Incidence, treatment strategies and outcomes of acute coronary syndrome with and without ongoing myocardial ischaemia: results from the CZECH-3 registry.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute coronary syndrome with signs of ongoing myocardial ischaemia at first medical contact should be indicated for immediate invasive treatment. AIM: To assess the incidence, treatment strategies and outcomes of acute coronary syndrome in a large unselected cohort of patients with respect to the signs of ongoing myocardial ischaemia. METHODS: The CZECH-3 registry included 1754 consecutive patients admitted for suspected acute coronary syndrome to 43 hospitals during a 2-month period in the autumn of 2015. Acute coronary syndrome with ongoing myocardial ischaemia was defined by the presence of persistent/recurrent chest pain/dyspnoea and at least one of the following: persistent ST-segment elevation or depression, bundle branch block, haemodynamic or electric instability due to suspected ischaemia. Major adverse cardiac events (death, reinfarction, stroke, unexpected revascularisation, stent thrombosis) and severe bleeding according to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria were evaluated at 30 days. RESULTS: Acute coronary syndrome was ruled out during the hospital stay in 434 (24.7%) patients. Out of 1280 patients with confirmed acute coronary syndrome, 732 (57%) had clinical signs of ongoing myocardial ischaemia at first medical contact. Coronary angiography was performed in 94.7% of patients with confirmed acute coronary syndrome with ongoing myocardial ischaemia and 89% of patients with confirmed acute coronary syndrome without ongoing myocardial ischaemia (P<0.001). The major adverse cardiac event rate was 9.8% for patients with confirmed acute coronary syndrome with ongoing myocardial ischaemia and 5.5% for patients without ongoing myocardial ischaemia (P=0.005), the 30-day severe bleeding rate was 1.6% and 1.5% (P=1.0). Patients with ongoing myocardial ischaemia admitted to regional hospitals had higher major adverse cardiac event rates compared with patients admitted directly to cardiocentres with percutaneous coronary intervention capability (13.3% vs. 8.2%, P=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Ongoing myocardial ischaemia was present in more than half of patients hospitalised with acute coronary syndrome. These very high-risk patients may benefit from direct admission to percutaneous coronary intervention-capable centres.

Comparison of clinical outcomes and safety of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation supported by data from CT scan or three-dimensional rotational angiogram of left atrium and pulmonary veins.

BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation in the left atrium has become a common therapeutic strategy in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF). The high degree of success and safety profile of this procedure is dependent on precise knowledge of the true anatomy in the chamber. This information is imported mostly from cardiac computed tomography. A novel method for imaging the left atrial anatomy is three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA). METHODS: The aim of our study was to the compare clinical outcome and safety of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation guided by 3DRA vs. conventional CT scan. One hundred and twenty-five patients referred for AF catheter ablation at St. Anne's University Hospital Brno were included in the retrospective analysis of clinical outcome within the first year after the procedure. RESULTS: There was a close correlation in overall procedural parameters between the groups. The frequency of recurrent episodes of AF (24% in CT-guided group vs. 27% in 3DRA-guided group, P=0.721) as well as the onset of atypical atrial flutter after the procedure (10% vs. 8%, respectively, P=0.731) were similar in both groups. No difference in the number of patients necessitating repeat ablation (5% vs. 5%, P=0.984) was found. Procedural complications of ablations guided by 3DRA were comparable with those guided by CT (2% vs. 3%, respectively, P=0.568). CONCLUSION: 3DRA has proven to be a safe and simple method for imaging the left atrium and guiding catheter ablation for AF. This approach is anticipated to become a new standard in 3D reconstruction of the left atrium.