Intravascular ultrasound-guided versus angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention in acute coronary syndromes (IVUS-ACS): a two-stage, multicentre, randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous coronary intervention has been shown to result in superior clinical outcomes compared with angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention. However, insufficient data are available concerning the advantages of intravascular ultrasound guidance for patients with an acute coronary syndrome. This trial aimed to investigate whether the use of intravascular ultrasound guidance, as compared with angiography guidance, improves the outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention with contemporary drug-eluting stents in patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: In this two-stage, multicentre, randomised trial, patients aged 18 years or older and presenting with an acute coronary syndrome at 58 centres in China, Italy, Pakistan, and the UK were randomly assigned to intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous coronary intervention or angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients, follow-up health-care providers, and assessors were masked to random assignment; however, staff in the catheterisation laboratory were not. The primary endpoint was target vessel failure, a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target vessel revascularisation at 1 year after randomisation. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03971500, and is completed. FINDINGS: Between Aug 20, 2019 and Oct 27, 2022, 3505 patients with an acute coronary syndrome were randomly assigned to intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (n=1753) or angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (n=1752). 1-year follow-up was completed in 3504 (>99·9%) patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 70 patients in the intravascular ultrasound group and 128 patients in the angiography group (Kaplan-Meier rate 4·0% vs 7·3%; hazard ratio 0·55 [95% CI 0·41-0·74]; p=0·0001), driven by reductions in target vessel myocardial infarction or target vessel revascularisation. There were no significant differences in all-cause death or stent thrombosis between groups. Safety endpoints were also similar in the two groups. INTERPRETATION: In patients with an acute coronary syndrome, intravascular ultrasound-guided implantation of contemporary drug-eluting stents resulted in a lower 1-year rate of the composite outcome of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven revascularisation compared with angiography guidance alone. FUNDING: The Chinese Society of Cardiology, the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China, and Jiangsu Provincial & Nanjing Municipal Clinical Trial Project. TRANSLATION: For the Mandarin translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Immediate in-hospital outcomes after percutaneous revascularization of acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock.

BACKGROUND: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a life-threatening complication of acute myocardial infarction with high morbidity and mortality rates. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with CS. AIM: To investigate the immediate mortality rates in patients with CS undergoing primary PCI and identify mortality predictors. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 305 patients with CS who underwent primary PCI at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi, Pakistan, between January 2018 and December 2022. The primary outcome was immediate mortality, defined as mortality within index hospitalization. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of immediate mortality. RESULTS: In a sample of 305 patients with 72.8% male patients and a mean age of 58.1 ± 11.8 years, the immediate mortality rate was found to be 54.8% (167). Multivariable analysis identified Killip class IV at presentation [odds ratio (OR): 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-3.4; P = 0.008], Multivessel disease (OR: 3.5; 95%CI: 1.8-6.9; P < 0.001), and high thrombus burden (OR: 2.6; 95%CI: 1.4-4.9; P = 0.003) as independent predictors of immediate mortality. CONCLUSION: Immediate mortality rate in patients with CS undergoing primary PCI remains high despite advances in treatment strategies. Killip class IV at presentation, multivessel disease, and high thrombus burden (grade ≥ 4) were identified as independent predictors of immediate mortality. These findings underscore the need for aggressive management and close monitoring of patients with CS undergoing primary PCI, particularly in those with these high-risk characteristics.

Unfolding the reality of the smoking paradox in a South Asian cohort of patients presenting with ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: Smoking is a potent risk factor for coronary artery disease, but there is controversy about its protective nature in terms of prognosis in ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. So, the main objective of this study is to unfold this controversy in a South Asian population in terms of clinical angiographic parameters and its in-hospital outcomes. Methods: In this study, we included 1756 consecutive patients diagnosed with ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were classified into smokers and non-smokers, and the in-hospital mortality rate was compared. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the paradoxical role of smoking. Results: Smokers were younger (53.78 ± 11.16 years vs 56.43 ± 11.17 years; p < 0.001) and more frequently men (98.7% vs 69.9%; p < 0.001) and had less diabetes (19.6% vs 44.8%; p < 0.001) and hypertension (38.5% vs 64.9%; p < 0.001). Smokers presented less frequently in Killip III (5.6% vs 8.1%; p < 0.001) and Killip IV (2.5% vs 4.8%; p < 0.001). Smokers mostly had single vessel disease (41.7% vs 34.4%; p = 0.013), whereas non-smokers had the multi-vessel disease and frequently presented with total occlusion of the culprit vessel (64.6% vs 58.8%; p = 0.040). Smokers have significantly lesser mortality (1.8% vs 4.3%; p = 0.009) compared to non-smokers with an odds ratio of 0.41 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21-0.82, p = 0.011); however, adjusted odds ratio on multivariable analysis was 0.67 (95% CI: 0.31-1.41, p = 0.290). Conclusions: The paradoxical protective role of smoking is the confounding effect of mainly younger age, less coronary artery disease burden, lower prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, and lower Killip III/IV at presentation.

Prodromal Symptoms in Patients Presenting With Myocardial Infarction.

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.

Acute hyperglycemia, a rabble-rouser or innocent bystander? A prospective analysis of clinical implications of acute hyperglycemia in STE-ACS patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute hyperglycemia is considered an independent prognosticator of both in-hospital and long-term outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aimed To analyze the incidence of acute hyperglycemia and its impact on the adverse in-hospital outcome in patients with STE-ACS undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: In this study, we enrolled patients presenting with STE-ACS and undergoing primary PCI at a tertiary care cardiac center. Acute hyperglycemia was defined as random plasma glucose (RBS) > 200 mg/dl at the time of presentation to the emergency room. RESULTS: Of the 4470 patients, 78.8% were males, and the mean age was 55.52 ± 11 years. In total, 39.4% (1759) were found to have acute hyperglycemia, and of these, 59% (1037) were already diagnosed with diabetes. Patients with acute hyperglycemia were observed to have a higher incidence of heart failure (8.2% vs. 5.5%; p < 0.001), contrast-induced nephropathy (10.9% vs. 7.4%; p < 0.001), and in-hospital mortality (5.7% vs. 2.5%; p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, acute hyperglycemia was found to be an independent predictor of mortality with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.81 [1.28-2.55]. Multi-vessel disease (1.73 [1.17-2.56]), pre-procedure left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) (1.02 [1.0-1.03]), and Killip class III/IV (4.55 [3.09-6.71]) were found to be the additional independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Acute hyperglycemia, regardless of diabetic status, is an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality among patients with STE-ACS undergoing primary PCI. Acute hyperglycemia, along with other significant predictors such as multi-vessel involvement, LVEDP, and Killip class III/IV, can be considered for the risk stratification of these patients.

Increasing Incidence of ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome in Young South Asian Population, a Challenge for the World? An Assessment of Clinical and Angiographic Patterns and Hospital Course of Premature Acute Myocardial Infarction.

The incidence of premature ischemic heart disease (IHD) is increasing because of urbanization, a sedentary lifestyle, and various other unexplored factors, especially in South Asia. This study aimed to assess the distribution of premature ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (STE-ACS) with its clinical and angiographic pattern along with hospital course in a contemporary cohort of patients who underwent primary percutaneous intervention at a tertiary care center in the South Asian region. We included consecutive patients of either gender diagnosed with STE-ACS and who underwent primary percutaneous intervention. Patients were stratified based on age as ≤40 years (young) and >40 years (old). Clinical characteristics, angiographic patterns, and hospital course were compared between the 2 groups. Of the total of 4,686 patients, 466 (9.9%) were young (≤40 years). Young patients had a lower prevalence of hypertension (40.8% vs 54.5%, p <0.001), diabetes (26.6% vs 36.4%, p <0.001), metabolic syndrome (14.8% vs 24%, p <0.001), history of IHD (5.8% vs 9.3%, p = 0.013) and a higher frequency of smoking (33% vs 24.7%, p <0.001), positive family history (8.2% vs 3.2%, p <0.001), and single-vessel involvement (60.1% vs 33.2%, p <0.001). The composite adverse clinical outcome occurrence was significantly lower in young patients (14.2% vs 19.5%, p = 0.006). On multivariable analysis, history of IHD in young, whereas age, Killip class III/IV, intubated, arrhythmias on arrival, diabetes, history of IHD, pre-procedure left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, ejection fraction <40%, and slow flow/no-reflow during the procedure were found to be the independent predictors of adverse clinical outcome in old patients. In conclusion, we have a substantial burden of premature STE-ACS, mostly in male patients potentially driven by smoking and positive family history. Despite favorable pathophysiology, with mostly single-vessel hospital courses of STE-ACS in the young equally lethal in nature.

Age and gender-based categorization of very premature, premature, and non-premature acute myocardial infarction: A comparison of clinical and angiographic profile and in-hospital outcomes.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to assess and compare the distribution of demographic and clinical characteristics and composite adverse clinical outcomes after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among "very premature", "premature", and "non-premature" patients with "ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (STE-ACS)" presented at a tertiary care center. METHODS: We included consecutive patients diagnosed with STE-ACS undergoing primary PCI. The "very premature" was defined as ≤40 years for males and ≤ 45 years for females, "premature" as <55 years for males and < 65 years for females, and "non-premature" as ≥55 years for males and ≥ 65 years for females. Clinical characteristics, angiographic patterns, and hospital course were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: In a sample of 4686 patients, 78.8%(3691) were male, and the average age was 55.6 ± 11 years. In total, 12%(561) were categorized as very premature, 38.3%(1797) as premature, and 49.7%(2328) as non-premature. The distribution of clinical characteristics in very premature, premature, and non-premature groups were as follows; hypertension in 44.6% vs. 53.5% vs. 54.9%; p < 0.001, diabetes in 30.3% vs. 36.8% vs. 35.5%; p = 0.018, smoking in 29.6% vs. 23.3% vs. 26.3%; p = 0.005, obesity in 19.4% vs. 18.4% vs. 15.3%; p = 0.008, single vessel diseases in 58.8% vs. 37.8% vs. 28.8%; p < 0.001, and composite adverse clinical outcomes in 14.1% vs. 16.7% vs. 21.8%; p < 0.001, respectively. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we have a substantial burden of premature STE-ACS. Very premature STE-ACS was found to be associated with a better prognosis, but a substantial burden of composite adverse clinical outcomes was also observed.

One-year major adverse cardiovascular events among same-day discharged patients after primary percutaneous coronary intervention at a tertiary care cardiac centre in Karachi, Pakistan: a prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge regarding the short-term outcomes after same-day discharge (SDD) post primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is lacking. In this study, we evaluated 1-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among SDD patients after primary PCI. DESIGN: 1-year follow-up analysis of a subset of patients from an existing prospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary care cardiac hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive patients, from August 2019 to July 2020, with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction who had undergone primary PCI with SDD (within 24 hours) after the procedure by the treating physician and with at least one successful follow-up up to 1 year. OUTCOME MEASURE: Cumulative MACE during follow-up at the intervals of 1 week, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year. RESULTS: 489 patients were included, with a gender distribution of 83.2% (407) male patients and a mean age of 54.58±10.85 years. Overall MACE rate during the mean follow-up duration of 326.98±76.71 days was 10.8% (53), out of which 26.4% (14/53) events occurred within 6 months of discharge and the remaining 73.6% (39/53) occurred between 6 months and 1 year. MACE was significantly higher among patients with a Zwolle Risk Score (ZRS) ≥4 at baseline, with an incidence rate of 21.9% (16/73) vs 8.9% (37/416; p=0.001) in patients with ZRS≤3 (relative risk 2.88 (95% CI 1.5 to 5.5)). CONCLUSION: A significant burden of short-term MACE was identified among SDD patients after primary PCI; most of these events occurred after 6 months of SDD, mainly among patients with ZRS≥4. A systematic risk assessment based on risk stratification modalities such ZRS could be a viable option for SDD patients with primary PCI.

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular clinics: Are we ready for telemedicine?

Objective: The need for telemedicine was felt more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted health care worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the difficulties faced by patients in visiting the cardiac outpatient department during COVID-19, along with assessing the awareness and acceptability of telemedicine. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, selected patients presenting to outpatient department of a tertiary care cardiac hospital were interviewed regarding the difficulties faced by patients in visiting the outpatient department during COVID-19 and their awareness and acceptability of telemedicine using a self-designed structured questionnaire. Results: Of the 403 patients, 58.3% were male, the mean age was 53.04 ± 11.73 years, and most (77.7%) were urban residents. Ischemic heart disease was present in 69.5%, followed by hypertension (38.7%) and heart failure (29.3%). A total of 26.6% required emergency room visits. Limited appointments (55.6%) was the most common problem faced by patients during COVID-19, followed by financial issues (17.1%), fear of acquiring infection (13.4%), and limited mobility due to lockdown (22.6%). Only 12.2% were aware of telemedicine, 4.5% had previously used it, and 41.2% were willing to opt for telemedicine in the future. No internet access (39.2%) was the key barrier to the usage of telemedicine, followed by a lack of free medicine (39%) and a lack of a smart device (31.5%). Conclusion: Limited appointments due to COVID-19 restrictions has made it difficult for patients to visit the clinics, which has led to increased emergency room visits. Telemedicine awareness was found to be limited; however, many patients were willing to adopt it provided their limitations could be overcome.

Predilation Ballooning in High Thrombus Laden STEMIs: An Independent Predictor of Slow Flow/No-Reflow in Patients Undergoing Emergent Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization.

Background: Distal embolization due to microthrombus fragments formed during predilation ballooning is considered one of the possible mechanisms of slow flow/no-reflow (SF/NR). Therefore, this study aimed to compare the incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR during the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with high thrombus burden (≥4 grade) with and without predilation ballooning for culprit lesion preparation. Methodology. This prospective descriptive cross-sectional study included patients with a high thrombus burden (≥4 grades) who underwent primary PCI. Propensity-matched cohorts of patients with and without predilation ballooning in a 1 : 1 ratio were compared for the incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR. Results: A total of 765 patients with high thrombus burden undergoing primary PCI were included in this study. The mean age was 55.75 ± 11.54 years, and 78.6% (601) were males. Predilation ballooning was conducted in 346 (45.2%) patients. The incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR was significantly higher (41.3% vs. 27.4%; p < 0.001) in patients with predilation ballooning than in those without preballooning, respectively. The incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR also remained significantly higher for the predilation ballooning cohort with an incidence rate of 41.3% as against 30.1% (p=0.002) for the propensity-matched cohort of patients without predilation ballooning with a relative risk of 1.64 (95% CI: 1.20 to 2.24). Moreover, the in-hospital mortality rate remained higher but insignificant, among patients with and without predilation ballooning (8.1% vs. 4.9%; p=0.090). Conclusion: In conclusion, predilation ballooning can be associated with an increased risk of incidence of intraprocedure SF/NR during primary PCI in patients with high thrombus burden.

Association of serum vitamin D levels and TaqIrs731236 among patients with hypertensive coronary heart disease.

The development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is influenced through multiple risk factor and hypertension. It may increase the risk of cardiac events, and has a significant impact when combined with other risk factors including low levels of vitamin D and genetic variations like single nucleotide variations (SNV) (TaqIrs731236) in vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. Blood samples from 500 study participants gathered including 250 hypertensive coronary heart disease patients, 250 age and gender matched healthy controls. To isolate genomic DNA, conventional salting out procedure used followed by amplification of targeted variations through Amplification Refractory Mutation System- Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR) Assay. The amplicon consists of 148 base pairs which was visualized on 2 % agarose gel electrophoresis and confirmed by DNA sequencing. The compared clinical parameters including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI), high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), cholesterol, triglycerides found significantly different among patients when compared with controls (P < 0.001). The Vitamin D exhibited insufficient levels at different stages of hypertension which were statistically, found significantly associated among patients with hypertensive coronary heart disease showing compared to controls (P < 0.001). The genotype association SNV (TaqIrs731236) T > C showed significant association with hypertensive coronary heart disease compared to healthy controls (Chi-Square χ2 = 60.75 and P < 0.00001). Further, the odds ratio of allelic association for risk allele (C) showed the strength of association with risk of disease, which increases by 2.02 times(P = 0.01). The results suggest that (TaqIrs731236) T > C as genetic predisposition factor, may contribute to develop the risk of hypertensive coronary heart disease. Hypertension as a risk factor along with insufficient levels of vitamin D and SNV (TaqIrs731236) as genetic variations may have been an important contributor to disease risk of hypertensive coronary heart disease.

Techniques to Treat Slow-Flow/No-Reflow During Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare TIMI flow after administering intracoronary (IC) medications through various routes for the treatment of slow flow/no-reflow during primary PCI. METHODS: Two independent parallel cohorts of the patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI and developed slow/no-reflow were recruited. Selection of cohort was based on the route of administration of IC medications as proximal or distal. Post administration TIMI follow was compared between the two cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were included in both, proximal and distal, cohort. Distribution of angiographic, clinical and demographic characteristics was not significant between the two cohorts except prevalence of hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Frequency of hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were 45 % vs.70 %; p < 0.001 and 28 % vs. 44 %; p = 0.018 among patients in distal and proximal cohort respectively. Final TIMI III flow was achieved in significantly higher number of patients in distal cohort with the frequency of 88 % vs. 76 %; p = 0.027 as compared to proximal cohort. CONCLUSION: Administration of IC medication via distal route is observed to be more effective for the treatment of slow flow/no-reflow during primary PCI. Distal route via export catheter or perforated balloon technique should be preferred wherever feasible.

Timi Risk Index, A Simple Tool In Emergency Percutaneous Revascularization For The Prediction Of Contrast Induced Nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) is a common complication seen after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) which can contribute to increased morbidity and mortality in patients of acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Aim of this study was to validate the TIMI Risk Index (TRI) for the risk stratification of CIN in patients undergone primary PCI. METHODS: Consecutive patients of STEMI undergone primary PCI at a tertiary care cardiac center were included for this study. Patients in Killip class IV at presentation, patients with history of any PCI and chronic kidney diseases were excluded from this study. TRI was calculated using the formula " " and post-procedure serum creatinine level increase of either 25% or 0.5 mg/dL was taken as CIN. RESULTS: A total of 507 patients were included in this study out of which 82.2% were males and 17.8% were females. In total 8.7% (44) patients developed CIN. In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, area under the curve (AUC) for TRI was found to be 0.717, [0.649-0.758] for the prediction of CIN. Sensitive, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of TRI >22.8 to predict the development of CIN were 59.09%, 76.69%, 19.55% and 95.19% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: TIMI risk index is and easy to calculate and readily accessible score which has good predictive value to evaluate the risk of CIN in primary PCI setting.

The outcome of primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with stent thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a recommended management strategy for patients with de novo ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Still, the efficacy of primary PCI in-stent thrombosis (ST) induced STEMI is unclear. The aim was to assess the clinical characteristics and the in-hospital outcomes of patients undergoing primary PCI for STEMI caused by acute, sub-acute, or late ST. METHODS: A sample of hundred consecutive patients who presented with STEMI due to ST were included in this study. The angiographic evidence of a flow-limiting thrombus or total vessel occlusion (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 0 to II) at the site of the previous stent implant was taken as ST. Primary PCI was performed, and all enrolled patients and in-hospital mortality were observed. RESULTS: Male patients were 69, and the mean age was 58.9 ± 7.78 years. ST was categorized as acute in 40 patients, sub-acute in 53, and late in the remaining seven patients. Killip class III/IV was observed in 45 patients. Dissection was observed in 25, under deployment in 74, and/or malposition in 24 patients. Thrombus aspiration was performed in 97, plain old balloon angioplasty in 76, and stenting in 22 patients. Final TIMI III flow was achieved in 32 patients. During a mean hospital stay of 4.93 ± 2.46 days, the mortality rate was 27%. CONCLUSION: In-hospital mortality after primary PCI was observed in more than 1/4th of the patients with STEMI due to ST undergoing primary PCI.

The Burden of Short-term Major Adverse Cardiac Events and its Determinants after Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization: A Prospective Follow-up Study.

Objectives: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains recommended reperfusion therapy for patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and their determinants among patients who underwent primary PCI at a tertiary care cardiac center of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: A cohort of patients who underwent primary PCI were followed for the MACE. Multivariable Cox-regression analysis was performed with backward conditional variable selection and hazard ratio (HR) along with 95% confidence interval (CI) were obtained. Results: A total of 1150 patients were included, of which follow-up was successful in 95.8% (1102) and median follow-up duration was 6.1 [6.9-5.1] months. MACE were observed in 210 (19.1%) patients with 14.2% (157) all-cause mortality, 5.4% (60) cardiac mortality, 0.7% (8) stroke, 3.6% (40) re-hospitalization due to heart failure, and 6.1% (67) myocardial infarction requiring revascularization. Independent predictors of short-term MACE were found to be admission glucose ≥200 mg/dL (1.66 [1.25-2.21]), serum creatinine ≥1.5 mg/dL (1.52 [1.02-2.27]), intubation (2.81 [1.98-4.00]), history of PCI (2.06 [1.45-2.93]), history of cerebrovascular accident (2.64 [1.34-5.2]), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure ≥20 mmHg (1.81 [1.3-2.51]), triple vessel diseases (1.43 [1.08-1.9]), culprit left main or proximal left anterior descending artery (1.77 [1.32-2.35]), pre-ballooning (2.14 [1.2-3.82]), and thrombus grade ≥4 (2.21 [1.51-3.24]). Conclusions: A significant number of individuals undergone primary PCI are still vulnerable to subsequent short-term MACE, hence, systematic follow-up and early risk stratification should be considered as an integral part of STEMI management protocol specially for patients with high-risk features as highlighted herein.

CHA2 DS2 -VASc score, a simple clinical tool for early prediction of no-reflow phenomenon in patients undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary revascularization.

Introduction: Slow flow/no reflow (SF/NR) phenomenon during emergency percutaneous revascularization is a feared complication associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes. CHA2 DS2 -VASc score has been proposed for the risk stratification but a very limited evidences are available regarding the accuracy of this system. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the predictive value of CHA2 DS2 -VASc score for predicting SF/NR phenomenon during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included 596 consecutive patients undergoing PCI for STEMI at a tertiary care cardiac center of Karachi, Pakistan. Baseline -VASc sore was calculated and development of SF/NR phenomenon during primary PCI was recorded. Predictive value of the score was assessed through area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and sensitivity and specificity were computed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the predictive strength of the score. Results: A total of 596 patients were included, mean age was 56.28±11.44 years, and 75.7%(451) were male. The slow/no reflow phenomenon during the procedure was observed in 36.6%(218) of the patients. CHA2 DS2 -VASc≥2 was observed in 50.2%(299) of the patients. The CHA2 DS2 -VASc score was significantly higher in SF/NR patients, 2.06±1.25 vs. 1.37±1.33; P<0.001. The AUC of CHA2 DS2 -VASc score was 0.652 [0.607-0.696], CHA2 DS2 -VASc≥2 had sensitivity and specificity of 65.6% [58.9% to 71.9%] and 58.3% [53.6% to 63.7%] respectively for predicting SF/NR. CHA2 DS2 -VASc≥2 was insignificant on multivariate with odds ratio of 1.48 [0.72 -3.04]; P=0.283. Conclusion: CHA2 DS2 -VASc risk stratification system has moderate discriminating power for the stratification of SF/NR phenomenon during primary PCI.

Left Ventricular Functional Remodeling after Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Improvement in left ventricular (LV) function after revascularization is an important determinant of long-term prognosis in a patient with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, data on the changes of LV function after revascularization are scarce in our population. Hence, this study was conducted to evaluate the changes in LV function and dimensions by echocardiography at 3 and 6 months after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Materials and Methods: A total of 188 patients were recruited in this study who had undergone primary PCI. Patients with preexistent LV dysfunction, prior PCI, or with congenital heart disease were excluded. Echocardiography was performed at baseline (within 24 h of intervention), 3 months, and 6 months of intervention. Remodeling in terms of change in LV ejection fraction (LVEF), LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), LV end-systolic dimension, and wall motion score index (WMSI) was evaluated. Results: Out of the 188 patients, 90.4% were male, and mean age was 53.94 ± 9.12 years. Baseline mean LVEF was 39.79 ± 6.2% with mean improvement of 5.11 ± 3.87 (P < 0.001) at 3 months and 6.38 ± 4.29 (P < 0.001) at 6 months. Baseline LVEDD was 46.23 ± 3.86 mm which improved to 44.68 ± 2.81 mm at 6 months. Basal WMSI decreased by -0.09 ± 0.08 and -0.13 ± 0.09 at 3 and 6 months, respectively, after revascularization. Conclusions: Primary PCI is the recommended mode of reperfusion in patients with AMI. It reduces infarct size, maintains microvascular integrity and preserves LV systolic function hence improving LV function.

Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes of Acute and Sub-acute Stent Thrombosis after Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization with Drug-Eluting Stents: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Stent thrombosis (ST) remains the most feared complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Therefore, this study aimed to determine acute and sub-acute ST incidence, predictors, and outcomes after primary PCI. Methods: This prospective observational study included patients who had undergone primary PCI at a tertiary care cardiac center. All the patients were followed at 30-days of index hospitalization for the incidence of acute or sub-acute ST. ST was further categorized as definite, probable, or possible per the Academic Research Consortium definition. All the survivors of ST were followed after 6-months for the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events. Results: An aggregate of 1756 patients were included with 79% (1388) male patients and mean age was 55.59 ± 11.23 years. The incidence of ST was 4.9% (86) with 1.3% (22) acute and 3.6% (64) sub-acute. ST was categorized as definite in 3.3% (58) and probable in 1.6% (28). Independent predictor of ST were observed to be male gender (odds ratio (OR); 2.51 [1.21-5.2]), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure ≥20 mmHg (OR; 2.55 [1.31-4.98]), and pre-procedure thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow 0 (OR; 3.27 [1.61-6.65]). Cumulative all-cause mortality among patients with ST after 164.1 ± 76.2 days was 46.5% (40/86). Conclusion: We observed a substantial number of patients vulnerable to the acute or sub-acute ST after primary PCI. Male gender, LVEDP, pre-procedure TIMI flow grade can be used to identify and efficiently manage highly vulnerable patients.

Retrieval Of Balloon From Right Coronary Artery Surgically.

BACKGROUND: Angioplasty balloon entrapment remains an infrequent but dangerous obstacle that requires forbearance and pre-built management strategies in order to avoid morbidity or worse, mortality. Here, we discuss an un-expected hurdle of an undeflated stuck balloon with fractured shaft during angioplasty of proximal right coronary artery (RCA) in a 60-year-old male which was attempted percutaneously and redeemed surgically but massive infarction to RCA territory was inevitable.

Comparison of angiographic results and clinical outcomes of no-reflow after stenting in left anterior descending (LAD) versus non-LAD culprit STEMI.

Objectives: No-reflow is a complication that frequently occurs after stenting during primary percutaneous coronary intervention. In this study, we focused on angiographic results and clinical outcomes after no-reflow in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery versus non-left anterior descending artery ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: In this prospective study, a total of 201 patients who had developed no-reflow during primary percutaneous coronary intervention were enrolled. The patients were divided into left anterior descending artery culprit and non-left anterior descending artery culprit groups. The primary endpoints were final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow, corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count and final myocardial blush grade. Secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiovascular events in-hospital and at 1 month. Results: Out of the 201 patients, 60.19% had culprit left anterior descending artery. Pulse rate, baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure, single-vessel disease, left ventricular ejection fraction <30%, baseline thrombolysis in myocardial infarction I flow and final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction II flow (24.8% vs 11.3%, p = .017), and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count (28.17 ± 11.86 vs 24.38 ± 9.05, p = .016) were significantly higher in the left anterior descending artery group. In contrast, baseline Killip Class I, three-vessel disease, baseline thrombolysis in myocardial infarction II flow, final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction III flow (74.4% vs 87.5%, p = .024) and left ventricular ejection fraction >40% were significantly greater in the non-left anterior descending artery group. However, for both in-hospital and at 30 days, overall major adverse cardiovascular event was similar in the two groups. The demographics, clinical and medication profiles and the routes used to treat no-reflow were all comparable in both groups. Conclusions: No-reflow in left anterior descending artery ST-elevation myocardial infarction is associated with lower final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction III flow, higher thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count and relatively lower Grade III myocardial blush than non-left anterior descending artery ST-elevation myocardial infarction with subsequent lower left ventricular ejection fraction and a higher frequency of in-hospital heart failure and hospitalisation due to heart failure.