A combination of left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral and lung ultrasound to predict mortality in ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Development of ventricular failure and pulmonary edema is associated with a worse prognosis in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aimed to evaluate the prognostic ability of a novel classification combining lung ultrasound (LUS) and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) velocity time integral (VTI) in patients with STEMI. LUS and LVOT-VTI were performed within 24 h of admission in STEMI patients. A LUS combined with LVOT-VTI (LUV) classification was developed based on LUS with < or ≥ 3 positive zone scans, combined with LVOT-VTI > or ≤ 14. Patients were classified as A (< 3zones/ > 14 cm VTI), B (≥ 3zones/ > 14 cm VTI), C (< 3zones/ ≤ 14 cm VTI) and D (≥ 3zones/ ≤ 14 cm VTI). Primary outcome was occurrence of in-hospital mortality. Development of cardiogenic shock (CS) within 24 h was also assessed. A total of 308 patients were included. Overall in-hospital mortality was 8.8%, while mortality for LUV A, B, C, and D was 0%, 3%, 12%, and 45%, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) for predicting in-hospital mortality was 0.915. Moreover, after exclusion of patients admitted in Killip IV, at each increasing degree of LUV, a higher proportion of patients developed CS within 24 h: LUV A = 0.0%, LUV B 5%, LUV C = 12.5% and LUV D = 30.8% (p < 0.0001). The AUC for predicting CS was 0.908 (p < 0.001). In a cohort of STEMI patients, LUV provided to be an excellent method for prediction of in-hospital mortality and development of CS. LUV classification is a fast, non-invasive and very user-friendly ultrasonographic evaluation method to stratify the risk of mortality and CS.

Evaluation of Success and Complications Scores for Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Insights from the Latin American Registry.

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention is a complex procedure and is associated with considerable risk of complications. Several success and complication scores have been developed; however, data regarding their external validation in other populations such as Latin America are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the main predictors of success and complications in a broad cohort of procedures in the Latin American (LATAM) CTO registry. From April 2008 to December 2023, 3,706 consecutive procedures listed in the LATAM CTO registry were screened. Of these, 2,835 procedures had sufficient information to analyze the Multicenter CTO Registry in Japan (J-CTO); Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention (PROGRESS); Ostial location, Rentrop grade, and Age (ORA); Clinical and Lesion-related Score (CL-score); and EuroCTO Score (CASTLE) success scores. The complication scores were PROGRESS (MACE, mortality, and pericardiocentesis) and Outcomes, Patient health status, and Efficiency iN Chronic Total Occlusion hybrid procedures (OPEN-CTO),OPEN-CLEAN. The J-CTO and CASTLE scores demonstrated the highest areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.718 and 0.703, respectively. The AUC value for the CL-score was 0.685, whereas the PROGRESS score had an AUC of 0.598 and the ORA AUC was 0.545. The level of agreement between scores was low; only 4% of the procedures were classified as difficult or very difficult by all scores and <1% were classified as easy by all 5 scores. Of the complication scores, PROGRESS mortality (AUC 0.651) and PROGRESS MACE (AUC 0.588) showed the best performance, identifying groups with >10% event rate. These results may improve the selection of revascularization techniques, especially for patient demographics that are historically underrepresented in CTO research.

Clinical outcomes with biodegradable versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) built with either durable (DP) or biodegradable (BP) polymeric coatings have been largely tested and are extensively available for routine use. However, their comparative performance remains an open question, particularly in more complex subsets of patients. AIMS: We evaluated the outcomes of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) using DP-DES versus BP-DES in a large multicenter real-world registry. METHODS: The population comprised patients with STEMI treated with pPCI within 12 h of symptoms onset. Those treated with more than one DES who received different polymer types were excluded. The final cohort for analysis was selected after propensity score matching (PSM), computed to generate similar groups of DP DES versus BP DES. Primary endpoint was the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as the composite of total death, myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization at 2 years. RESULTS: From January 2017 to April 2022, a total of 1527 STEMI patients underwent pPCI with a single DES type (587 DP-DES; 940 BP-DES). After PSM, 836 patients (418 patients in the DP-DES and 418 patients in the BP-DES groups), comprised the final study population. Both study groups had a similar baseline profile. Patients treated with BP-DES group had similar rates of MACE (15.3 % vs. 19.4 %, HR 0.69, 95 % CI 0.50-0.94, p = 0.022). Rates of target lesion revascularization was lower in BP DES group (0.7 % vs. 3.8 %, HR 0.17, 95 % CI 0.05-0.51, p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: In a cohort of STEMI patients submitted to pPCI, BP and DP DES had similar rates of the primary outcome. Patients treated with BP DES, however, had a decreased incidence of TLR at after 2-year follow-up.

Characteristics of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction during the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak

Abstract Background The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has led to radical transformation in social, economic, and healthcare systems. This may lead to profound indirect consequences on clinical presentation and management of patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Objectives The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI), in two tertiary reference hospitals during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and compare them with patients admitted in the previous year. Methods We analyzed data from a multicenter STEMI registry from reference centers in the South Region of Brazil from March 2019 to May 2021. The beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak was considered to be March 2020 and compared to the same period in 2019. Only patients with STEMI submitted to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included in the analysis. Mortality rates were compared with chi-square test. All hypothesis tests had a two-sided significance level of 5%. Results A total of 1169 patients admitted with STEMI were enrolled in our registry, 635 of whom were admitted during the pandemic period. The mean age of our sample was 61.6 (± 12.4) years, and 66.7% of patients were male. Pain-to-door time and door-to-balloon time were longer during the pandemic period. However, there was no difference in mortality rates or major adverse cardiovascular outcomes (MACE). Conclusions We observed a stable incidence of STEMI cases in our registry during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak with higher pain-to-door time and door-to-balloon time, without any influence on mortality rates however.

Pre-percutaneous coronary intervention sudden cardiac arrest in ST-elevation myocardial infarction: Incidence, predictors, and related outcomes.

Background: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a frequent cause of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with increased survival. Despite constant improvements in SCA management, survival remains poor. We aimed to assess pre-PCI SCA incidence and related outcomes in patients admitted with STEMI. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of patients admitted with STEMI in a tertiary university hospital over 11 years. All patients were submitted to emergency coronary angiography. Baseline characteristics, details of the procedure, reperfusion strategies, and adverse outcomes were assessed. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was 1-year mortality after hospital discharge. Predictors of pre-PCI SCA was also assessed. Results: During the study period 1,493 patients were included; the mean age was 61.1 years (±12), and 65.3% were male. Pre-PCI SCA was present in 133 (8.9%) patients. In-hospital mortality was higher in the pre-PCI SCA group (36.8% vs. 8.8%, p < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, anterior MI, cardiogenic shock, age, pre-PCI SCA and lower ejection fraction remained significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. When we analyzed the interaction between pre-PCI SCA and cardiogenic shock upon admission there is a further increase in mortality risk when both conditions are present. For predictors of pre-PCI SCA, only younger age and cardiogenic shock remained significantly associated after multivariate analysis. Overall 1-year mortality rates were similar between pre-PCI SCA survivors and non-pre-PCI SCA group. Conclusion: In a cohort of consecutive patients admitted with STEMI, pre-PCI SCA was associated with higher in-hospital mortality, and its association with cardiogenic shock further increases mortality risk. However, long-term mortality among pre-PCI SCA survivors was similar to non-SCA patients. Understanding characteristics associated with pre-PCI SCA may help to prevent and improve the management of STEMI patients.

Increased serum IL-6 is predictive of long-term cardiovascular events in high-risk patients submitted to coronary angiography: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an inflammation-related cytokine associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular events. In a previous study, we demonstrated that increased IL-6 was predictive of sub-clinical atherosclerotic coronary disease in intermediate-risk patients undergoing coronary angiography. In the present study, we investigated whether increased serum IL-6 is predictive of cardiovascular events in high-risk patients. METHODS: In this observational study, consecutive patients referred for elective coronary angiography due to stable chest pain/myocardial ischemia had IL-6 measured immediately before the procedure. Long-term follow-up was performed by phone call or e-mail, and their clinical registries were revised. The primary outcome was a composite of new myocardial infarction, new ischemic stroke, hospitalization due to heart failure, new coronary revascularization, cardiovascular death, and death due to all causes. RESULTS: From 141 patients submitted to coronary angiography and IL-6 analysis, 100 had complete follow-up data for a mean of 5.7 years. The median age was 61.1 years, 44% were men, and 61% had type-2 diabetes. The median overall time-to-event for the primary outcome was 297 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI] 266.95-327.16). A receiver operator characteristic curve defined the best cut-off value of baseline serum IL-6 (0.44 pg/mL) with sensitivity (84.37%) and specificity (38.24%) to define two groups. High (> 0.44 pg/mL) IL-6 levels were predictive of cardiovascular events. (p for interaction = 0.015) (hazard ratio = 2.81; 95% CI 1.38-5.72, p = 0.01). Subgroup analysis did not find interactions between patients with or without diabetes, obesity, or hypertension. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, an interleukin-6 level higher than 0.44 pg/mL, obtained just before elective coronary angiography, was associated with a poorer prognosis after a mean of 5,7-year. A pre-procedure IL-6 below 0.44 pg/mL, on the other hand, has a very good negative predictive value, suggesting a good prognosis, and may be useful to better indicate coronary angiography in high-risk patients. .

Valor prognóstico da amplitude de distribuição das hemácias em pacientes com infarto agudo do miocárdio com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST submetidos à intervenção coronariana percutânea / Prognostic value of red cell distribution width in ST-segment elevation myocardium infarction patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Objetivo: Determinar os valores da amplitude de distribuição das hemácias em pacientes com infarto agudo do miocárdio com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST submetidos à intervenção coronária percutânea primária e avaliar sua associação com resultados adversos. Métodos: Os níveis de amplitude de distribuição das hemácias foram medidos em pacientes com infarto agudo do miocárdio com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST antes da intervenção coronária percutânea primária e divididos conforme valor das amplitudes de distribuição das hemácias. Após a alta hospitalar, os pacientes foram acompanhados por até 3 anos para a ocorrência de eventos cardiovasculares adversos maiores e mortalidade a longo prazo. Resultados: Foram incluídos 893 pacientes com idade média de 60,7 (±12,5) anos, e 66,3% eram do sexo masculino. Na análise multivariada, a hemácia permaneceu como preditor independente de mortalidade a longo prazo. A área sob a curva para mortalidade a longo prazo foi de 0,64 (IC95% 0,61-0,67; p<0,0001). Amplitudes de distribuição das hemácias <13,3 tiveram valor preditivo negativo de 87,1% para mortalidade por todas as causas. Conclusão: Um valor elevado de amplitude de distribuição das hemácias é um preditor independente de mortalidade a longo prazo e eventos cardiovasculares adversos maiores em pacientes com infarto agudo do miocárdio com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST submetidos à intervenção coronária percutânea primária. Amplitudes de distribuição das hemácias baixas têm baixo tem um excelente valor preditivo negativo para mortalidade a longo prazo. (AU)

Objective: To determine red cell distribution width values in ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention and to evaluate its association with adverse outcomes. Methods: Red cell distribution width levels were measured in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients before primary percutaneous coronary intervention and divided into low and high red cell distribution width. After discharge, patients were followed for up to 3 years for the occurrence of long-term major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality. Results: A total of 893 patientes were with a mean age of 60.7 (±12.5) years, 66.3% were male. In multivariate analysis, the red cell distribution width remained as an independent predictor of long-term mortality. The area under the curve for long-term mortality was 0.64 (95%CI0.61-0.67; p<0.0001). Red cell distribution width<13.3 had a negative predictive value of 87.1% for all-cause mortality. Conclusion: High number of red cell distribution width is an independent predictor of long-term mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. A low number of red cell distribution width has an excellent negative predictive value for long-term mortality. Patients with sustained elevated levels of red cell distribution width have worse outcomes at long-term follow-up. (AU)

Inter-observer variation of Syntax score among cardiac surgeons, clinical and interventional cardiologists.

BACKGROUND: Despite the complexity of SYNTAX score (SS), guidelines recommend this tool to help choosing between coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with left main of three-vessel coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to compare the inter-observer variation in SS performed by clinical cardiologists (CC), interventional cardiologists (IC), and cardiac surgeons (CS). METHODS: Seven coronary angiographies from patients with left main and/or three-vessel disease chosen by a heart team were analyzed by 10 CC, 10 IC and 10 CS. SS was calculated via SYNTAX website. RESULTS: Kappa concordance was very low between CC and CS (k = 0.176), moderate between CS and IC (k = 0.563), and moderate between CC and IC (0.553). There was a statistically significant difference between CC, who classified more cases as low complexity (70%), and CS, who classified more cases as moderate complexity (80%) (p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: Concordance between SS analyzed by CC, CS and IC is low. The usefulness of SS in decision-making of revascularization strategy is undeniable and evidence supports its use. However, this study highlights the importance of well-trained professionals on calculating the SS. It could avoid misclassification of borderline cases.

Ultrasound-guided antecubital vein approach for right heart catheterisation in a Brazilian tertiary centre.

Objective: As a parallel to the radial approach for left heart catheterisation, forearm veins may be considered for the performance of right heart catheterisation. However, data regarding the application of this technique under ultrasound guidance are scarce. The current study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of right heart catheterisation through ultrasound-guided antecubital venous approach in the highly heterogeneous population usually referred for right heart catheterisation. Methods: Data from consecutive right heart catheterisations performed at an academic centre in Brazil, between January 2016 and March 2017 were prospectively collected. Results: Among 152 performed right heart catheterisations, ultrasound-guided antecubital venous approach was attempted in 127 (84%) cases and it was made feasible in 92.1% of those. Yet, there was no immediate vascular complication with the antecubital venous approach in this prospective series. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided antecubital venous approach for the performance of right heart catheterisation was feasible in the vast majority of cases in our study, without occurrence of vascular complications.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Perfusional Computed Tomography in Moderate Coronary Stenosis: Comparison With Fractional Flow Reserve.

Coronary computed tomography with myocardial perfusion imaging (CCTA-MPI) provides data on coronary anatomy and perfusion and may be useful in the assessment of ischemic coronary artery disease (CAD). Management of angiographically intermediate coronary lesions is challenging, and coronary fractional flow reserve (FFR) evaluation is recommended to assess whether these lesions are functionally significant. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA-MPI in patients with stable CAD and at least 1 angiographically intermediate coronary lesion submitted to FFR. In this single-center prospective study, patients with stable CAD and at least 1 moderate coronary stenosis (50%-70% by visual estimation) were referred for CCTA-MPI (64-row multidetector) assessment before coronary FFR evaluation. Patients with severe coronary obstructions (≥70%) were excluded. The significance level adopted for all tests was 5%. Twenty-eight patients (mean age 60 ± SD years, 54% women) with 33 intermediate coronary obstructions were enrolled. Ten patients (30%) had functionally significant coronary obstructions characterized by FFR ≤0.8. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CCTA-MPI for the detection of functionally significant coronary obstructions were 30%, 100%, and 78.8%, respectively. CCTA-MPI positive predictive value was 100%, whereas negative predictive value was 76.7%. Correlation coefficient between tests was 0.48 (P = 0.005). On a novel approach to evaluate intermediate coronary lesions, accuracy of CCTA-MPI was 78.8%. The positive predictive value of an abnormal CCTA-MPI on this population was 100%, suggesting that CCTA-MPI may have a role in the assessment of patients with anatomically identified intermediate coronary lesions.

Long-term Pattern of Red Cell Distribution Width in Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Red cell distribution width (RDW) is an indirect marker of inflammation and an independent predictor of long-term mortality. The aim of this study was to determine RDW values in patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) submitted to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and evaluate its association with adverse outcomes. We measured RDW in STEMI patients before undergoing primary PCI and divided into low and high RDW. Patients were followed up to 3 years after their discharge for the occurrence of in-hospital, 30-days, and long-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and mortality. We included 485 patients with a mean age of 61.1(±12.5) years, 62.9% were male. In multivariate analysis, RDW remained independent predictor of long-term mortality and MACE [relative risk (RR) 1.51; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.11-2.05; P = 0.007 and RR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.30-1.82; P = 0.004. Area under the curve for long-term mortality was 0.65 (95% CI = 0.61-0.69; P < 0.0001). RDW < 13.4 had a negative predictive value of 87.4% for all-cause mortality. Patients who had worse outcomes remained with higher values of RDW during the follow-up. In conclusion, high RDW is an independent predictor of long-term mortality and MACE in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. A low RDW has an excellent negative predictive value for long-term mortality. Patients with sustained elevated levels of RDW have worse outcomes at long-term follow-up.

An overview of care change in the last 6 year in primary PCI in ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a Tertiary University Brazilian Hospital / Panorama da mudança do cuidado nos últimos 6 anos na ICP primária em infarto agudo do miocárdio com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST em hospital universitário de nível terciário

Background: Although new studies and guidelines can be considered useful tools, it does not necessarily mean they are put into clinical practice. Objective: The aim of the current analysis was to assess the changes in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and mortality in a tertiary university hospital in southern Brazil during a six-year period .Methods: We have included consecutive patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary PCI between March 2011 and February 2017. Previous clinical history, characteristics of the procedure, and reperfusion strategies were collected. In-hospital, short and long-term mortalities were also evaluated. The significance level adopted for all tests was 5%. Results: There was an increase in the use of radial access in patients from 20.0% in 2011 to 62.7% in 2016 (ptrend < 0.0001). Moreover, thrombus aspiration decreased significantly from 66.7% in 2011 to less than 3.0% in 2016 (ptrend < 0.0001). In-hospital, short and long-term mortalities remained reasonably stable from 2011 to 2016 (ptrend > 0.05). However, a lower in-hospital mortality was observed in patients treated through radial access (p < 0.001). Cardiogenic shock occurred in 11.1%, without statistical differences in the period (ptrend = 0.39), while long-term mortality rate decreased from 80.0% in 2011 to 27.3% in 2016 in this patient group (ptrend = 0.29). Conclusions: During a 6-year follow-up period, primary PCI characteristics underwent important modifications. Radial access became widely used, with a decrease in mortality with the use of this route, while aspiration thrombectomy became a rare procedure. The incidence of cardiogenic shock remained stable, but has shown a reduction in its mortality

Comparison of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and mean platelet volume in the prediction of adverse events after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) are indirect inflammatory markers. There is some evidence that both are associated with worse outcomes in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of the present study was to compare the capacity of NLR and MPV to predict adverse events after primary PCI. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, 625 consecutive patients with STEMI, who underwent primary PCI, were followed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) for the occurrence of procedural complications, mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). RESULTS: Mean age was 60.7 (±12.1) years, 67.5% were male. The median of NLR was 6.17 (3.8-9.4) and MPV was 10.7 (10.0-11.3). In multivariate analysis, both NLR and MPV remained independent predictors of no-reflow (relative risk [RR] = 2.26; 95%confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.16-4.32; p = 0.01 and RR = 2.68; 95%CI = 1.40-5.10; p < 0.01, respectively), but only NLR remained an independent predictor of in-hospital MACE (RR = 1.01; 95%CI = 1.00-1.06; p = 0.02). The AUC for in-hospital MACE was 0.57 for NLR (95%CI = 0.53-0.60; p = 0.03) and 0.56 for MPV (95%CI = 0.52-0.60; p = 0.07). However, when AUC were compared with DeLong test, there was no statistically significant difference for these outcomes (p > 0.05). NLR had an excellent negative predictive value (NPV) of 96.7 for no-reflow and 89.0 for in-hospital MACE. CONCLUSIONS: Despite no difference in the ROC curve comparison with MPV, only NLR remained an independent predictor for in-hospital MACE. A low NLR has an excellent NPV for no-reflow and in-hospital MACE, and this could be of clinical relevance in the management of low-risk patients.