C-reactive protein in unstable angina: clinical and angiographic correlation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence, in-hospital prognostic significance and angiographic correlation of C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation in patients with unstable angina. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman. PATIENTS: 100 patients admitted between July 2008 and January 2009. INTERVENTIONS: Patients with unstable angina and ECG changes without biochemical evidence of necrosis (negative first troponin T), had CRP measured at admission by rate nephelometry (≥10 mg/l abnormal). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In-hospital cardiac events and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with and without CRP elevation. RESULTS: 42% had CRP elevation ≥10 mg/l (Group I), and 58% had levels <10 mg/l (Group II). When compared with Group II, Group I patients had more anginal episodes (mean=4.6±2.5 episodes/patient vs 1.6±2.4; p<0.0001), myocardial infarction (58% vs 17%; p<0.01), in-hospital mortality (9% vs 0%; p=0.03) and severe triple vessel disease (71% vs 24%; p<0.01), and a higher total number of events (86% vs 24%; p<0.0001). Elevated admission CRP as a marker of in-hospital cardiac events showed a sensitivity of 72%, specificity of 88% and positive predictive value of 85%, and, as a marker of significant CAD, showed a specificity of 83% and a positive predictive value of 85%. CONCLUSIONS: Raised admission CRP level is predictive of increased in-hospital cardiac events and severe CAD in patients with unstable angina. CRP can be used to risk-stratify unstable angina patients independent of troponin levels. Patients with abnormal CRP should undergo coronary angiography either on-site or transferred to a centre with catheterisation facility during the index hospital admission.

Immediate and Six-month Clinical Outcome of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in a Tertiary Hospital in the Sultanate of Oman.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical characteristics, angiographic profile, in-hospital and six-month clinical outcome of patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in a tertiary hospital in the Sultanate of Oman. METHODS: Two hundred and five consecutive patients with both acute coronary syndrome and stable coronary artery disease, who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention between January 2007 and June 2007, were retrospectively analyzed. Follow-up information was obtained from outpatient visits of these patients at six-months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end point in this study was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as cardiac death, any myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and target vessel revascularization (TVR) with either repeat percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Secondary end points included angiographic success rate, procedural success rate, angina status, and the rate of clinical and angiographic restenosis. RESULTS: The angiographic and procedural success rate was 98% and 95% respectively. Fifty-one percent of patients surveyed had single vessel disease, 34% had double vessel disease and triple vessel disease was seen in 15% of patients. Type A lesion was found in 16%, Type B in 55% and Type C in 29% of patients. The majority of patients had single vessel stenting (83%). The mean ± SD number of stents per patient was 1.6 ± 0.9.There were four in-hospital deaths (2%) and six patients (2.9%) had non-ST elevation myocardial infarction before hospital discharge. Out of 205 patients, 53 patients were lost to follow-up. Among the 148 patients followed up, 105 patients (71%) were asymptomatic at follow-up, 36 (24%) patients had stable angina and 7 (5%) had a late myocardial infarction including three patients with stent thrombosis (2%). Among the 43 patients with angina or late infarction, 28 patients underwent coronary angiogram. Angiographic in-stent restenosis was seen in 14 patients. Of them, 8 patients underwent CABG and 6 patients repeat PCI. Fourteen patients had patent stents.The remaining fifteen patients were on optimal medications including two patients with stent thrombosis as they refused coronary angiogram. Overall, 132 of 148 patients (105 asymptomatic/14 patent stents/13 with angina) (89%) were free from major adverse cardiac events. Considering anginal status and repeat angiograms, composite clinical (15 patients) and angiographic (14 patients) six-month restenosis rate in percutaneous coronary intervention patients (29/148) was 19.5%. CONCLUSION: Results of percutaneous coronary intervention in our setup is excellent with good immediate results, low complication rate, good six-month clinical outcome and is comparable to international standards.