used medications; however, the specific timing of initial P2Y12 inhibitor administration remains intensely debated. METHODS: Our study population comprised 74,053 consecutive patients undergoing PCI at 47 hospitals in Michigan from January 2013 through June 2015. In-hospital outcomes included stent thrombosis, bleeding, need for transfusion, and death. Hierarchical logistic regression, propensity matching, and targeted maximum likelihood estimation were used to adjust for baseline patient differences and clustering, and to minimize bias. RESULTS: Of 24,733 patients who received a preprocedural P2Y12 inhibitor, 82% received clopidogrel, 8% prasugrel, and 10% ticagrelor. Preprocedural administration of P2Y12 inhibitors declined during the study (49.3% to 24.8%; P<.001), and varied greatly across hospitals (14.5%-95.9%). No significant differences in outcomes were observed between patients receiving preprocedural clopidogrel and a matched cohort of those not receiving any preprocedural P2Y12 inhibitor (stent thrombosis: adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30-7.84; bleeding: OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.63-1.46; transfusion: OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.69-1.55; and death: OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.38-2.37). Similar findings were demonstrated for preprocedural ticagrelor and prasugrel. Results from a subgroup analysis of patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (n = 28,072) were consistent with the overall findings. CONCLUSIONS: There was a substantial decline in the rate of preprocedural P2Y12 inhibitor administration during the study. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in outcomes between patients treated with preprocedural P2Y12 inhibitors and those who were not.

Clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention in patients turned down for surgical revascularization.

OBJECTIVES: We examined clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients turned down for surgical revascularization across a broad population. BACKGROUND: Prior studies suggest that surgical ineligibility is associated with increased mortality in patients with unprotected left main or multivessel coronary artery disease undergoing PCI. METHODS: This study included consecutive patients who underwent PCI in a multicenter registry in Michigan from January 2010 to December 2014. Surgical ineligibility required documentation indicating that a cardiac surgeon deemed the patient ineligible for surgery. In-hospital outcomes included mortality (primary outcome), cardiogenic shock, cerebrovascular accident, contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), and a new requirement for dialysis (NRD). RESULTS: Of 99,370 patients at 33 hospitals with on-site surgical backup, 1,922 (1.9%) were surgically ineligible. The rate of ineligibility did not vary by hospital (range: 1.5-2.5%; P = 0.79). Overall, there were no major differences in baseline characteristics or outcomes between surgically ineligible patients and the rest (i.e., nonineligible patients): mortality (0.52% vs. 0.52%; P > 0.5), cardiogenic shock (0.68% vs. 0.73%; P > 0.5), cerebrovascular accident (0.05% vs. 0.19%; P = 0.28), NRD (0.16% vs. 0.19%; P > 0.5), CIN (2.7% vs. 2.3%; P = 0.27). Among 1,074 patients who underwent unprotected left main PCI, 20 (1.9%) were surgically ineligible and experienced increased rates of mortality (20.0% vs. 5.3%; P = 0.022; adjusted OR = 7.38; P < 0.001) and other complications as compared to the remainder. CONCLUSIONS: PCI in a broad population of surgically ineligible patients is generally safe. However, among patients who underwent unprotected left main PCI, those deemed surgically ineligible experienced significantly worse outcomes as compared to the rest. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Contemporary Use of Ticagrelor in Interventional Practice (from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium).

Ticagrelor has greater antiplatelet activity than clopidogrel and is approved for use in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). There are limited data on use of ticagrelor in real-world practice. We assessed ticagrelor use in 64,600 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention from January 2012 to March 2014 at 47 Michigan hospitals in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium. Preprocedural risk of major adverse events was estimated with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium risk prediction models. The proportion of patients receiving clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor was 72% (n = 46,864), 20% (n = 12,596), and 8% (n = 5,140), respectively, using ticagrelor increasing over time. Ticagrelor was used at 45 hospitals, ranging from 0.5% to 64.9% of discharges. Patients receiving ticagrelor were older (63.6 vs 59.4), more often women (32.9% vs 26.7%), and were more likely to present with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (24.4% vs 18.8%), cardiogenic shock within 24 hours (1.3% vs 0.9%), and anginal class IV (47.8% vs 43.0%) (p <0.05). Compared with prasugrel, ticagrelor was prescribed in patients with a higher predicted risk of percutaneous coronary intervention complications: contrast nephropathy (2.5% vs 1.6%), transfusion (2.2% vs 1.4%), and death (1.2% vs 0.7%) (p <0.001); >10% of patients were given prasugrel or ticagrelor for a non-ACS indication. Ticagrelor is prescribed to a higher risk population, and 1 in 10 patients prescribed ticagrelor or prasugrel did not have ACS.

Use of a heart team in decision-making for patients with complex coronary disease at hospitals in Michigan prior to guideline endorsement.

BACKGROUND: Revascularization decisions can profoundly impact patient survival, quality of life, and procedural risk. Although use of Heart Teams to make revascularization decisions is growing, data on their implementation in the real-world are limited. Our objective was to assess the prevalence of Heart Teams and their association with collaboration in routine practice. METHODS: A survey of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons at 31 hospitals in Michigan was performed in May, 2011--prior to the recommendation for using Heart Teams in national guidelines. This survey included all percutaneous coronary intervention-performing hospitals in Michigan participating in the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium and Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Quality Collaborative. It targeted both the use of Heart Teams and multidisciplinary Case Conferences. RESULTS: There were 53 physician survey respondents from 27 hospitals with 4 hospitals not responding. Among respondents, 11 (40.7%) hospitals reported no Heart Teams or Case Conferences while 7 (25.9%) hospitals reported either a Heart Team or Case Conference. However, there was disagreement about the presence of a Heart Team at seven hospitals, and about Case Conferences at nine hospitals. Hospitals with definite Heart Teams reported significantly greater levels of collaboration between cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. CONCLUSION: The overall presence of Heart Teams prior to their recommendation in national guidelines was limited. Even among hospitals with a potential Heart Team, there was substantial disagreement between respondents about their presence. Further refinement of the definition of a Heart Team and measures of successful implementation are needed.

The association between contrast dose and renal complications post PCI across the continuum of procedural estimated risk.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have proposed to restrict the contrast volume (CV) to <3x calculated creatinine clearance (CCC), to prevent contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) post percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). The predictive value of this algorithm for CIN and therefore the benefit of this approach in high risk patients has been questioned. The aim of our study was to assess the association between contrast dose and the occurrence of CIN in patients at varying predicted risks of CIN and baseline CCC following contemporary PCI. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing PCI between 2010-2012 were included. Baseline risk of CIN was calculated using a previously validated risk tool. High contrast dose was defined as CV/CCC >3. Likelihood ratio tests were used to evaluate whether the effect of a high contrast dose on the risk of CIN and nephropathy requiring dialysis (NRD) varied across the spectrum of baseline predicted risk. RESULTS: Of the 82,120 PCI included in our analysis, 25% were performed using a high contrast dose. Patients treated with a high compared with a low contrast dose were at increased risks of CIN and NRD, throughout the entire range of baseline predicted risk and CCC in our population. The effect size of a high contrast dose on risks of both outcomes varied significantly with baseline predicted CIN risk and CCC (CIN p = 0.004, NRD p<0.001 for adding interactions), and was largest for patients with predicted CIN risk <10% and pre-existing chronic kidney disease. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a high contrast dose is associated with increased risks of CIN and NRD across the continuum of baseline predicted risk and CCC. Efforts to reduce contrast dose may therefore be effective in preventing renal complications in all patients undergoing PCI.

Outcome of percutaneous coronary intervention following recent surgery.

Outcome data regarding postoperative acute coronary syndrome treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are limited. The objective of this study was to determine clinical outcomes of patients undergoing PCI within 7 days after a surgical procedure. We assessed outcomes of 517 patients who underwent PCI within 7 days after a surgery across 44 hospitals from January 2010 to December 2011 from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium registry. Patients with postoperative PCI were compared with all other patients with PCI using propensity-matched analysis. Of the 65,175 patients who underwent PCI within the study period, 517 patients had undergone surgery within the previous 7 days. In unadjusted analysis, patients with postsurgical PCI had higher in-hospital mortality (6.96% vs 1.33%), stroke (0.96% vs 0.26%), bleeding events (6.96% vs 2.6%), heart failure (6.96% vs 2.36%), and cardiogenic shock (7.16% vs 1.95%). After propensity matching, mortality remained higher in postsurgical patients (6.5% vs 3.96%, odds ratio 1.7 [1.1 to 2.6], p = 0.02). The odds of mortality were especially high among patients who would otherwise be considered low risk (<1% of predicted mortality in a nonsurgical setting) in whom a recent surgery was strongly associated with death (odds ratio 5.7, p = 0.02). In conclusion, PCI performed within 7 days after a surgical procedure is associated with an increased risk of early mortality. Although some of this increased risk is related to an adverse clinical profile, higher mortality is also observed in patients otherwise considered low risk for PCI.

The clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention performed without pre-procedural aspirin.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence and outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performed in patients who had not received pre-procedural aspirin. BACKGROUND: Aspirin is an essential component of peri-PCI pharmacotherapy. Previous studies suggest that pre-procedural aspirin is not administered to a clinically significant number of patients undergoing PCI. METHODS: We evaluated the incidence of PCIs performed without pre-procedural aspirin use among patients undergoing PCI from January 2010 through December 2011 at 44 hospitals in Michigan. Propensity-matched multivariate analysis was used to adjust for the nonrandom use of aspirin. RESULTS: Our study population comprised 65,175 patients, of whom 4,640 (7.1%) did not receive aspirin within 24 h before undergoing PCI. Aspirin nonreceivers were more likely to have had previous gastrointestinal bleeding or to present with cardiogenic shock or after cardiac arrest. In the propensity-matched analysis, absence of aspirin before PCI was associated with a higher rate of death (3.9% vs. 2.8%; odds ratio: 1.89 [95% confidence interval: 1.32 to 2.71], p < 0.001) and stroke (0.5% vs. 0.1%; odds ratio: 4.24 [95% confidence interval: 1.49 to 12.11], p = 0.007) with no difference in need for transfusions. This association was consistent across multiple pre-specified subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of patients do not receive aspirin before undergoing PCI. Lack of aspirin before PCI was associated with significantly increased in-hospital mortality and stroke. Our study results support the need for quality efforts focused on optimizing aspirin use before PCI.

A novel tool for reliable and accurate prediction of renal complications in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to develop and validate a tool for predicting risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients undergoing contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: CIN is a common complication of PCI and is associated with adverse short- and long-term outcomes. Previously described risk scores for predicting CIN either have modest discrimination or include procedural variables and thus cannot be applied for pre-procedural risk stratification. METHODS: Random forest models were developed using 46 pre-procedural clinical and laboratory variables to estimate the risk of CIN in patients undergoing PCI. The 15 most influential variables were selected for inclusion in a reduced model. Model performance estimating risk of CIN and new requirement for dialysis (NRD) was evaluated in an independent validation data set using area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), with net reclassification improvement used to compare full and reduced model CIN prediction after grouping in low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories. RESULTS: Our study cohort comprised 68,573 PCI procedures performed at 46 hospitals between January 2010 and June 2012 in Michigan, of which 48,001 (70%) were randomly selected for training the models and 20,572 (30%) for validation. The models demonstrated excellent calibration and discrimination for both endpoints (CIN AUC for full model 0.85 and for reduced model 0.84, p for difference <0.01; NRD AUC for both models 0.88, p for difference = 0.82; net reclassification improvement for CIN 2.92%, p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of CIN and NRD among patients undergoing PCI can be reliably calculated using a novel easy-to-use computational tool (https://bmc2.org/calculators/cin). This risk prediction algorithm may prove useful for both bedside clinical decision making and risk adjustment for assessment of quality.