Complications prior to revascularization among patients waiting for coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

AIM: To describe the occurrence of death, development of acute myocardialinfarction and need for hospitalization among patients on thewaiting list for coronary artery by pass grafting and percutaneoustransluminal coronary angioplasty. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All the patients on the waiting list for possible coronary revascularizationin September 1990 in western Sweden. RESULTS: Of 718 patients waiting for either coronary artery bypass graftingor percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, 15 (2.1%)died between the actual week in September 1990 and prior torevascularization and 12 (1.7%) developed a non-fatal acutemyocardial infarction during the same period. All 15 patientswho died before undergoing revascularization died a cardiacdeath. Death and/or the development of an acute myocardial infarctionwas significantly more frequent among the elderly, among patientswith a low ejection fraction and among patients with a historyof diabetes mellitus. In all, 29% required hospitalization priorto the procedure. The most common reason was symptoms of anginapectoris requiring hospitalization in 23% of the patients. CONCLUSION: Among patients on the waiting list before either coronary arterybypass grafting or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty,15 (2.1%) died prior to the procedure and 1.7% developed a non-fatalacute myocardial infarction. The risk of either death or developingan acute myocardial infarction was highest among patients inthe older age groups, among patients with a history of diabetesmellitus and among patients with a lower ejection fraction.