[Penetration of endocoronary imaging in France (data from France PCI): The French exception]. / Pénétration de l'imagerie endocoronaire en France (données de France PCI) : l'exception française.

PURPOSE: Evaluate intravascular coronary imaging (ICI) utilization in France and compare it with other countries. METHODOLOGY: We included in our study all PCI performed between 2014 and 2021 in all participating centers of France PCI registry. RESULTS: The percentage of ICI use during PCI varied from 1.2% to 1% between 2014 and 2020 in the France PCI Registry. In 2021, among 45,227 PCI procedures performed at the 41 participating centers, 768 (1.7%) had an ICI, including 329 (0.7%) with OCT, 341 (0.8%) with IVUS, and 98 (0.2%) undetermined. In "all-comers" PCI, the rate of ICI use was 1.7% in France, 2.5% in the United States, 10% in Sweden, 16.2% in the United Kingdom, and 84.4% in Japan. In left main PCI, the rate was 5.8% in France, 62.3% in Sweden, 66.6% in the UK, and 96.6% in Japan. In the France PCI registry, the rate of ICI use ranged from 0% to 9.5% in all PCI and from 0% to 30% in left main PCI. CONCLUSION: ICI techniques are exceptionally used in France in routine practice, in contrast to our European neighbors such as Swede or the United Kingdom. Obtaining reimbursement in certain recommended indications and participation in a national interventional cardiology registry with incentive practice indicators should improve this situation.

Early survival after acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation: What could be improved? Insights from France PCI French registry.

Early mortality post-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in France remains high. The multicentre France Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Registry includes every patient undergoing coronary angiography in France. We analyzed the prevalence and impact of unmodifiable and modifiable risk factors on 30-day survival in patients experiencing STEMI. Patients admitted for STEMI between 01/2014 and 12/2016 were included in the analysis. Patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease, with cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest without STEMI, were excluded. Prehospital, clinical and procedural data were collected prospectively by the cardiologist in the cath lab using medical reporting software. Information on outcomes, including mortality, was obtained by a dedicated research technician by phone calls or from medical records. Marginal Cox proportional hazards regression was used to test the predictive value for survival at 30 days in a multivariable analysis. Included were 2590 patients (74% men) aged 63 ± 14 years. During the first month, 174 patients (6.7%) died. After adjustment, unmodifiable variables significantly associated with reduced 30-day survival were: age > 80 years (prevalence 15%; hazard ratio [HR] 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-4.7), chronic kidney disease (2%; HR 5.3; 95% CI 2.6-11.1), diabetes mellitus (14%; HR 1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.5), anterior or circumferential electrical localization (39%; HR 2.0; 95% CI 1.4-2.9), and Killip class 2, 3, or 4 (7%; HR 3.4; 95% CI 1.9-5.9; 2%; HR 10.1; 95% CI 5.3-19.4; 4%; HR 18; 95% CI 10.8-29.8, respectively). Among modifiable variables, total ischemic time > 3 hours (68%; HR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1-3.0), lack of appropriate premedication (18%; HR 2.2; 95% CI 1.5-3.3), and post-PCI TIMI < 3 (6%; HR 4.9; 95% CI 3.2-7.6) were significantly associated with reduced 30-day survival. Most predictors of 30-day survival post-STEMI are unmodifiable, but outcomes might be improved by optimizing modifiable factors, most importantly ischemic time and appropriate premedication.

Does helicopter transport delay prehospital transfer for STEMI patients in rural areas? Findings from the CRAC France PCI registry.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to analyse delays in emergency medical system transfer of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centres according to transport modality in a rural French region. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from the prospective multicentre CRAC / France PCI registry were analysed for 1911 STEMI patients: 410 transferred by helicopter and 1501 by ground transport. The primary endpoint was the percentage of transfers with first medical contact to primary percutaneous coronary intervention within the 90 minutes recommended in guidelines. The secondary endpoint was time of first medical contact to primary percutaneous coronary intervention. With helicopter transport, time of first medical contact to primary percutaneous coronary intervention in under 90 minutes was less frequently achieved than with ground transport (9.8% vs. 37.2%; odds ratio 5.49; 95% confidence interval 3.90; 7.73; P<0.0001). Differences were greatest for transfers under 50 km (13.7% vs. 44.7%; P<0.0001) and for primary transfers (22.4% vs. 49.6%; P<0.0001). The median time from first medical contact to primary percutaneous coronary intervention and from symptom onset to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (total ischaemic time) were significantly higher in the helicopter transport group than in the ground transport group (respectively, 137 vs. 103 minutes; P<0.0001 and 261 vs. 195 minutes; P<0.0001). There was no significant difference in inhospital mortality between the helicopter and ground transport groups (6.9% vs. 6.6%; P=0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Helicopter transport of STEMI patients was five times less effective than ground transport in maintaining the 90-minute first medical contact to primary percutaneous coronary intervention time recommended in guidelines, particularly for transfer distances less than 50 km.

Incidence, delays, and outcomes of STEMI during COVID-19 outbreak: Analysis from the France PCI registry.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on incidence, delays, and outcomes of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in France. Methods: We analyzed all patients undergoing PPCI <24 hours STEMI included in the prospective France PCI registry. The 2 groups were compared on mean monthly number of patients, delays in the pathway care, and in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE: death, stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, unplanned coronary revascularization, stroke, and major bleeding). Results: From January 15, 2019 to April 14, 2020, 2064 STEMI patients undergoing PPCI were included: 1942 in the prelockdown group and 122 in the lockdown group. Only 2 cases in the lockdown group were positive for COVID-19. A significant drop (12%) in mean number of STEMI/month was observed in the lockdown group compared with prelockdown (139 vs 122, P < 0.04). A significant increase in "symptom onset to first medical contact" delay was found for patients who presented directly to the emergency department (ED) (238 minutes vs 450 minutes; P = 0.04). There were higher rates of in-hospital MACE (7.7% vs 12.3%; P = 0.06) and mortality (4.9% vs 8.2%; P = 0.11) in the lockdown group but the differences were not significant. Conclusion: According to the multicenter France PCI registry, the COVID-19 outbreak in France was associated with a significant decline in STEMI undergoing PPCI and longer transfer time for patients who presented directly to the ED. Mortality rates doubled, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Factors associated with delay in transfer of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction from first medical contact to catheterization laboratory: Lessons from CRAC, a French prospective multicentre registry.

BACKGROUND: It is critical to minimize the time between the first medical contact and primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. AIMS: To identify factors associated with a delay of>120min between first medical contact and primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS: Data were analysed from a regional French registry of patients undergoing coronary angioplasty for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction<24h after symptom onset. Patients (n=2081) were grouped according to transfer times from first medical contact to primary percutaneous coronary intervention:>120min; or≤120min. Independent predictors of delay were identified by univariate and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: The median transfer time from first medical contact to primary percutaneous coronary intervention was 112min; 892 patients (42.9%) had a transfer time>120min. A delay of>120min was significantly associated with:≥75km distance from interventional cardiology centre at symptom onset (odds ratio 7.9); more than one medical practitioner involved before interventional cardiology centre (odds ratio 4.5); first admission to a hospital without an interventional cardiology centre (odds ratio 2.9); absence of emergency call (odds ratio 1.6); ≥90min between symptom onset and first medical contact (odds ratio 1.3); Killip class at admission>1 (odds ratio 1.8); lateral ischaemia (odds ratio 1.8); diabetes mellitus (odds ratio 1.6); and hypertension (odds ratio 1.3). CONCLUSIONS: In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, a transfer time from first medical contact to primary percutaneous coronary intervention of>120min was associated with geographic, systemic and comorbid factors, several of which appear reasonably actionable.