Analysis of time intervals related to STEMI management in 2008–2016

IntroductionA modern treatment of patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is based on a rapid primary percutaneous coronary intervention with direct recanalization of the affected coronary artery (dPCI). The outcome of the treatment depends largely on the pre-hospital care management, which can reduce the total ischaemic time and subsequently improve patient's outlook.AimsThe principal aims of this retrospective study were to assess the development of time intervals related to the pre-hospital care and the effect of the mode of transportation to the cathlab (primary vs secondary) on these intervals in patients with acute STEMI treated by primary PCI in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016.MethodsWe have analysed patients with STEMI treated using PCI within 12 h of symptoms onset. In total, 1250 patients were included. To evaluate the development over the last 8 years, uni- and multivariate analyses were used. Categorical variables were analysed using chi-squared tests while continuous variables were analysed using one-way ANOVA and general linear models. The effect of the year and of mode of transportation on time intervals were studied.ResultsThe time intervals did not significantly differ among years with the exception of 2014 where the reason of the deviation was however not related to the quality of the pre-hospital care. The 120 min limit from the first medical contact to unblocking the affected artery (FMCTB) was met in more than 80% patients (80.8), the recommended limit of 90 min in 55.2% of patients. The key factor affecting the total ischaemic time was however the patients’ choice of the mode of transportation – in patients who opted for the primary route of transportation, i.e., called the ambulance, the intervals were significantly shorter (FMCTB on average by 38.2 min and total ischaemic time by 92.9 min). The principal delays were detected in the patients’ delay (103 min inpatients with primary transportation route, 131 in patients with secondary route) as well as, unfortunately, in the intervals between reporting the patients’ problem to the system and ECG-confirmed diagnosis (26 min if the patient calls ambulance vs 52 min if they present at a general practitioner or outpatient clinic) and subsequent transportation to the cathlab (60 min for primary route, 97 for secondary). The latter two should be in particular targeted and we can see a significant room for improvement here.ConclusionThe time intervals do not vary among individual years (with some exceptions). The route of transportation, which is a patient's choice, on the total ischaemic time is however a crucial and predominant factor affecting the total ischaemic time as well as individual intervals.     

COVID-19期间贵州省STEMI患者救治特征分析

目的 分析贵州省2020年1月21日—2月24日新冠疫情期间贵州省STEMI患者的救治特征,为疫情的防控、诊断、治疗及决策提供详实的数据基础与参考。方法：选取2020年1月21日—2月24日贵州省内的13所三级甲等教学医院心内科收治的STEMI患者作为实验组,这13所医院2019年同期收治的STEMI患者为研究对象作为对照组。记录所选13家医院的医院等级、胸痛中心及胸痛联盟认证情况,记录是否分属教学医院。记录所选对象的性别、年龄及慢性合并症情况。记录两组对象在各家医院的就诊数量、救治方式及并发症情况。记录患者的总缺血时间、发病-首次医疗接触、首次医疗接触-导丝通过及入门-导丝通过时间。结果:2020年1月21日—2月24日选取贵州省13所三甲医院,其中12所为胸痛中心标准版认证单位,13所均分属当地胸痛中心联盟、为教学医院。两组患者的性别、年龄、吸烟史及慢性病情况均无统计学差异。实验组溶栓患者数较对照组明显降低(P＜0.01),溶栓成功患者、急诊PCI患者,心衰与死亡患者数目两组均无差异。实验组总缺血时间、发病-首次医疗接触时间、首次医疗接触-导丝通过时间及入门-导丝通过时间均长于对照组(均P＜0.01)。结论: ,新冠疫情使贵州省STEMI患者的发病就诊时间明显延长,表现为总缺血时间、发病-首次医疗接触、首次医疗接触-导丝通过及入门-导丝通过时间的延长,错过溶栓时间窗患者比例增加;对总体溶栓成功、心衰、死亡患者数目没有明显影响。     

Referral of patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction directly to the catheterization suite based on prehospital teletransmission of 12-lead electrocardiogram

Background

Time from symptom onset to reperfusion is essential in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. Prior studies have indicated that prehospital 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) transmission can reduce time to reperfusion.

Purpose

Determine 12-lead ECG transmission success rates, and time saved by referring patients directly to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) bypassing local hospitals and emergency departments.

Methods

Prehospital 12-lead ECG was recorded in patients with symptoms suggesting acute coronary syndrome during a 1-year pilot phase and transmitted to the attending cardiologist's mobile phone. Transmission success rates were determined, and prehospital and hospital delays were recorded and compared to historic controls.

Results

Transmission was attempted in 152 patients and was successful in 89%. Twenty-seven patients were referred directly for pPCI. Median hospital arrival to pPCI was 22 vs 94 minutes in the control group (P < .01).

Conclusions

Transmission of prehospital ECG is technically feasible and reduces time to pPCI in ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction patients.     

Outcome and treatment quality of transfer primary percutaneous intervention in older patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome and treatment quality of transfer percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in older patients with acute STEMI. In this prospective study all patients with diagnosed acute (pain-to-balloon ≤ 12 h) STEMI transferred to our institution for primary PCI (n = 400) between January 2005 and October 2007 were under investigation. Overall 125 older patients with age ≥70 years were included (mean age 77.5 ± 4.9 years; 77 males). Pre-hospital delays were more common in older patients with longer pain-to-balloon: median (range) = 85 (5-629) vs. 66 (1-688) p = 0.031, and pain-to-first medical-contact-times: median: 206 (84-711) vs. 172 (45-720); p = 0.001. A trend towards a higher (non-significant) rate of major 5/125 (5%) vs. 5/275 (1.8%), p = 0.195 and minor 10/125 (8%) vs. 14/275 (5.1%). p = 0.256 bleeding complications in older patients was evident. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in older patients compared to the younger patients group: 13/125, 10.4% vs. 8/275, 2.9%, p = 0.002). Overall mortality at 30-day follow-up was 11.2% in older and 3.3% in younger patients: 14/125 vs. 9/275, p = 0.002. Transfer PCI is an effective treatment strategy for older patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Overall-30-day mortality in older STEMI-patients transferred for primary PCI is comparably low.     

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention of native chronic total occlusions to treat ST elevation myocardial infarction secondary to acute vein graft occlusion

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the treatment modality of choice in patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Clinical outcomes have dramatically improved with the wide adoption of primary PCI in patients with STEMI because of acute thrombotic native coronary artery occlusion. However, patients with prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery who present with STEMI because of acute saphenous vein graft (SVG) occlusion continue to have worse outcomes because of poor acute and long‐term results of SVG stenting. Therefore, it may be preferable to treat the native coronary artery supplied by the occluded graft although this can be challenging if the native vessel is a chronic total occlusion (CTO). Recent advances in technology and techniques in CTO PCI have significantly improved the success rate and efficiency of CTO procedures. At our institution we have developed a high volume CTO programme with high success rates. We present three cases of acute inferior STEMI because of SVG occlusion which were treated with successful retrograde PCI of the native vessel CTO, utilising the occluded graft as a retrograde channel in two cases and native septal collaterals in the other. Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 3 flow in the native coronary artery was achieved in all three cases with good acute outcomes. Our case series highlights the benefits of a high volume CTO programme. With recent advances in CTO techniques, acute PCI to native vessel CTO is feasible and may be the treatment of choice in selected cases of acute SVG failure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Has hyperglycemia a different prognostic role in STEMI patients with or without diabetes?

Background and aimsHyperglycemia at hospital admission is a common finding in patients with STEMI. However, whether elevated acute glycemia in these patients may have a direct impact on worsening prognosis or is just a marker of a greater neurohormonal activation in response to the infarction is still unsettled.We sought to investigate the prognostic impact of hyperglycemia at hospital admission in patients undergoing primary PCI (pPCI) for STEMI, and the influence of the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) on its prognostic impact.Methodsand Results, We enrolled 2958 consecutive STEMI patients treated by pPCI. Hyperglycemia was defined as plasma glucose >198 mg/dL (or >11 mmol/L). Patients with hyperglycemia showed a greater risk-profile; they also experienced a higher mortality both at univariable (17.6% vs 5.2%, p < 0.001) and multivariable (HR 1.9, 95%IC 1.5–2.9, p = 0.001) analysis. However, after stratification for DM presence, hyperglycemia resulted as an independent predictor of mortality only in patients without DM (HR 2, 95%IC 1.2–3.4, p = 0.01).ConclusionHyperglycemia in the setting of myocardial infarction treated with primary PCI in an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients without diabetes; in patients with diabetes, its prognostic impact seems attenuated.     

Impact of multivessel disease on infarct size among STEMI patients undergoing primary angioplasty

Background

Although primary angioplasty achieves Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 3 flow in most patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, epicardial recanalization does not guarantee optimal perfusion in a large proportion of patients. Multivessel disease has been demonstrated to be associated with impaired survival, however its impact on infarct size has not been largely investigated, that therefore is the aim of the current study.

Methods

Our population is represented by 827 STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. Infarct size was evaluated at 30 days by technetium-99m-sestamibi.

Results

Multivessel disease was observed in 343 patients (41.5%). It was associated with older age (65 [57–74] vs 63 [53–71], p < 0.001), higher rate of previous MI (6.4% vs 2.5%, p = 0.005), longer ischemia time evaluated as continuous variable (210 [155–280] min vs 196 [145–270] min, p = 0.065) or percentage of patients with ischemia time >3 h (63.7% vs 56.4%, p = 0.038), and a trend in more cardiogenic shock (5.5% vs 2.9%, p = 0.055). Patients with multivessel disease received more often Abciximab (92.1% vs 88.4%, p < 0.001), Intra-aortic balloon pump (6.4% vs 1.9%, p < 0.001). No differences were observed in other clinical or angiographic characteristics. In particular, multivessel disease did not affect the rate of postprocedural TIMI 3 flow (90.9% vs 93.4%, p = 0.18) and ST-segment resolution (52.4% vs 54.9%, p = 0.48). Multivessel disease did not affect infarct size (12.7% [4.5%–24.9%] vs 12.3% [4%–24.1%], p = 0.58). Similar results were observed in subanalyses without any significant interaction for each variable (anterior infarct location (p int = 0.23), gender (p int = 0.9), age (p int = 0.7), diabetes (p int = 0.15)). The absence of any impact of multivessel disease on infarct size was confirmed when the analysis was conducted according to the percentage of patients with infarct size above the median, even after correction for baseline characteristics, such as age, previous MI, ischemia time, use of Gp IIb–IIIa inhibitors, cardiogenic shock, ischemia time (OR [95% CI] = 1.09 [0.82–1.45], p = 0.58).

Conclusions

This study shows that among STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI multivessel disease does not affect infarct size.