The relationship between culprit artery and the clinical outcomes in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for inferior wall ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: We observed the effect of culprit artery in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) caused by inferior wall ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during hospital stay and 6-month follow-ups. METHODS: After exclusion, 233 consecutive patients with inferior wall STEMI (mean age: 55.6±12.4 years) undergoing primary PCI were prospectively enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into two groups according to culprit artery: right coronary artery (RCA=group 1 [N.=187]) and left circumflex artery (LCX=group 2 [N.=46]). Patients were followed up for six months. RESULTS: Patients of both groups had similar risk factors such as age, sex, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. While there were more cases of right ventricular infarction (P=0.001), complete atrioventricular block (P=0.002) and proximal located lesions (P=0.002) in RCA group, there was less collateral circulation incidence in LCX group (P=0.04). Ratios of no-reflow and myocardial blush grade after primary PCI were similiar in both groups. There was no significant difference between groups associated with major adverse cardiac events (MACE), target-vessel revascularization and mortality ratios during hospital stay and 6-month follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of RCA and LCX on MACE and cardiovascular mortality during hospital stay and the 6-month follow-up (mid-term) period are similar in patients on whom primary PCI was performed due to inferior wall STEMI.

The impact of NT-proBNP on admission for early risk stratification of patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Incompleted ST segment resolution (STR) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with worse clinical outcomes. AIM: To investigate the association between plasma N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels on admission and STR after reperfusion, in a patient with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary PCI. METHODS: After exclusion, 81 consecutive patients with STEMI (mean age: 61.3 ± 13.4 years) undergoing primary PCI were prospectively enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into two groups according to ST-segment resolution: ΣSTR < 50%, the no-reflow phenomenon positive (+) group (n = 20), and ΣSTR ≥ 50%, the no-reflow phenomenon negative (-) group (n = 61). Patients were followed up for six months. RESULTS: The no-reflow phenomenon (+) group had similar baseline cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus) but higher mid-term mortality (25% vs. 6.5%, p = 0.02) than the no-reflow phenomenon (-) group. The frequency of anterior MI in the no-reflow phenomenon (+) group was higher (75%, p = 0.02). NT-proBNP levels on admission were higher in the no-reflow phenomenon (+) group (p = 0.001). A NT-proBNP level ≥ 563.4 pg/mL measured on admission had a 72.7% sensitivity and 72.9% specificity in predicting no-reflow phenomenon at ROC curve analysis. At multivariate analysis, anterior MI, high NT-proBNP levels, prolonged chest pain-to-reperfusion time (> 6 h) and post-TIMI-3 flow were independent predictors of no-reflow phenomenon after primary PCI. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma NT-proBNP level on admission is a strong and independent predictor of no-reflow phenomenon following primary PCI and mid-term cardiovascular mortality in patients with STEMI.

Prognostic significance of T-wave amplitude in lead aVR on the admission electrocardiography in patients with anterior wall ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary percutaneous intervention.

BACKGROUND: T-wave positivity in aVR lead patients with heart failure and anterior wall old ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are shown to have a higher frequency of cardiovascular mortality, although the effects on patients with STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been investigated. In this study, we sought to determine the prognostic value of T wave in lead aVR on admission electrocardiography (ECG) for in-hospital mortality in patients with anterior wall STEMI treated with primary PCI. METHODS: After exclusion, 169 consecutive patients with anterior wall STEMI (mean age: 55 ± 12.9 years; 145 men) undergoing primary PCI were prospectively enrolled in this study. Patients were classified as a T-wave positive (n = 53, group 1) or T-wave negative (n = 116, group 2) in aVR based upon the admission ECG. All patients were evaluated with respect to clinical features, primary PCI findings, and in-hospital clinical results. RESULTS: T-wave positive patients who received primary PCI were older, multivessel disease was significantly more frequent and the duration of the patient's hospital stay was longer than T-wave negative patients. In-hospital mortality tended to be higher in the group 1 when compared with group 2 (7.5% vs 1.7% respectively, P = 0.05). After adjusting the baseline characteristics, positive T wave remained an independent predictor of in hospital mortality (odds ratio: 4.41; 95% confidence interval 1.2-22.1, P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: T-wave positivity in lead aVR among patients with an anterior wall STEMI treated with primary PCI is associated with an increase in hospital cardiovascular mortality.

Impact of altitude on predicting midterm outcome in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction.

This study investigated the effects of altitude on occurrence of mid-term negative events among patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study enrolled 492 patients with STEMI. 119 of those patients were living at an intermediate altitude (1960 m, Group I) and 373 were living at sea level (0 m, Group II). There was no significant difference between the different altitude groups in terms of the incidence of cardiac death, urgent target vessel revascularization (TVR), stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) and composite endpoints. However, Group I had a significantly higher reinfarction incidence when compared with the Group II. Independent predictors of 6-month composite endpoints were history of statin use, presentation with acute stent thrombosis, peak CK-MB level, success of procedure, Killip classification, and left ventricular ejection fraction. In conclusion, altitude status and altitude-related hematologic changes had no influence over the mid-term outcomes in STEMI patients treated with percutaneous intervention.

A comparison of direct versus conventional stenting in patients undergoing primary angioplasty for ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine the impact of direct stenting (DS) on procedural success and the in-hospital outcome among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: With improvements in stent designs, DS has become more widespread. The theoretical advantages of DS include a shorter procedural time, a lower contrast dose, and reduced spiral dissections, along with reduced radiation exposure and procedural costs. METHODS: A total of 1992 consecutive STEMI patients were reviewed; 621 patients (31.2%) were included in the DS group and 1371 (68.8%) in the conventional stenting (CS) group. The clinical and angiographic characteristics, in-hospital outcomes, and predictors of unsuccessful primary angioplasty were analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE) was 6.1% in the CS group and 4.3% in the DS group. The difference between the two patient groups was not statistically significant for myocardial reinfarction (re-MI), target-vessel revascularization, and MACE. Nonetheless, the rates of in-hospital mortality and advanced heart failure were significantly lower in the DS group. CS [odds ratio (OR) 3.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.65-7.37, P=0.001], Killip class 2/3 (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.23, P=0.01), glomerular filtration rateless than 60 ml/min/1.73 m (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.22-3.94, P=0.008), and anterior MI (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.01-2.56, P=0.04) were found to be independent predictors of unsuccessful procedures. CONCLUSION: DS improves the in-hospital outcomes of STEMI patients treated with primary PCI, particularly by reducing the rates of in-hospital mortality and advanced heart failure. CS was an independent predictor of unsuccessful PCI.