RESUMEN
Background The nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) are a readily available hematological parameter with potential for risk stratification for mortality. Therefore, our objective was to assess the predictive significance of NRBCs for ICU mortality among ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients admitted to an ICU. Additionally, we aimed to compare the predictive capacity of NRBCs with that of the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score and the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. Methodology This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the ICU of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Karachi, Pakistan, from the 1st of February to the 30th of June, 2023. We included adult patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with STEMI who were subsequently admitted to the ICU. NRBCs were assessed in all patients over up to five days at 24-hour intervals, and the highest NRBC levels were used for the final analysis. Furthermore, the APACHE II score and the SOFA score were also documented. Patients were monitored throughout their ICU stay, and any adverse events or complications, such as re-intubation, bleeding necessitating transfusion, requirement for renal replacement therapy, arrhythmias, re-infarction, and mortality, were recorded. Results This study included 151 patients, of whom 97 (64.2%) were male, with an average age of 61.1 ± 10.7 years. Patients with positive NRBCs had higher mean SOFA scores (7.4 ± 2.9 vs. 5.4 ± 2.6; p < 0.001) and APACHE II scores (14.6 ± 6.3 vs. 12.6 ± 5.5; p = 0.037) compared to those with negative NRBCs. The culprit vessel showed greater mean stenosis (%) in patients with positive NRBCs (98.8 ± 3.0% vs. 96.8 ± 5.7%; p = 0.004). Post-procedure thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade III was lower in patients with positive NRBCs (77.8% vs. 91.8% for positive vs. negative NRBCs, respectively). Moreover, patients with positive NRBCs experienced significantly higher mortality rates (63% vs. 8.2%; p < 0.001), a higher occurrence of arrhythmias (35.2% vs. 19.6%; p = 0.034), and an increased requirement for vasopressors/inotropic support (96.3% vs. 71.1%; p < 0.001) compared to those with negative NRBCs. NRBCs demonstrated superior discriminatory ability compared to the SOFA and APACHE II scores, with an area under the curve of 0.818 (95% CI: 0.738-0.899) for NRBCs, 0.774 (95% CI: 0.692-0.857) for SOFA, and 0.707 (95% CI: 0.613-0.801) for APACHE II. Positive NRBCs exhibited a sensitivity of 81.0% and a specificity of 81.7% in predicting ICU mortality. Conclusion In conclusion, positive NRBCs emerge as a robust and reliable prognostic indicator, strongly associated with an elevated risk of ICU mortality in STEMI patients. Moreover, the predictive power of positive NRBCs surpasses that of both SOFA and APACHE II scoring systems.
RESUMEN
Background Prodromal symptoms are warning signs of an impending acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, they are often overlooked by both patients and primary clinicians, and little is known about them. Therefore, this study aims to assess the frequency and types of prodromal symptoms in patients with AMI. Methodology This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care cardiac center. Consecutive patients diagnosed with AMI within the last week were evaluated for prodromal symptoms. The prodromal symptoms included chest pain, chest heaviness, chest burning, palpitations, fatigue, sleep disturbance, shortness of breath (SOB), dizziness, anxiety, sudden heat or cold, back pain, and vomiting. Results In a sample of 242 patients, 79.6% were males, with a mean age of 54.7 ± 12.2 years, and 179 (74%) were diagnosed with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Among the participants, 142 (58.7%) showed no prodromal symptoms. Among those with prodromal symptoms, chest pain was the predominantly reported prodromal symptom with a frequency of 68%, followed by chest heaviness at 44%, palpitations at 42%, shortness of breath at 34%, and chest burning at 27%. Unusual fatigue in 23% and sleep disturbance in 22% of the patients were also reported. Conclusion The findings from this study revealed that prodromal symptoms were present in a significant proportion of acute myocardial infarction (MI) cases, with more than four in 10 patients reporting these early warning signs. The most commonly observed prodromal symptoms were chest pain, chest heaviness, palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest burning. The timely identification of these symptoms can help prevent infarction, thereby reducing the burden of heart failure and other related mortalities.