[Acute coronary syndrome: diagnosis and treatment].

INTRODUCTION: In Switzerland, about 20 000 people experience an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) event each year. Acute coronary syndromes comprise ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and unstable angina. The diagnosis is made based on the clinical presentation, a rise in cardiac biomarkers, and ischemic ECG changes. In patients with acute STEMI, urgent coronary angiography with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to open the occluded artery is indicated. In patients with NSTEMI and unstable angina, the timing of coronary angiography and PCI is based on the clinical presentation and on a comprehensive and individualized risk stratification. Optimal secondary prevention and aggressive cardiovascular risk factor control are important following the acute event. Keywords.

One-year outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with the revived directional coronary atherectomy catheter: Insights from the J-PCI OUTCOME registry.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the 1-year outcomes, including all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), and major bleeding, of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with or without the revived directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) catheter in a Japanese nationwide registry. BACKGROUND: Clinical data regarding the midterm outcomes of patients undergoing PCI with DCA are scarce in contemporary real-world practice. METHODS: We analyzed the data of 74,764 patients who underwent PCI at 179 hospitals from January 2017 to December 2018. The baseline characteristics and 1-year outcomes of patients with stable coronary artery disease or unstable angina who underwent PCI with or without DCA were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 431 patients (0.6%) underwent PCI with DCA. Patients in the DCA group were younger and predominantly male, with fewer comorbidities than patients in the non-DCA group. Stentless PCI with DCA following additional drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty was the dominant strategy in the DCA group (43.6%). One-year outcomes, including all-cause mortality (1.2% in the DCA group vs. 2.5% in the non-DCA group, respectively, p = 0.075), cardiovascular death (0.9% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.69), MACEs (1.9% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.96), and nonfatal major bleeding requiring readmission (1.2% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.62), were comparable between the two groups. In the DCA group, 1-year outcomes were comparable, regardless of whether the stent or DCB was used. CONCLUSIONS: One-year clinical outcomes after PCI with DCA in patients with stable coronary artery disease or unstable angina are acceptable, regardless of stent use.

Elevated Serum Total Bilirubin Might Indicate Poor Coronary Conditions for Unstable Angina Pectoris Patients beyond as a Cardiovascular Protector.

Backgrounds: Serum total bilirubin (STB) is recently more regarded as an antioxidant with vascular protective effects. However, we noticed that elevated STB appeared in unstable angina pectoris (UAP) patients with diffused coronary lesions. We aimed to explore STB's roles in UAP patients, which have not been reported by articles. Methods and Results: 1120 UAP patients were retrospectively screened, and 296 patients were finally enrolled. They were grouped by Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina grades. The synergy between PCI with TAXUS stent and cardiac surgery score (SYNTAX score) and corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow count (CTFC) were adopted to profile coronary features. The results showed that STB, mean platelet volume (MPV), hs-CRP, fasting blood glucose (FBG), red blood cell width (RDW), and CTFC elevated significantly in the CCS high-risk group. STB (B = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.39-0.74, P < 0.01) and MPV (B = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.42-1.31, P < 0.01) could indicate SYNTAX score changes for these patients. STB (≥21.7 µmol/L) could even indicate a coronary slow flow condition (AUC: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.84-0.93, P < 0.01). Moreover, UAP patients with elevated STB had a lower event-free survival rate by the Kaplan-Meier curve. STB ≥21.7 µmol/L could reflect a poor coronary flow status and indicate 1-year poor outcomes for these patients (HR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.06-3.84, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Elevated STB in UAP patients has a close relationship with changes in SYNTAX score. STB (over 21.7 µmol/L) could even indicate a coronary slow flow condition and poor outcomes for the UAP patients.

Effect of Routine Invasive vs Conservative Strategy in Older Adults With Frailty and Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: To our knowledge, no randomized clinical trial has compared the invasive and conservative strategies in frail, older patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Objective: To compare outcomes of invasive and conservative strategies in frail, older patients with NSTEMI at 1 year. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter randomized clinical trial was conducted at 13 Spanish hospitals between July 7, 2017, and January 9, 2021, and included 167 older adult (≥70 years) patients with frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale score ≥4) and NSTEMI. Data analysis was performed from April 2022 to June 2022. Interventions: Patients were randomized to routine invasive (coronary angiography and revascularization if feasible; n = 84) or conservative (medical treatment with coronary angiography for recurrent ischemia; n = 83) strategy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was the number of days alive and out of the hospital (DAOH) from discharge to 1 year. The coprimary end point was the composite of cardiac death, reinfarction, or postdischarge revascularization. Results: The study was prematurely stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic when 95% of the calculated sample size had been enrolled. Among the 167 patients included, the mean (SD) age was 86 (5) years, and mean (SD) Clinical Frailty Scale score was 5 (1). While not statistically different, DAOH were about 1 month (28 days; 95% CI, -7 to 62) greater for patients managed conservatively (312 days; 95% CI, 289 to 335) vs patients managed invasively (284 days; 95% CI, 255 to 311; P = .12). A sensitivity analysis stratified by sex did not show differences. In addition, we found no differences in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 0.74-2.85; P = .28). There was a 28-day shorter survival in the invasive vs conservatively managed group (95% CI, -63 to 7 days; restricted mean survival time analysis). Noncardiac reasons accounted for 56% of the readmissions. There were no differences in the number of readmissions or days spent in the hospital after discharge between groups. Neither were there differences in the coprimary end point of ischemic cardiac events (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.54-1.57; P = .78). Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial of NSTEMI in frail older patients, there was no benefit to a routine invasive strategy in DAOH during the first year. Based on these findings, a policy of medical management and watchful observation is recommended for older patients with frailty and NSTEMI. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03208153.

Sex-related impact on clinical outcomes of patients treated with drug-eluting stents according to clinical presentation: Patient-level pooled analysis from the GRAND-DES registry.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of sex and initial clinical presentation to the long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still debated. METHODS: Individual patient data from 5 Korean-multicenter drug-eluting stent (DES) registries (The GRAND-DES) were pooled. A total of 17,286 patients completed 3-year follow-up (5216 women and 12,070 men). The median follow-up duration was 1125 days (interquartile range 1097-1140 days), and the primary endpoint was cardiac death at 3 years. RESULTS: The clinical indication for PCI was stable angina pectoris (SAP) in 36.8%, unstable angina pectoris (UAP) or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in 47.4%, and ST-segment elevation myocardial (STEMI) in 15.8%. In all groups, women were older and had a higher proportion of hypertension and diabetes mellitus compared with men. Women presenting with STEMI were older than women with SAP, with the opposite seen in men. There was no sex difference in cardiac death for SAP or UAP/NSTEMI. In STEMI patients, the incidence of cardiac death (7.9% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.001), all-cause mortality (11.1% vs. 6.9%, p = 0.001), and minor bleeding (2.2% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.043) was significantly higher in women. After multivariable adjustment, cardiac death was lower in women for UAP/NSTEMI (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.53-0.89, p = 0.005), while it was similar for STEMI (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.65-1.44, p = 0.884). CONCLUSIONS: There was no sex difference in cardiac death after PCI with DES for SAP and UAP/NSTEMI patients. In STEMI patients, women had worse outcomes compared with men; however, after the adjustment of confounders, female sex was not an independent predictor of mortality.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Outcomes of Acute Coronary Syndrome.

During the pandemic, health care resources were primarily focused on treating COVID-19 infections and its related complications, with various Clinical units were converted to COVID-19 units, This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical course of patients who had developed acute coronary syndrome (ACS) including ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In this large nationwide observational study utilizing National Inpatient Sample 2019 and 2020.The primary outcomes of our study were in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), total hospital charges and time from admission to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Using the National Inpatient Sample 2020 database we found 32,355,827 hospitalizations in 2020 and 521,484 of which had a primary diagnosis of STEMI that met our criteria. Patients with COVID-19 infection were similar in mean age, more likely to be men, were treated in the same hospital settings as those without COVID-19 and had higher rates of diabetes with chronic complications. These patients had a similar prevalence of traditional coronary artery disease risk factors including hypertension, peripheral vascular disease and obesity. There was higher inpatient mortality (adjusted odds ratios 3.10; 95% CI, 2.40-4.02; P < 0.01) and LOS (95% CI 1.07-2.25; P < 0.01) in STEMI patient with concurrent COVID-19 infection. The average time from admission to PCI was significantly higher among unstable angina (UA) and None ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in patients with a secondary diagnosis of COVID-19 infection compared to patients without: 0.45 days (95% CI: .155-758; P < 0.01). The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the treatment of patients with ACS, resulting in increased inpatient mortality, higher costs, and longer lengths of stay. During the pandemic, for patients with UA and NSTEMI the time from admission to PCI was significantly longer in patients with a secondary diagnosis of COVID-19 compared to patients without. When comparing ACS outcomes between pre-pandemic to pandemic periods (2019 versus 2020), the 2020 data showed higher mortality, higher hospital costs, and a decrease in LOS. Finally, the time from admission to PCI was longer for UA and NSTEMI in 2020 but not for patients with STEMI.

[Clinical and procedural characteristics of patients with acute coronary syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020 compared to a control group from 2019]. / Klinische und prozedurale Charakteristika von Patienten mit akutem Koronarsyndrom während der COVID-19-Pandemie 2020 im Vergleich zu einer Kontrollgruppe aus 2019.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic medical treatments including emergencies were often delayed, in part because of fear of an infection with Sars-CoV-2. Even patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were affected by these circumstances. In the present study we provide a systematic comparison of patients with ACS during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a control group. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study including all patients admitted with an ACS (STEMI, NSTEMI, unstable angina) undergoing coronary angiography between March 2019 and June 2019 (group A) and between March 2020 and June 2020 (group B). Demographic factors, cardiovascular risk factors and procedural data (extent of coronary disease, clinical diagnose, revascularisation strategy and outcome, use of mechanical support devices, door-to-needle time and in-hospital mortality) were compared. RESULTS: 469 patients were included in the present study (239 patients in group A and 230 in group B, mean age 69 years, 71% male). Compared to group A there were fewer patients with STEMI and unstable angina (p=0,033) but more patients with NSTEMI (p=0,047) in group B. Patients in group B had less often single vessel disease (p=0,001) but in contrast more often triple vessel disease compared to group A (p=0,052). CONCLUSION: Despite overall comparable numbers of ACS patients those admitted during the COVID-19 pandemic were more frequently diagnosed with NSTEMI and had a larger extent of coronary disease compared to a control group.

Structure, Process, and Mortality Associated with Acute Coronary Syndrome Management in Guatemala's National Healthcare System: The ACS-GT Registry.

Background: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) include ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and unstable angina (UA). The leading cause of mortality in Guatemala is acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and there is no established national policy nor current standard of care. Objective: Describe the factors that influence ACS outcome, evaluating the national healthcare system's quality of care based on the Donabedian health model. Methods: The ACS-Gt study is an observational, multicentre, and prospective national registry. A total of 109 ACS adult patients admitted at six hospitals from Guatemala's National Healthcare System were included. These represent six out of the country's eight geographic regions. Data enrolment took place from February 2020 to January 2021. Data was assessed using chi-square test, Student's t-test, or Mann-Whitney U test, whichever applied. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: One hundred and nine patients met inclusion criteria (80.7% STEMI, 19.3% NSTEMI/UA). The population was predominantly male, (68%) hypertensive (49.5%), and diabetic (45.9%). Fifty-nine percent of STEMI patients received fibrinolysis (alteplase 65.4%) and none for primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (pPCI). Reperfusion success rate was 65%, and none were taken to PCI afterwards in the recommended time period (2-24 hours). Prognostic delays in STEMI were significantly prolonged in comparison with European guidelines goals. Optimal in-hospital medical therapy was 8.3%, and in-hospital mortality was 20.4%. Conclusions: There is poor access to ACS pharmacological treatment, low reperfusion rate, and no primary, urgent, or rescue PCI available. No patient fulfilled the recommended time period between successful fibrinolysis and PCI. Resources are limited and inefficiently used.

Acute Coronary Syndrome: Unravelling the Biology to Identify New Therapies.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) encompasses a spectrum of presentations including unstable angina, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) [...].

Use of Thrombus Aspiration for Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: Insights From the Nationwide J-PCI Registry.

Background There is significant regional or institutional variation in the use of thrombus aspiration (TA) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We investigated the temporal trend in TA use and its association with clinical outcomes in acute coronary syndrome using the nationwide J-PCI (Japanese PCI) registry. Methods and Results Between 2016 and 2018, patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing PCI (n=282 606; median age, 71.0 years; interquartile range, 62.0-79.0 years; women, 24.7%) at 1124 hospitals were stratified on the basis of whether TA was performed (TA and non-TA). The patients were subdivided according to clinical presentation (ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, and unstable angina). Successful PCI, defined as the achievement of TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) 3 flow, and in-hospital mortality were assessed. During the study period, 83 422 patients (29.5%) underwent TA (52.9%, 23.5%, and 5.2% for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, and unstable angina, respectively), and the TA implementation rate remained relatively stable throughout. Patients treated with TA had higher rate of successful PCI than non-TA (98.7% versus 97.8%; P<0.001). TA was not associated with in-hospital death among patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.02 [95% CI, 0.94-1.12]). However, TA use was associated with higher rates of in-hospital death in patients with non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction ( aOR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.23-1.86]) or unstable angina ( aOR, 1.95 [95% CI, 1.37-2.79]). Conclusions In our retrospective analysis of the nationwide PCI registry, TA use was associated with a higher achievement of successful PCI without impairing in-hospital mortality among patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Nevertheless, its use should be cautioned in less-established indications (eg, non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and unstable angina).

Effect of a low dose of empagliflozin on short-term outcomes in type 2 diabetics with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effects of low dose of empagliflozin on improving outcomes in diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: This double-blind controlled clinical trial was carried out on 93 diabetic patients (56 males and 37 females, mean age of 56.55 years) with ACS who underwent PCI at 2 university teaching hospitals in 2020, Ahvaz, Iran. The patients were randomly assigned to receive empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or placebo at similar doses for 6 months after PCI. In addition, to standard treatments with another hypoglycemic agent. Cardiovascular outcomes (including all-cause mortality, coronary revascularization, rehospitalization due to unstable angina, hospitalization due to heart failure, cardiovascular death, non-fetal myocardial infarction, and non-fetal stroke) were evaluated during period of 6 months follow-up after the empagliflozin treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the low dose empagliflozin and placebo groups after treatment in terms of cardiovascular mortality (2.2% versus [vs.] 4.2%; p=0.598), rehospitalization due to unstable angina (4.5% vs. 8.7%; p=0.433), and coronary revascularization (2.2% vs. 0%; p=0.312). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that adding low dose empagliflozin to standard care of ACS diabetic patients after PCI was associated with no significant reduction in negative cardiovascular outcomes during 6 months.

The association between SYNTAX score and long-term outcomes in patients with unstable angina pectoris: a single-centre retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The SYNTAX score affects clinical outcomes in early studies. However, the prognostic value of the SYNTAX Score for long-term outcomes and differences by SYNTAX score risk stratification in long-term prognosis between medical therapy and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) are not well known in the era of new generation drug-eluting stents and medication. METHODS: In this single-centre retrospective study, a total of 2364 patients with UAP from January 2014 to June 2017 at Beijing Friendship Hospital were enrolled. The primary endpoint was a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including all-cause death, cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke at least 2 years after discharge. RESULTS: In this study, 1695 patients had low SYNTAX scores ([Formula: see text]), 432 patients had medium SYNTAX scores (23-32), 237 patients had high SYNTAX scores (≥ 33), 1018 received medical therapy, and 1346 patients underwent PCI. Long-term MACEs occurred in 95 patients during the 3.38 ± 0.99-year follow-up. Compared to the medical therapy group, the PCI group showed lower MACEs and cardiac death in patients with high SYNTAX scores (7.4% vs. 16.7%, P = 0.048; 3.7% vs. 14.6%, P = 0.004) but no reduction in patients with low and medium SYNTAX scores. Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that advanced age, diabetes mellitus, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), hs-CRP and high SYNTAX score were independent predictors for MACEs in the medical therapy group (P < 0.05), whereas chronic kidney disease (CKD) and LVEF were predictors of MACEs in the PCI group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to medical therapy, PCI could only significantly reduce long-term MACEs and cardiac death for patients with high SYNTAX scores but not for patients with low and medium SYNTAX scores. A high SYNTAX score could predict long-term MACEs for UAP patients in the medical therapy group but not in the PCI group.

Acute coronary syndrome: role of the nurse in patient assessment and management.

Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of mortality, morbidity and hospitalisation in the UK and worldwide. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a serious manifestation of coronary heart disease. ACS encompasses several conditions that represent acute injury or damage to the myocardium, including ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Management may differ depending on the diagnosis, so prompt and accurate assessment is crucial to establish the patient's condition and ensure timely initiation of the appropriate treatment. This article explains how ACS develops and what characterises its different types. It also outlines the assessment and management of patients with ACS, and explains the nurse's role in these processes.

Registry for Acute Coronary Events in Nigeria (RACE-Nigeria): Clinical Characterization, Management, and Outcome.

Background Coronary artery disease was hitherto a rarity in Africa. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) accounts for coronary artery disease-related morbidity and mortality. Reports on ACS in Africa are few. Methods and Results We enrolled 1072 indigenous Nigerian people 59.2±12.4 years old (men, 66.8%) with ACS in an observational multicentered national registry (2013-2018). Outcome measures included incidence, intervention times, reperfusion rates, and 1-year mortality. The incidence of ACS was 59.1 people per 100 000 hospitalized adults per year, and comprised ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (48.7%), non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (24.5%), and unstable angina (26.8%). ACS frequency peaked 10 years earlier in men than women. Patients were predominantly from urban settings (87.3%). Median time from onset of symptoms to first medical contact (patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction) was 6 hours (interquartile range, 20.1 hours), and only 11.9% presented within a 12-hour time window. Traditional risk factors of coronary artery disease were observed. The coronary angiography rate was 42.4%. Reperfusion therapies included thrombolysis (17.1%), percutaneous coronary intervention (28.6%), and coronary artery bypass graft (11.2%). Guideline-based pharmacotherapy was adequate. Major adverse cardiac events were 30.8%, and in-hospital mortality was 8.1%. Mortality rates at 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were 8.7%, 9.9%, 10.9%, and 13.3%, respectively. Predictors of mortality included resuscitated cardiac arrest (odds ratio [OR], 50.0; 95% CI, 0.010-0.081), nonreperfusion (OR, 34.5; 95% CI, 0.004-0.221), pulmonary edema (OR, 11.1; 95% CI, 0.020-0.363), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 0.091-0.570), and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.302-3.367). Conclusions ACS burden is rising in Nigeria, and patients are relatively young and from an urban setting. The system of care is evolving and is characterized by lack of capacity and low patient eligibility for reperfusion. We recommend preventive strategies and health care infrastructure-appropriate management guidelines.

Lymphopenia and mortality among patients undergoing coronary angiography: Long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Lymphopenia is associated with adverse prognosis in chronic disease states that are related to immune dysregulation. We aimed to determine the association between lymphopenia and mortality in patients presenting to coronary angiography and investigate whether elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW), an established cardiovascular prognostic marker, further refines risk stratification. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing coronary angiography for evaluation or treatment of coronary artery disease between 2003 and 2018. Mortality risk associated with relative (1000-1500/µL) or severe ( < 1000/µL) lymphopenia was analyzed using adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: Overall, 15,179 patients aged 65 ± 12 years underwent coronary angiography. During a median follow-up of 8 years, 4253 patients died. Compared to normal lymphocyte count, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for mortality was 1.31 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-1.41) and 1.97 (95% CI 1.75-2.22) for relative and severe lymphopenia, respectively. The increase in mortality associated with severe lymphopenia was significant in patients presenting in the non-acute setting (HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.74-2.73), ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.15-2.21), or unstable angina/non-STEMI (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.70-2.34); p-value for interaction 0.626. The association of lymphopenia with mortality remained significant after additional adjustment to RDW. High RDW ( > 14.5%) was associated with reduced survival, and it improved the predictive accuracy of lymphocytes count with an increase in Harrell's Concordance statistic from 0.634 (SE = 0.005) to 0.672 (SE = 0.005), p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: lymphopenia is associated with increased risk of mortality during long-term follow-up in patients undergoing coronary angiography, regardless of the coronary presentation. High RDW may enhance the predictive ability of lymphopenia.

Culprit Lesion Detection in Patients Presenting With Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome and Multivessel Disease.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Identification of the culprit lesion in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) allows appropriate coronary revascularization but may be unclear in patients with multivessel coronary disease (MVD). Therefore, we investigated the rate of culprit lesion identification during coronary angiography in NSTE-ACS and multivessel disease. METHODS/MATERIALS: Consecutive patients presenting with NSTE-ACS and MVD, between January 2012 and December 2016 were evaluated. Coronary angiograms, intravascular imaging, and ECGs were analyzed for culprit lesion identification. Long-term clinical outcomes in terms of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and mortality were reported in patients with or without culprit identification. RESULTS: A total of 1107 patients with NSTE-ACS and MVD were included in the analysis, 310 (28.0%) with unstable angina and 797 (72.0%) with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. The culprit lesion was angiographically identified in 952 (86.0%) patients, while no clear culprit lesion was found in 155 (14.0%) patients. ECG analysis allowed to predict the location of the culprit vessel with low sensitivity (range 28.4%-36.7%) and high specificity (range 90.6%-96.5%). Higher lesion complexity was associated with inability to identify the culprit. Intravascular imaging was applied in 55 patients and helped to identify the culprit lesion in 53 patients (96.4%). There was no difference in all-cause mortality (21.4% vs. 25.8%, p = 0.24) and MACE (39.2% vs. 47.6%, p = 0.07) between the cohorts with or without culprit lesion identification by angiography. CONCLUSIONS: The culprit lesion appeared unclear by coronary angiography in >10% of patients with NSTE-ACS and MVD. Complementary invasive imaging substantially enhanced the diagnostic accuracy of culprit lesion detection.

Coronary catheterization via distal transradial access in patient with superficial radial artery: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The routine radial artery (RA) puncture may fail when anatomical variation of the RA is encountered. Superficial radial artery (SRA) is one of the anatomic variants of the RA, with the incidence of about 1 to 1.5%. Recently, distal transradial access (dTRA) has emerged as a novel approach for coronary catheterization (CC), but performing CC through dTRA in patient with SRA has never been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 57-year-old male was admitted to hospital due to intermittent chest pain for 4 days. He was diagnosed with unstable angina pectoris and planned to receive coronary angiography (CAG). Before the operation, the existence and course of SRA were confirmed by palpation and ultrasonography with color Doppler. We marked the puncture site under the guidance of ultrasonography and successfully performed CC through the dTRA during patient's hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: As far as we know, this is the first report that presents a case of SRA and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatment in which was successfully performed through dTRA. It is safe and feasible to perform CC via dTRA in case of SRA, and dTRA seems to be the preferred access.

A prognostic nomogram for long-term major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Accurate prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) is very important for the management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. We aimed to construct an effective prognostic nomogram for individualized risk estimates of MACEs for patients with ACS after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: This was a prospective study of patients with ACS after PCI from January 2013 to July 2019 (n = 2465). After removing patients with incomplete clinical information, a total of 1986 patients were randomly divided into evaluation (n = 1324) and validation (n = 662) groups. Predictors included in the nomogram were determined by a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model based on the training set. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves were used to assess the discrimination and predictive accuracy of the nomogram, which were then compared with those of the classic models. The clinical utility of the nomogram was assessed by X-tile analysis and Kaplan-Meier curve analysis. RESULTS: Independent prognostic factors, including lactate level, age, left anterior descending branch stenosis, right coronary artery stenosis, brain natriuretic peptide level, and left ventricular ejection fraction, were determined and contained in the nomogram. The nomogram achieved good areas under the ROC curve of 0.712-0.762 in the training set and 0.724-0.818 in the validation set and well-fitted calibration curves. In addition, participants could be divided into two risk groups (low and high) according to this model. CONCLUSIONS: A simple-to-use nomogram incorporating lactate level effectively predicted 6-month, 1-year, and 4-year MACE incidence among patients with ACS after PCI.