One-year clinical outcomes of coronary chronic total occlusion intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome versus stable angina: from the Korean chronic total occlusion registry.

BACKGROUND: Chronic total occlusion intervention remains challenging and detailed real-world data on the safety and efficacy of which are limited. This study sought to determine whether there are differences in the 1-year clinical outcomes between chronic total occlusion patients with acute coronary syndrome and stable angina following chronic total occlusion intervention. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from the Korean chronic total occlusion registry were collected from May 2003 to September 2012, and a total of 3268 patients who underwent chronic total occlusion intervention were enrolled. Cardiovascular outcomes up to 12 months in the acute coronary syndrome group were compared with stable angina group. RESULTS: The acute coronary syndrome group consisted of 1657 patients, and stable angina group consisted of 1264 patients. In the acute coronary syndrome group, patients with successful chronic total occlusion intervention had a lower incidence of total death and cardiac death compared to patients with failed intervention. However, there were no significant differences in cardiovascular events in the stable angina group. The successful chronic total occlusion intervention was a significant prognostic factor for lower total death (P = 0.006, hazard ratio = 0.46) and cardiac death (P = 0.003, hazard ratio = 0.36) within acute coronary syndrome group. On the other hand, successful chronic total occlusion intervention was not a prognostic factor for cardiovascular events within stable angina group. CONCLUSIONS: Successful chronic total occlusion intervention in acute coronary syndrome patients was associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular outcome compared to patients with failed chronic total occlusion intervention.

Erroneous computer electrocardiogram interpretation of atrial fibrillation and its clinical consequences.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and nature of errors made by computer electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis of atrial fibrillation (AF), and the clinical consequences. HYPOTHESIS: Computer software for interpreting ECGs has advanced. METHODS: A total of 10279 ECGs were collected, automatically interpreted by the built-in ECG software, and then reread by 2 cardiologists. AF-related ECGs were classified into 3 groups: overinterpreted AF (rhythms other than AF interpreted as AF), misinterpreted AF (AF interpreted as rhythms other than AF), and true AF (AF interpreted as AF by both computer ECG interpretation and cardiologists). RESULTS: There were 1057 AF-related ECGs from 409 patients. Among these, 840 ECGs (79.5%) were true AF. Overinterpretation occurred in 98 (9.3%) cases. Sinus rhythm and sinus tachycardia with premature atrial contraction and/or baseline artifact and sinus arrhythmia were commonly overinterpreted as AF. Heart rate ≤60 bpm and baseline artifact significantly increased the likelihood of overinterpreted AF. Misdiagnosis occurred in 119 (11.3%) cases, in which AF was usually misdiagnosed as sinus or supraventricular tachycardia. The presence of tachycardia and low-amplitude atrial activity significantly increased the likelihood of misdiagnosis of AF. Among the erroneous computer ECG interpretations, 17 cases (7.8%) were not corrected by the ordering physicians and/or repeat computer-ECG interpretation; inappropriate follow-up studies or treatments of the patients were undertaken with no serious sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: Erroneous computer ECG interpretation of AF was not rare. Attention should be concentrated on educating physicians about ECG appearance and confounding factors of AF, along with ongoing quality control of built-in software for automatic ECG interpretation.