Myocardial infarction in patients with diabetes. Results of primary coronary angioplasty.

BACKGROUND: Although the introduction of primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) improved the outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), diabetes remains a significant factor which worsens prognosis. AIM: To compare the immediate and in-hospital results of PCI in patients with acute MI with or without diabetes. METHODS: The outcome of 139 patients with diabetes and 528 patients without diabetes was compared. Thrombolytic therapy was administered prior to PCI to 43.2% of patients with diabetes and 42.4% of patients without diabetes. RESULTS: Patients with diabetes were older, more frequently of female gender and had higher incidence of hypertension as well as multi-vessel coronary artery disease. PCI was effective in 85.6% of diabetics and 90.2% of non-diabetic patients (NS). The reocclusion rate was significantly higher in diabetics than in non-diabetics (11.5% vs 5.5%, p=0.012) whereas the incidence of haemorrhagic complications was similar. Mortality rates were comparable in both groups (7.2% in diabetics vs 5.9% in non-diabetics, NS). CONCLUSIONS: 1) Immediate efficacy of primary PCI for acute MI is similar in diabetics and non-diabetics, however, the in-hospital reocclusion rate is higher in the former group of patients. 2) In-hospital mortality is not affected by the presence of diabetes. 3) Thrombolytic and invasive treatment of diabetic patients with acute MI is not associated with an increased risk of bleeding.

Coronary artery disease in heart transplant recipients - diagnosis and treatment. Single centre experience based on results of elective coronary angiography.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent progress in clinical transplantology, coronary artery disease of transplanted heart (TxCAD) remains the main cause of long-term mortality. The role of elective coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in these patients has not yet been well established. AIM: To evaluate the incidence of TxCAD based on the results of elective CAG and to assess the role of potential risk factors and treatment options. METHODS: We analysed the results of 227 elective CAG procedures performed in 145 patients after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) between 1986 and 1998. The result of CAG was considered positive when any lesion was found in coronary arteries regardless of its hemodynamic relevance, including both atherosclerotic plaques and lesions characteristic of vasculopathy. The influence of immunological (rejection of transplanted heart) and non-immunological risk factors on the development of TxCAD was analysed separately for the first 3 years after OHT and for the subsequent period. RESULTS: Positive result of at least one CAG was found in 54 (37%) patients. The overall percentage of positive CAG was 41%, starting from 18% one year after OHT to 55% five years after surgery. Vasculopathic lesions were found in 14% of CAG procedures. Risk factor analysis showed an increasing impact over time of non-immunological factors, however, differences were not statistically significant. Hemodynamically significant lesions were found in 21 patients. In 16 of those PCI was performed. Control CAG was done in 12 patients after PCI revealing indications for another PCI in 8 of them. TxCAD was the cause of death in 3 patients in the PCI group. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of elective CAG, frequency of TxCAD increases with time and reaches 55% by 5 years after OHT. PCI is an effective method of treating significant coronary lesions after OHT.

[Cardiogenic shock in the course of myocardial infarction--the results of treatment during hospitalization and in long-term follow-up]. / Wstrzas kardiogenny w przebiegu zawalu serca--wyniki leczenia w obserwacji wewnatrzszpitalnej i odleglej.

UNLABELLED: Cardiogenic shock develops in 5-15% of patients hospitalised with acute myocardial infarction. It is responsible for more than a half of all hospital deaths with survival rate of about 20%. Conventional medical therapy with use of adrenergic, vasoactive, inotropic and thrombolytic agents has failed to improve survival. Treatment strategy combine hemodynamic stabilisation with restoration of coronary blood flow. The aim of the study was evaluation of mechanical restoration of coronary blood flow in infarction related artery and to assess its influence on mortality in patients with myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. We retrospectively analysed 58 subjects: 26 patients treated by primary angioplasty, 25 patients with PTCA angioplasty after streptokinase treatment and 7 ones treated conservatively. TIMI 3 flow in angioplasty treated patients was achieved in 70.6% with in hospital mortality rate 14%, however, when reperfusion was unsuccessful the mortality was high (80%). 12 months follow-up mortality rate was 41.8%. CONCLUSION: Successful reperfusion with coronary angioplasty of the infarct-related artery can significantly reduce mortality rate in patients with cardiogenic shock. Patients who survived in-hospital period have favourable one-year prognosis.

[Comparison of coronary angioplasty results in two groups of patients with myocardial infarction: aged 40 years or younger, and older than 40 years--an in-hospital observation]. / Wyniki leczenia chorych z zawalem serca w wieku do 40 lat w porównaniu ze starszymi poddanymi angioplastyce wiencowej--analiza z rejestru Zabrze.

The aim of the study was a comparison of coronary angioplasty as the method of myocardial infarction treatment in the two groups of patients: 1st--aged 40 years and younger, and 2nd--older than 40 years of age. The 1st group consisted of 50 patients in the mean age of 36.5 +/- 3.5 years, the 2nd group included 617 patients in the mean age of 58.3 +/- 10.1 years. There was no difference between the two groups in pain duration, infarct localization, thrombolysis, and cardiogenic shock. The younger compared with the older patients were significantly more often of male gender: 45 (90.0%) vs 456 (73.9%), (p = 0.01). The young patients were more often smokers: 41 (82.0%) vs 393 (64.0%), (p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in an incidence of other coronary risk factors. Coronary angiogram showed that there was no significant difference between the both groups in the infarct-related artery localization, TIMI flow before PTCA and number of stenosed arteries. The frequency successful PTCA (TIMI 3 flow, residual stenosis below 30%) was similar in both groups: 45 (90.0%) vs 549 (89.1%), (p = 0.3). There was no significant difference between two groups in the efficacy of treatment, incidence of reocclusion, complications, and mortality during hospitalization.

Outcomes of primary coronary angioplasty and angioplasty after initial thrombolysis in the treatment of 374 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: In patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), the efficacy of thrombolysis is low. Angioplasty after failed thrombolysis (rescue percutaneous coronary angioplasty [PTCA]) has been associated with an increase in the incidence of inhospital complications. It has been proposed that these complications result from the procedure itself. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the efficacy, inhospital complications, and mortality rate of patients with MI who are treated with primary PTCA and PTCA after initial thrombolysis (rescue or immediate rescue) in an experienced clinical center specializing in percutaneous coronary interventions. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study group consisted of consecutive patients with MI treated with primary PTCA (n = 195) or PTCA after initial thrombolysis (n = 179). The study was performed in a referral center with a 24-hour catheter-laboratory service. The success rate of the procedure was 90.5% and 88.2% in the PTCA after initial thrombolysis group and primary PTCA group, respectively. The groups did not differ in the frequency of reocclusion, emergency surgical revascularization (coronary artery bypass grafting), or stroke. In patients without cardiogenic shock, the inhospital mortality rates were 3.2% and 0.6% in the rescue and immediate rescue group and primary PTCA group, respectively (not significant). In a subgroup of patients with cardiogenic shock, the mortality rate was 36.0% in the initial thrombolysis PTCA group and 30.8% in the primary PTCA group. However, after successful PTCA in this subgroup, the mortality rate dropped to 18% and 10%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: After initial thrombolysis, PTCA is safe, effective, and likely to restore grade 3 Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction flow in about 90% of patients. When available, immediate rescue PTCA should be performed in all patients, including patients with cardiogenic shock.