Early risk stratification of patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention.

The mortality rate of patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction remains exceedingly high despite early mechanical revascularization. Early risk stratification is of great importance to identify patients who could benefit from ventricular assist devices and urgent heart transplantation (UHT). All consecutive patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction admitted from June 2001 to December 2007 were prospectively included. Clinical, hemodynamic, and echocardiographic variables were registered on admission and patients were followed for a median of 297 days. A total of 74 patients were included. One-year mortality was 55% and 7 patients (9%) underwent UHT. One-year mortality or need for UHT for patients with postprocedural Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade 3, 2, and 0 or 1 flows were 38%, 92%, and 90%, respectively (p <0.001). After adjustment by multivariate analysis, the most important predictors of mortality or need for UHT were age >75 years (hazard ratio [HR] 3.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07 to 11.80), left main coronary artery occlusion (HR 3.75, 95% CI 1.09 to 12.84), left ventricular ejection fraction <25% (HR 2.70, 95% CI 1.17 to 6.22), and postprocedural TIMI grade <3 flow (HR 3.37, 95% CI 1.48 to 7.72). A simple risk score constructed with these 4 variables effectively predicted 1-year survival without the need for UHT (83% for score 0, 19% for score 1, and 6% for score 2, p <0.001). In conclusion, age >75 years, left main coronary artery occlusion, left ventricular ejection fraction <25%, and postprocedural TIMI grade <3 flow were significantly associated with worse prognosis. A simple risk score rapidly available in the catheterization laboratory can efficiently estimate prognosis.

New insights in the management of cardiogenic shock complicating myocardial infarction: role of urgent heart transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the role of heart transplantation (HTx) in the management of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by refractory cardiogenic shock despite percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The primary end-point of the study was mortality at the 1-year follow-up. METHODS: Between January 2001 and December 2005, 74 consecutive patients with acute MI complicated with cardiogenic shock were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty-nine patients did not have a contraindication for HTx and qualified for the study (age < 65 years, no comorbidities). RESULTS: Urgent HTx was performed in 10 patients. The remaining 29 patients served as controls. The HTx vs no HTx groups were well balanced in age (50 vs 53 years), proportion of multivessel disease (30% vs 10%), cardiac index (2.2 vs 2.4 liters/min/m(2)), and left ventricular ejection fraction (23% vs 25%). Mortality rates were significantly lower in the HTx group, both in the hospital (10% vs 45%, p < 0.03) and at 1 year (10% vs 52%, p < 0.03). Survival at 1 year among patients alive at hospital discharge was 100% in the HTx group vs 94% in the no HTx group. CONCLUSIONS: Urgent HTx dramatically improves survival of acute MI patients presenting with refractory cardiogenic shock despite early PCI. Therefore, this approach--wherever feasible--needs to be considered in the management of this particular subset of patients.