Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Complicated With Cardiogenic Shock.

BACKGROUND: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated with cardiogenic shock (CS) remains as an unresolved condition causing high morbidity and mortality despite advances in medical treatment and coronary intervention procedures. In the current study, we evaluated the predictors of in-hospital mortality of STEMI complicated with CS. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we evaluated the predictive value of baseline characteristics, angiographic, echocardiographic and laboratory parameters on in-hospital mortality of 319 patients with STEMI complicated with CS who were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were divided into two groups consisting of survivors and non-survivors during their index hospitalisation period. RESULTS: The mortality rate was found to be 61.3% in the study population. At multivariate analysis after adjustment for the parameters detected in univariate analysis, chronic renal failure, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ≤2, plasma glucose and lactate level, blood urea nitrogen level, Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE) and ejection fraction were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from haemodynamic deterioration, angiographic, echocardiographic and laboratory parameters have an impact on in-hospital mortality in patients with STEMI complicated with CS.

The association of right ventricular dysfunction with in-hospital and 1-year outcomes in anterior myocardial infarction.

In anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), attention paid mainly to the left ventricle. The predictive significance of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in patients with anterior STEMI has been frequently neglected. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic effect of RV dysfunction on in-hospital and long-term outcomes in patients with first anterior STEMI. A total of 350 patients without known coronary artery disease with first anterior STEMI and treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention were prospectively enrolled in this study. In-hospital and long-term outcomes were compared between two groups of with or without RV dysfunction. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the RV dysfunction group (26.7% vs. 1.6%, P < 0.001). The RV dysfunction group also had a higher incidence of cardiogenic shock, recurrent myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization and stent thrombosis. The 1-year overall survival in patients with and without RV dysfunction was 62.2% and 95.0% respectively. After multivariable analysis, RV dysfunction remained as an independent predictor for in-hospital and long-term mortality. RV dysfunction is an independent predictor of cardiogenic shock, recurrent myocardial infarction, and, in-hospital and long-term mortality in anterior STEMI. Therefore, attention should be paid to the function of right ventricle as in the left ventricle after anterior STEMI.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of acute coronary syndrome patients with intra-aortic balloon pump inserted in intensive cardiac care unit of a tertiary clinic.

OBJECTIVE: An intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is a mechanical support device that is used in addition to pharmacological treatment of the failing heart in intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU) patients. In the literature, there are limited data regarding the clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of acute coronary syndrome patients in Turkey who had an IABP inserted during their ICCU stay. This study is an analysis of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of these acute coronary syndrome patients. METHODS: The data of patients who were admitted to the ICCU between September 2014 and March 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. The data were retrieved from the ICCU electronic database of the clinic. A total of 142 patients treated with IABP were evaluated in the study. All of the patients were in cardiogenic shock following percutaneous coronary intervention, at the time of IABP insertion. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 63.0±9.7 years and 66.2% were male. In-hospital mortality rate of the study population was 54.9%. The patients were divided into 2 groups, consisting of survivors and non-survivors of their hospitalization period. Multivariate analysis after adjustment for the parameters in univariate analysis revealed that ejection fraction, Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction flow score of ≤2 after the intervention, chronic renal failure, and serum lactate and glucose levels were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate remains high despite IABP support in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Patients who are identified as having a greater risk of mortality according to admission parameters should be further treated with other mechanical circulatory support devices.

Population-based serum omentin-1 levels: paradoxical association with cardiometabolic disorders primarily in men.

AIM: The conflicting relationships of serum omentin with inflammation markers and cardiometabolic disorders were investigated. Results & methods: Unselected 864 population-based middle-aged adults were cross-sectionally studied by sex-specific omentin tertiles. Men in the lowest omentin tertile (T1) had lower systolic blood pressure, HbA1c and glucose values and tended in T3 to higher lipoprotein(a) levels. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for four covariates, revealed significant independent associations with the presence of hypertension and diabetes only in men. Sex- and age-adjusted odds ratio in gender combined for T2 & T3 versus T1 was 1.34 (95% CI: 1.00-1.79) for metabolic syndrome. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: The elicited adverse relationships of omentin-1 support the notion of oxidative stress-induced proinflammatory conversion of omentin, rendering loss of anti-inflammatory properties.

What is the predictive value of ST segment depression in inferior leads in first acute anterior myocardial infarction?

BACKGROUND: Electrical phenomenon and remote myocardial ischemia are the main factors of ST segment depression in inferior leads in acute anterior myocardial infarction (AAMI). We investigated the prognostic value of the sum of ST segment depression amplitudes in inferior leads in patients with first AAMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. (PPCI). METHODS: In this prospective analysis, we evaluated the in-hospital prognostic impact of the sum of ST segment depression in inferior leads on 206 patients with first AAMI. Patients were stratified by tertiles of the sum of admission ST segment depression in inferior leads. Clinical outcomes were compared between those tertiles. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed higher rate of in-hospital death for patients with ST segment depression in inferior leads in tertile 3, as compared to patients in tertile 1 (OR 9.8, 95% CI 1.5-78.2, p<0.001). After adjustment for baseline variables, ST segment depression in inferior leads in tertile 3 was associated with 5.7-fold hazard of in-hospital death (OR: 5.7, 95% CI 1.2-35.1, p<0.001). Spearman rank correlation test revealed correlation between the sum of ST segment depression amplitude in inferior leads and the sum of ST segment elevation amplitude in V1-6, L1 and aVL. Multivessel disease and additional RCA stenosis were also detected more often in tertile 3. CONCLUSION: The sum of ST segment depression amplitude in inferior leads of admission ECG in patients with first AAMI treated with PPCI provide an independent prognostic marker of in-hospital outcomes. Our data suggest the sum of ST segment depression amplitude to be a simple, feasible and clinically applicable tool for rapid risk stratification in patients with first AAMI.

Which admission electrocardiographic parameter is more powerful predictor of no-reflow in patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction who underwent primary percutaneous intervention?

BACKGROUND: Acute transmural ischemia due to left anterior descending artery (LAD) occlusion changes precordial R and Q wave durations owing to depressed intramyocardial activation. We investigated the prognostic value of sum of precordial Q wave duration/sum of precordial R wave duration ratio (Q/R) in patients with first acute anterior myocardial infarction (AAMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). METHODS: In this prospective analysis, we evaluated the no-reflow predictive value of Q/R on 403 patients with first AAMI. Patients were divided into two as no-reflow group (n=32) and control (n=371) group according to post-PPCI flow status. RESULTS: The patients in the no-reflow group had significantly higher Q/R on admission electrocardiography (ECG) compared to patients in the control group (p<0.001). When admission ECG parameters were compared according to no-reflow prediction, Q/R was stronger than other well-accepted parameters. The best cut-off value of the Q/R to predict no-reflow was 1.08 with 76% sensitivity and 73% specificity (AUC: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.72-0.83; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In patients with first AAMI treated with PPCI, Q/R in admission ECG may have a role as an independent predictive marker of no-reflow.

A Novel Independent Survival Predictor in Pulmonary Embolism: Prognostic Nutritional Index.

The prognostic impact of nutritional status in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) is poorly understood. A well-accepted nutritional status parameter, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which was first demonstrated to be valuable in patients with cancer and gastrointestinal surgery, was introduced to patients with PE. Our aim was to evaluate the predictive value of PNI in outcomes of patients with PE. We evaluated the in-hospital and long-term (53.8 ± 5.4 months) prognostic impact of PNI on 251 patients with PE. During a median follow-up of 53.8 ± 5.4 months, 27 (11.6%) patients died in hospital course and 31 (13.4%) died in out-of-hospital course. The patients with lower PNI had significantly higher in-hospital and long-term mortality. The Cox proportional hazard analyses showed that PNI was associated with an increased risk of all-cause death for both unadjusted model and adjusted for all covariates. Our study demonstrated that PNI, calculated based on serum albumin level and lymphocyte count, is an independent prognostic factor for mortality in patients with PE.

Relation between dynamic change of red cell distribution width and 30-day mortality in patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Recent studies suggest that an increase in red cell distribution width (RDW) levels have a better prognostic value than a single measurement. In the current study, we investigated the predictive value of increasing RDW levels for mortality in acute pulmonary emboli (APE) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the study, 199 APE patients who were hospitalized were enrolled. Patients were divided into three groups according to their admission and 24th hour RDW values. Patients for whom both RDW values normal were put in group 1 (normal); patients with admission RDW > 14.5% and decreased 24th hour RDW values were in group 2 (decreased); patients whose 24th hour RDW levels were >14.5% and increased compared to their baseline RDW measurement were in group 3 (increased). Clinical and laboratory findings and 30-day mortality of these groups were compared. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 68 ± 16, and 48% of the patients were male. There were 98 patients (49%) in group 1, 59 patients (30%) in group 2, and 42 patients (21%) in group 3. Patients in group 3 were older, had lower eGFR and hemoglobin values, and had higher brain type natriuretic peptide values. Mortality rate was higher in group 3 (0%, 3.4%, 19%, respectively, P < .0001). Increase in RDW was independently related to mortality [HR: 4.9, (95%CI: 1.2-18, P = .02)]. CONCLUSION: APE patients with increasing RDW levels have higher mortality rates. Serial measurements of RDW may help us determine patients with high risk for mortality.

ST Depression, No ST Change, or ST Elevation in Inferior Derivations: Which Has the Worst Outcomes in Acute Anterior Myocardial Infarction?

OBJECTIVE: The combination of electrical phenomena and remote myocardial ischemia is the pathophysiological mechanism of ST segment changes in inferior leads in acute anterior myocardial infarction (MI). We investigated the prognostic value of ST segment changes in inferior derivations in patients with first acute anterior MI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: In this prospective single-center analysis, we evaluated the prognostic impact of ST segment changes in inferior derivations on 354 patients with acute anterior MI. Patients were divided into the following 3 groups according to admission ST segment changes in inferior derivations: ST depression (group 1), no ST change (group 2), and ST elevation (group 3). RESULTS: In-hospital multivariate analysis revealed notably high rates of in-hospital death for patients in group 3 compared to patients in group 2 (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.6-7.6, p < 0.001). Group 1 and group 2 had similar in-hospital and long-term mortality rates. After adjusting for confounding baseline variables, group 3 had higher rates of 18-month mortality (HR 3.3; 95% CI 1.5-8.2, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In patients with a first acute anterior MI treated with primary PCI, ST elevation in inferior leads had significantly worse short-term and long-term outcomes compared to no ST change or ST segment depression.

Systemic inflammatory activation in patients with acute coronary syndrome secondary to nonatherosclerotic spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

OBJECTIVE: Pathological studies have suggested that local inflammation, particularly eosinophilic infiltration of the adventitia, could be related to nonatherosclerotic spontaneous coronary artery dissection (NA-SCAD). However, the role of systemic inflammation in the pathogenesis of NA-SCAD remains unknown. Our aim was to investigate systemic inflammatory activation in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) secondary to NA-SCAD. METHODS: The institutional electronic medical database was reviewed, and 22 patients with NA-SCAD-ACS were identified after the review. Furthermore, 30 random patients with CAD-ACS and 30 random subjects without any history of CAD or ACS with demographic and clinical characteristics similar to those of NA-SCAD-ACS patients were identified from the institutional database to be included in the study. RESULTS: Patients with NA-SCAD-ACS and those with CAD-ACS both had higher white blood cell and neutrophil counts than controls. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were only significantly higher in the NA-SCAD-ACS group [2.01 (1.54-6.17) for NLR and 0.70 (0.13-2.70) for CRP] than in the controls [1.55 (1.27-2.13), p=0.03 for NLR and 0.15 (0.10-0.43), p=0.049 for CRP]; however, there were no differences between the NA-SCAD-ACS and CAD-ACS groups [1.91 (1.41-2.78) for NLR and 0.41 (0.09-1.10) for CRP, p>0.05 for both comparisons] regarding all tested parameters. CONCLUSION: The degree of inflammatory activation in NA-SCAD-ACS patients was similar to, or even greater than, that in CAD-ACS patients; thus, suggesting a role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of NA-SCAD-ACS.

The prognostic significance of early and late right precordial lead (V4 R) ST-segment elevation in patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The predictive significance of ST-segment elevation (STE) in lead V4 R in patients with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has not been well-understood. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of early and late STE in lead V4 R in patients with anterior STEMI. METHODS: A total 451 patients with anterior STEMI who treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients were classified according to presence of STE (>1 mm) in lead V4 R at admission and/or 60 min after PPCI. Based on this classification, all patients were divided into three subgroups as no V4 R STE (Group 1), early but not late V4 R STE (Group 2) and late V4 R STE (Group 3). RESULTS: In-hospital mortality had higher rates at group 2 and 3 and that had 2.1 and 4.1-times higher mortality than group 1. Late V4 R STE remained as an independent risk factor for cardiogenic shock (odds ratio [OR] 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-4.3; p < .001) and in-hospital mortality (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.8-4.1; p < .001). The 12-month overall survival for group 1, 2, and 3 were 91.1%, 82.4%, and 71.4% respectively. However, the long-term mortality also had the higher rate at group 3; late V4 R STE did not remain as an independent risk factor for long-term mortality (OR 1.5; 95% CI 0.8-4.1; p: .159). CONCLUSION: Late V4 R STE in patients with anterior STEMI is strongly associated with poor prognosis. The record of late V4 R in patients with anterior STEMI has an important prognostic value.

Predictive value of SYNTAX score II for clinical outcomes in cardiogenic shock underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention; a pilot study.

SYNTAX Score II (SSII) connects clinical variables with coronary anatomy. We investigated the prognostic value of SSII in patients with ST segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated with cardiogenic shock treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). In this retrospective analysis, we evaluated the in-hospital prognostic impact of SSII on 492 patients with STEMI complicated with cardiogenic shock treated with PPCI. Patients were stratified by tertiles of SSII, in-hospital clinical outcomes were compared between those groups. In-hospital univariate analysis revealed higher rates of in-hospital death for patients with SSII in tertile 3, as compared to patients with SSII in tertile 1 (OR 17.4, 95% CI 10.0-30.2, p < 0.001). After adjustment for confounding baseline variables, SSII in tertile 3 was associated with 6.2-fold hazard of in-hospital death (OR 6.2, 95% CI 2.6-14.1, p < 0.001). SSII in patients with STEMI complicated with cardiogenic shock treated with PPCI provide an independent prognostic marker of in-hospital outcomes. Our data suggests SSII to be a simple, feasible and clinically applicable tool for rapid risk stratification in patients with STEMI complicated with cardiogenic shock treated with PPCI.

A simple independent prognostic electrocardiography parameter in first acute anterior myocardial infarction; Precordial total Q wave/precordial total R wave.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the prognostic value of precordial total Q wave amplitude/precordial total R wave amplitude ratio (Q/R) in patients with first acute anterior MI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). METHODS: We evaluated the in-hospital prognostic impact of Q/R on 354 patients with first acute anterior MI. Patients were stratified by tertiles of admission Q/R, clinical outcomes were compared between those groups. RESULTS: In-hospital univariate analysis revealed notably higher rates of in-hospital death for patients in tertile 3, as compared to patients in tertile 1 (OR 9.7, 95% CI 2.8-33.5, p. CONCLUSION: Q/R in admission ECG in patients with first acute anterior MI provide an independent prognostic marker of in-hospital outcomes.

Tenth categories of total and HDL cholesterol fail to independently predict death risk in middle-aged Turkish adults.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to delineate in detail the longitudinal association of total cholesterol (TC) and highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels with overall mortality in middle-aged participants of the biennial Turkish Adult Risk Factor study. METHODS: Baseline lipid variables were analyzed in sex-specific deciles. A baseline age of 45 to 84 years as an inclusion criterion led to the enrollment of 2121 men and women. Cox regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Deaths were recorded in 237 and 306 women and men, respectively, during a mean 8.85±4.4 years of follow-up. After adjustment for age, smoking status, lipid-lowering and antihypertensive drug usage, prevalent diabetes, and coronary heart disease, and using the lowest decile as referent, neither TC (p trend=0.94 and 0.96, respectively), nor HDL-C categories (p trend=0.20 and 0.31, respectively) were significantly predictive of mortality in either gender. TC deciles exhibited a gender difference insofar as hazard ratios in females tended to be reciprocal to those in males in deciles 2 through 5. CONCLUSION: The findings on TC deciles may be attributed to a comparatively higher death rate in the female (compared with male) bottom decile, reflecting the autoimmune process-induced elevated risk in the lowest decile. Observations on HDLC confirmed presumed pro-inflammatory conversion in levels >50 mg/dL. These results have important clinical implications.

Effect of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease on In-Hospital and Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a risk factor for coronary artery disease. We investigated the effect of NAFLD grade on in-hospital and long-term outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The study group consisted of 360 patients with STEMI. The patients were classified according to the grade of the NAFLD using ultrasonography. Based on this classification, all patients were divided into 4 subgroups as grade 0 (no fatty liver disease), grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3. Hierarchical logistic regression and Cox proportional regression analysis were used to establish the relation between NAFLD grade and outcomes. In-hospital mortality for grade 0, 1, 2, and 3 NAFLDs were 4.7%, 8.3%, 11.3%, and 33.9%, respectively. Three-year mortality for grade 0, 1, 2, and 3 NAFLDs were 5.6%, 7.8%, 9.5%, and 33.3%, respectively. In the multivariable hierarchical logistic regression analysis, in-hospital mortality risks were higher for patients with grade 3 NAFLD (odds ratio 4.2). In a multivariable Cox proportional regression analysis, the mortality risk was higher for patients with grade 3 NAFLD (hazard ratio 4.0). In conclusion, in patients with STEMI, the presence of NAFLD is associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. Among these patients, grade 3 NAFLD had the highest mortality rates. The present study supports NAFLD screening in patients with STEMI.

A novel prognostic indicator for in-hospital and 4-year outcomes in patients with pulmonary embolism: TIMI risk index.

BACKGROUND: Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk index (TRI) was recently evaluated in patients with acute myocardial infarction and found as an important prognostic index. In the current study, we evaluated the prognostic value of TRI in patients with moderate-high and high risk pulmonary embolism (PE) who were treated with thrombolytic agents. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the in-hospital and long-term (4-year) prognostic impact of TRI in a total number of 456 patients with moderate-high and high risk PE. Patients were stratified by quartiles (Q) of admission TRI. RESULTS: In-hospital analysis revealed significantly higher rates of in-hospital death for patients with TRI in Q4. After adjustment for confounding baseline variables, TRI in Q4 was associated with 2.8-fold hazard of in-hospital death. Upon multivariate analysis, admission TRI in Q4 vs. Q1-3 was associated with 3.1 fold hazard of 4-year mortality rate. CONCLUSION: TRI in Q4, as compared to Q1-3, was significantly predictive of short term and long-term outcomes in PE patients who treated with thrombolytic agents. Our data suggest TRI to be an independent, feasible, and cost-effective tool for rapid risk stratification in moderate-high and high risk PE patients who treated with thrombolytic agents.

Relation of the Number of Parity to Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Pregnancy.

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) has been relatively less studied than other cardiac changes during pregnancy. Previous studies revealed a mild diastolic deterioration during pregnancy. However, these studies did not evaluate the long-term effect of parity on left ventricular diastolic function. A comprehensive study evaluating the long-term effect of parity on diastolic function is required. A total of 710 women with various number of parity were evaluated through echocardiography to reveal the status of diastolic function. Echocardiographic parameters were compared among the women by parity number and categorized accordingly: none, 0 to 4 and 4< parity (grand multiparous). In nulliparous group, 19 women (23.2%) had grade 1 LVDD, and only 2 women (2.4%) had grade 2 LVDD. In women with a parity number of 0 to 4, 209 women (38.3%) had grade 1 LVDD, and only 17 women (3.1%) had grade 2 LVDD. In grand multiparous group, only 2 women (2.4%) did not have LVDD, and 12 women (14.6%) had grade 2 LVDD. None of the subjects had grade 3 or grade 4 LVDD. According to hierarchical logistic regression analysis, any grade of LVDD and grade 2 LVDD had the highest rates at parity category of > 4 parity and that had 21 and 5.8 times higher than nulliparous group, respectively. In conclusion, according to the present study, grand multiparity but not multiparity, severely deteriorates left ventricular diastolic function. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the risk of gradual diastolic dysfunction after each pregnancy.

Off-Hour Primary Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty Does Not Affect Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

We evaluated whether primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) during off-hours is related to an increased incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). We retrospectively analyzed the incidence of CIN mortality among 2552 patients with consecutive ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with pPCI during regular hours (weekdays 8:00 am to 5:00 pm) and off-hours (weekdays 5:01 pm to 7:59 am, weekends and holidays). Patients in the off-hour group were more frequently admitted with acute heart failure symptoms (16.4% vs 7.8%, P < .001) and more contrast was injected during the procedure (235.2 ± 82.3 vs 248.9 ± 87.1 mL, P = .002). The frequency of CIN between on-hour and off-hour groups was similar (7.1% vs 6.2%, P = .453), but there was a trend toward higher in-hospital mortality when pPCI was performed during off-hours (1.9% vs 0.7%, P = .081). Off-hour pPCI was not associated with an increased risk of CIN (odds ratio: 1.051, P = .833). The incidence of CIN did not increase during off-hours, and off-hour pPCI is not a risk factor for CIN, despite an apparent increase in contrast media use during off-hour pPCI.

Long-Term Antiarrhythmic Effects of Thrombolytic Therapy in Pulmonary Embolism.

BACKGROUND: The role of thrombolytic therapy in acute pulmonary embolism patients is still controversial considering the occurrence of arrhythmias. Short-term effects of thrombolytics are well-known whereas long-term effects on cardiac electrophysiology have not been reported before. The objective of our study was to assess the arrhythmic differences in pulmonary embolism patients who received thrombolytics followed by anticoagulation or anticoagulation alone. METHODS: Sixty patients who received thrombolytic therapy followed by anticoagulation (group 1) and 60 patients who received anticoagulation alone (group 2) were included in this retrospective, single-centre observational study. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory electrocardiography was performed 31 ± 9 months after pulmonary embolism hospitalisation in order to compare arrhythmias originating from both ventricles and atria. RESULTS: The age and gender distribution of the patients were statistically similar. Ventricular arrhythmias were found to be the same between t-PA and non t-PA groups. All types of atrial arrhythmias were found to be increased in non t-PA group even though left and right atrial volume indexes were statistically identical between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In long-term pulmonary embolism, follow-up thrombolytic therapy was demonstrated to have atrial antiarrhythmic effects.

Higher CHA2DS2-VASc Score Is Associated With Increased Mortality in Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

BACKGROUND: CHA2DS2-VASc score has been validated in risk prediction for stroke and thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Association of CHA2DS2-VASc score with higher risk of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism (PE) has also been shown. In this study, we investigated the long-term prognostic value of CHA2DS2-VASc score in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). METHODS: Consecutive patients with APE presenting to our emergency department were retrospectively recruited. Patients with AF and who died secondary to causes other than PE were excluded from the study. The CHA2DS2-VASc score and pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) were calculated. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy seven participants were included in the study. The mortality rate was 18.7%. Twenty-two cases died within 30 days, and 30 cases died during the follow-up period (median: 13 months). The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was significantly higher in dead patients compared to survivors (3.61 ± 1.35 vs 1.95 ± 1.52, P < .01). In multivariate regression analysis, systolic pulmonary artery pressure (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.06, P = .02), PESI score (HR: 1.010, 95% CI: 1.004-1.017, P < .01), and CHA2DS2-VASc score (HR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.19-2.16, P < .01) were found to be independently correlated with mortality. The patients whose CHA2DS2-VASc score was between 1 and 3 had 5.67 times and patients whose CHA2DS2-VASc score was ≥4 had 16.8 times higher risk of mortality compared to patients with CHA2DS2-VASc score = 0. CONCLUSION: Patients with higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores had higher rates of mortality after APE.