Impact of the introduction of drug eluting stents on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous and surgical coronary artery revascularisation procedures in Western Australia.

BACKGROUND: Increasing rates of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and decreasing rates of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery followed the introduction of drug eluting stents in Western Australia in 2002. We assessed the impact of these changes on one-year outcomes for the total population of patients undergoing coronary artery revascularisation procedures (CARP) in Western Australia between 2000-2004. METHODS: Clinical and linked administrative data (inpatient admissions and death) were merged for all patients who had their first CARP with stent or CABG in Western Australia between 2000-2004. The clinical data were collected from all hospitals in Western Australia where CARP procedures are performed. We calculated the unadjusted (Kaplan-Meier) and adjusted (Cox) risks for one-year death (all-cause), death (all-cause) or admission for myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularisation (TVR) and the composite outcome of death/MI/TVR (major adverse cardiac events, MACE). RESULTS: Over the study period, there were 14,118 index CARPs. The use of drug eluting stents increased from 0% to 95.8% of PCI procedures, and PCI procedures increased from 61.1% to 74.4% of all CARPS. There were no temporal changes in adjusted one-year mortality or death/MI. Overall, adjusted one-year MACE fell from 11.3% in 2000 to 8.5% in 2004 (p<0.0001) due to a significant reduction in TVR in the PCI group. CONCLUSION: The introduction of drug eluting stents and resulting changes in coronary revascularisation strategies were not associated with changes in the one-year risk of major clinical endpoints (death or death/MI), but were associated with a significant reduction in the risk of MACE, driven entirely by a reduction in TVR after PCI. This real world study supports the effectiveness of drug eluting stents in reducing repeat procedures in the total CARP population without increasing the risk of death or MI.

Complex coronary sinus fistula in a 58-year-old female.

Coronary artery aneurysms and arterio-venous fistulae are uncommon malformations. We report the case of a 58-year-old woman with a large aneurysmal fistula arising from the left coronary tree and involving the entire coronary sinus venous system, resulting in significant left-to-right shunt. We discuss the management of aneurysmal fistulae of the coronary arteries, and the merits of prophylaxis for thrombotic complications of large aneurysms. We recommend consideration of warfarinisation in addition to aspirin of such patients post-operatively.

Randomized trial comparing 600- with 300-mg loading dose of clopidogrel in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: results of the Platelet Responsiveness to Aspirin and Clopidogrel and Troponin Increment after Coronary intervention in Acute coronary Lesions (PRACTICAL) Trial.

BACKGROUND: There is uncertainty about the benefit of a higher loading dose (LD) of clopidogrel in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) undergoing early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: We compared the effects of a 600- versus a 300-mg LD of clopidogrel on inhibition of platelet aggregation, myonecrosis, and clinical outcomes in patients with NSTEACS undergoing an early invasive management strategy. Patients with NSTEACS (n = 256, mean age 63 years, 81.6% elevated troponin) without thienopyridine for at least 7 days were randomized to receive 600- or 300-mg LD of clopidogrel. Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in 140 patients, with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use in 68.6%. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation was measured by optical platelet aggregometry immediately before coronary angiography. RESULTS: Post-PCI myonecrosis was defined as a next-day troponin I greater than 5 times the upper limit of reference range and greater than baseline levels. Clopidogrel 600-mg LD compared with 300-mg LD was associated with significantly reduced ADP-induced platelet aggregation (49.7% vs 55.7% with ADP 20 micromol/L) but did not reduce post-PCI myonecrosis or adverse clinical outcomes to 6 months. There was no association between preprocedural platelet aggregation and outcome. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm a modest incremental antiplatelet effect of a 600-mg clopidogrel LD compared with 300-mg LD but provide no support for a clinical benefit in patients with NSTEACS managed with an early invasive strategy including a high rate (69%) of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use during PCI.

Obstruction of the right coronary artery ostium by an aortic valve papillary fibroelastoma.

Aortic valve papillary fibroelastomas are rare benign tumours which may present with the sequele of embolisation, coronary occlusion or sudden death. We report a case of a 68 year old lady presenting with unstable angina who appeared at coronary angiography to have thrombus in the right coronary ostium. Increasing right territory ischaemia prompted echocardiography, which diagnosed a mass in the right coronary ostium. Urgent surgery was undertaken, demonstrating chronic impaction of an aortic valve fibroelastoma in the right coronary ostium. Aortic valve replacement and coronary bypass grafting to the distal right coronary artery (RCA) was performed. This case illustrates a common cardiology presentation caused by the complication of a rare tumour.