Echocardiographic assessment of the incidence of mechanical complications during the early phase of myocardial infarction in the reperfusion era: a French multicentre prospective registry.

BACKGROUND: Since the early reports on the incidence of mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) assessed by echocardiography published in the 1980s, the management of patients with AMI has changed considerably, in particular with the progressive development of early revascularisation. METHODS: The aim of this multicentre study was to assess the incidence of mechanical complications of AMI in the reperfusion era. Nine-hundred and eight consecutive patients were included. Echocardiography was performed on admission and at discharge. Seventy-eight percent of patients were revascularised at the acute phase. RESULTS: The following incidence rates of mechanical complications were observed: mitral regurgitation 28%, secondary to left ventricular (LV) remodelling (43%) or papillary muscle dysfunction (57%); pericardial effusion 6.6%, more frequent after anterior AMI and associated with a lower ejection fraction (EF); LV thrombus 2.4%, mainly after anterior AMI and associated with a lower EF (38+/-10% vs. 48+/-12%; p<0.001); early infarct expansion 4%; septal rupture 0.6%; and acute free wall rupture 0.8%. The following factors were independently associated with the occurrence of mechanical complications by multivariate logistic regression analysis: lack of early revascularisation (OR 3.48, 95%CI 1.36-8.95; p<0.001), LV-EF<50% (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.42-2.67; p<0.001), Killip class>II (OR 1.91, 95%CI 1.27-2.87; p<0.002) and age > or =70 years (OR 1.42, 95%CI 1.03-1.97; p<0.03). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the favourable prognostic influence of early revascularisation as shown by the low incidence of mechanical complications after AMI, and underlines the persistent relationship between the development of these complications and depressed LV function.

Long-term clinical outcome after percutaneous coronary interventions in the elderly: results for 512 consecutive patients.

AIMS: Elderly patients are increasingly being referred for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but there is a paucity of current data on the long-term outcome of elective PCI in elderly patients. We sought to define the risks facing elderly patients undergoing contemporary PCIs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Retrospectively, in a single-centre registry, we studied the mortality and the outcome of 512 consecutive patients > 75 years old who underwent PCI, between January 1st 2000 and December 31st 2001. Clinical endpoints included in-hospital mortality; major adverse cardiovascular and cerebro-vascular events (MACCE) defined by the components of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and repeat coronary revascularisation (target vessel revascularisation or not) by surgery or PCI, within the hospitalisation period and at long-term follow up. We compared 315 patients 75-79 years old (group I) with 197 patients > 80 years old (group II). In-hospital mortality and MACCE rates were not different between the two groups. Independent predictors of in-hospital major events found by multivariate analysis were: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or STEMI (Odds Ratio [OR]=2.58, 95% CI=1.15-5.78), left ventricular ejection fraction or LVEF <40% (OR=4.98, 95% CI=2.19-11.36) and prior coronary artery bypass grafting or CABG (OR=3.13, 95% CI=1.06-9.26). Mean long-term follow-up was 51.3 months. Death was significantly more frequent in the older group (42% vs 26%, p<0.0001). Independent predictors of long-term mortality found by multivariate analysis were: LVEF < 40% (Hazard Ratio=4.12, 95% CI=2.69-6.32), creatinine rate (HR=1.00, 95% CI=1.00-1.006) use cut-off see table and prior carotid surgery or stroke (HR=2.2, 95% CI=1.19-4.14). CONCLUSIONS: Although age is not an independent predictive factor of morbidity or mortality, co-morbidities in the elderly strongly influence long-term clinical outcomes after PCI.

[Management of acute coronary syndromes without ST elevation: the TOSCANE registry]. / Prise en charge des syndromes coronaires aigus sans sus-décalage du segment ST. Registre TOSCANE.

The problem of pre-hospital management of acute coronary syndromes without ST elevation has not been extensively studied. The practitioner is faced with three simultaneous problems: suspecting the diagnosis, how to confirm the diagnosis to introduce appropriate, rapid and effective treatment, and which prognostic criteria to use to install aggressive therapy in high risk groups (anti GP lIb/IIIa, clopidogrel, angioplasty). TOSCANE is the first multicentre French registry which analyses the impact of the emergency ambulance serve in the management of these patients. There are two objectives: to gather epidemiological data about pre-hospital and hospital management by the emergency physician and the cardiologist, and to identify at an early stage criteria of "high risk" (HR) which, according to the recommendations of the European Society of Cardiology, justify using the most aggressive therapies. From April to September 2003, 797 patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes were enrolled by 36 French centre. Of these patients, 780 were managed successfully by the emergency ambulance service and hospital cardiological department with or without a "Cath Lab", and included for analysis. The diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome without ST elevation was rarely certain in the pre-hospital period. The lack of formal paraclinical features confirming the diagnosis was often a handicap for the emergency physician. Although the European recommendations are well observed in the cardiology departments, their application and adaptability should be improved in the pre-hospital period. TOSCANE showed that all invasive strategies preceded by platelet anti-aggregant therapy in the prehospital period administered to high risk patients, significantly reduced the mortality and morbidity at one month.

[Evaluation of therapeutic strategies for myocardial infarction: the ESTIM Midi-Pyrénées survey]. / Evalualion des stratégies thérapeutiques dans l'infarctus du myocarde: le registre ESTIM Midi-Pyrénées.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the ESTIM Midi-Pyrénées survey was to monitor the management of acute coronary syndrome with ST segment elevation by cardiologists and emergency departments in the Midi-Pyrénées region. Over a period of 2 years between June 2001 and June 2003, 1287 patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome within the first 24 hours were recruited prospectively. The initial management of these patients was undertaken either by a mobile medical team in the pre-hospital phase, or in a hospital emergency department, non-interventional cardiology department or an interventional cardiology department in 51.8%, 28.8%, 9.6% et 9.9% of cases respectively. Depending on these four modes of initial management, the median time for initial management was 1h30, 2h45, 4h30 et 4h respectively. Emergency coronary reperfusion was proposed in 89.6% of cases. Of the patients in whom reperfusion was attempted within the first 12 hours, 33.7% underwent pre-hospital thrombolysis (median delay of 1h48), 35.8% underwent thrombolysis in hospital (median delay 3h), and 30.4% underwent primary angioplasty (median delay 4h40). Thrombolysis was followed by angioplasty in 80% of cases. A combined approach with thrombolysis and angioplasty was applied in 41% of patients. At one month the rate of major cardiac events, death, and/or subsequent myocardial infarction was 12%. Multivariate analysis revealed that the only significant adverse prognostic features were: not offering reperfusion [Odds ratio (OR) 4, confidence interval (CI) 2.3-3.7] and age [OR 3.8, CI 2.3-6.2]. The method of reperfusion did not influence the subsequent outcome in this regional survey. CONCLUSION: pre-hospital management allows early revascularisation. In our region there was no significant prognostic difference between pre-hospital thrombolysis and primary angioplasty. It shows that the logistic and therapeutic potentials of prehospital care are not being sufficiently exploited.

[Revascularization of acute myocardial infarction. Doing better and doing more]. / Revascularisation de l'infarctus du myocarde aigu. Faire mieux et faire plus.

Effectiveness, safety, moderation, complementary, network, consensus, strategy and evaluation are the key words in the therapeutic management of acute myocardial infarction. They focus the development of pharmacological and interventional tools of recanalisation, and the decisions for those who use them. In order to cover a condition for which the patient and doctor alike choose neither time nor place, they lead to linking methods and disciplines together for a united approach. They take account of practice in order to adapt scientific data to the realities of exercise, to justify the given means, and to propose clear, realistic and useful management guidelines to first contact doctors. They deliver the best to the greatest number of patients.

[Effects of bradykinin in the cardiovascular effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors]. / Effets de la bradykinine dans les effets cardiovasculaires des inhibiteurs de l'enzyme de conversion.

The role of bradykinin in the cardiovascular effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors remains difficult to establish. On their haemodynamic effects, bradykinin acts during their acute administration, participating in their vasodilatation action, while during their chronic administration they act slightly or not at all. On their trophic effects, the action of the tissue kallikrein-kinin system, suggested by the results of animal experimentation, is yet to be demonstrated in man. For their effects on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality the role of bradykinin remains under discussion. Nevertheless, besides ACE inhibitors, the other therapeutic agents which increase the levels of bradykinin, such as neutral endopeptidase inhibitors, have a significant field of development in the course of cardiovascular pathologies.

[Holter EKG for the hypertensive heart disease]. / Intérêt du holter ECG dans la surveillance de la cardiopathie hypertensive.

During chronic mechanical overload induced by hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy predisposes to atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Atrial arrhythmias, mainly atrial fibrillation, decrease cardiac output and increase the risk of embolism whereas ventricular arrhythmias remain the major cause of sudden death. In hypertensive patients, Holter EKG recordings frequently detect atrial or ventricular premature beats and more rarely atrial or ventricular tachycardia. In these patients, the presence of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia is considered as an independent predictor of mortality. Moreover, this non invasive method through the assessment of heart rate variability allows the study of the autonomic control of the heart, known to modulate occurrence of arrhythmias.

[Left ventricular hypertrophy and sinus variability in arterial hypertension]. / Hypertrophie ventriculaire gauche et variabilité sinusale au cours de l'hypertension artérielle.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of heart rate variability (HRV) in systemic hypertension have yielded conflicting results. We sought to assess the alterations of HRV in hypertensive patients with or without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). METHODS: 195 hypertensive patients in sinus rhythm, mean age 53 +/- 11 years, without diabetes mellitus, nor symptomatic coronary disease or systolic dysfunction, were prospectively enrolled. Echocardiographic examination allowed their subdivision in 3 groups: normal geometry (112), concentric remodeling (43) and LVH (40). Time and frequency domain measures of HRV were obtained from 24 h Holter ECG recordings in all patients as in 40 control subjects. RESULTS: In comparison with control subjects, the 3 hypertensive groups presented a significant decrease of SDNN and total frequency power both indexes of global HRV; a significant decrease of pNN50 and high frequency power, indexes of HRV reflecting parasympathetic tone, and a significant decrease of SDANN and low frequency power, indexes reflecting sympathetic modulation of HRV. Comparisons among the three hypertensive groups showed that patients with LVH had significantly (p < 0.05) lower low frequency power (5.5 +/- 1.0 Ln m2) than patients with left ventricular normal geometry (5.9 +/- 0.8 Ln m2) or concentric remodeling (5.9 +/- 0.9 Ln m2). CONCLUSION: Assessment of HRV in hypertensive patients shows a constant decrease of parasympathetic indexes and a more markedly reduction of sympathetic parameters in presence of LVH.