Background Elderly patients have high ischemic and bleeding rates after acute coronary syndrome; however, the occurrence of these complications over time has never been studied. This study sought to ...characterize average daily ischemic rates ( ADIRs ) and average daily bleeding rates ( ADBRs ) over 1 year in patients aged >74 years with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention who were randomized in the Elderly ACS 2 trial, comparing low-dose prasugrel (5 mg daily) with clopidogrel (75 mg daily). Methods and Results ADIRs and ADBRs were calculated as the total number of events, including recurrent events, divided by the number of patient-days of follow-up and assessed within different clinical phases: acute (0-3 days), subacute (4-30 days), and late (31-365 days). Generalized estimating equations were used to test the least squares mean differences for the pairwise comparisons of ADIRs and ADBRs and the pairwise comparison of clopidogrel versus prasugrel effects. Globally, ADIRs were 2.6 times (95% CI, 2.4-2.9) higher than ADBRs . ADIRs were significantly higher in the clopidogrel arm than in the low-dose prasugrel arm in the subacute phase ( P
<0.001) without a difference in ADBRs ( P
=0.35). In the late phase, ADIRs remained significantly higher with clopidogrel ( P
<0.001), whereas ADBRs were significantly higher with low-dose prasugrel ( P
<0.001). Conclusions Ischemic burden was greater than bleeding burden in all clinical phases of 1-year follow-up of elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with percutaneous coronary intervention. Low-dose prasugrel reduced ischemic events in the subacute and chronic phases compared with clopidogrel, whereas bleeding burden was lower with clopidogrel in the late phase. Clinical Trial Registration URL : http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT 01777503.
Abstract Background Elderly patients display higher on clopidogrel platelet reactivity as compared to younger patients. Treatment with prasugrel 5 mg has been shown to provide more predictable and ...homogenous antiplatelet effect, as compared to clopidogrel, suggesting the possibility of reducing ischemic events after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) without increasing bleeding. Study design The Elderly-ACS 2 study is a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, open-label trial designed to demonstrate the superiority of a strategy of dual antiplatelet treatment using a reduced 5 mg daily dose of prasugrel over a standard strategy with a daily clopidogrel dose of 75 mg in patients >74 years of age with ACS (either ST- or non ST-elevation myocardial infarction) undergoing early percutaneous revascularization. The primary endpoint is the composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial re-infarction, disabling stroke and re-hospitalization for cardiovascular causes or bleeding within one year. Taking advantage of the planned size of 2000 patients, the secondary objective is to assess the prognostic impact of selected pre-randomization variables (age, sex, diabetic status, serum creatinine level, ECG changes, abnormal troponin levels, basal and residual SYNergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXus and cardiac surgery SYNTAX score). Conclusion The Elderly-ACS 2 study is a multicenter, randomized trial comparing a strategy of dual antiplatelet therapy with a reduced dose of prasugrel with a standard dose of clopidogrel in elderly patients with ACS undergoing percutaneous revascularization. (The Elderly ACS 2 trial: NCT01777503 )
IntroductionDespite the availability of diverse evidence-based diagnostic and treatment options, many patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) still fail to receive effective, safe and timely ...diagnoses and therapies. The Association of Acute CardioVascular Care of the European Society of Cardiology has proposed and retrospectively validated a set of ACS-specific quality indicators. Combining these indicators with the principles of clinical governance—a holistic, patient-centred approach intended to promote continuous quality improvement—we designed the clinical governance programme in patients with ACS.Methods and analysisThis is a multicentre quality improvement initiative exploring multiple dimensions of care, including diagnosis, therapy, patient satisfaction, centre organisation and efficiency in all comers patients with ACS.The study will enrol ≈ 5000 patients prospectively (ie, at the time of the first objective qualifying ACS criterion) with a 1-year follow-up. Consecutive inclusion will be promoted by a simplified informed consent process and quantified by the concordance with corresponding hospital administrative records using diagnosis-related group codes of ACS.Coprimary outcome measures are (1) timely reperfusion in patients with ST-elevation ACS and (2) optimal medical therapy at discharge in patients with confirmed acute myocardial infarction. Secondary outcomes broadly include multiple indicators of the process of care. Clinical endpoints (ie, death, myocardial infarction, stroke and bleeding) will be adjudicated by a clinical event committee according to predefined criteria.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by local ethics committee of all study sites. As a quality improvement initiative and to promote consecutive inclusion of the population of interest, a written informed consent will be requested only to patients who are discharged alive. Dissemination will be actively promoted by (1) the registration site (ClinicalTrials.Gov ID NCT04255537), (2) collaborations with investigators through open data access and sharing.
Treatment delay is a powerful predictor of survival in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We investigated effectiveness ...of pre-hospital diagnosis of STEMI with direct referral to PCI, alongside more conventional referral strategies.
From January 2003 to December 2004, 658 STEMI patients were referred for primary PCI at our intervention laboratory. Three predefined referral routes were compared: (1) for patients within 90 min drive of the PCI centre, pre-hospital diagnosis and direct transportation (n=166), (2) diagnosis at the interventional hospital emergency department (n=316), (3) diagnosis at local hospitals before transportation (n = 176). Pre-hospital diagnosis was associated with more than 45 min reduction in treatment delay (P = 0.001). No significant difference in in-hospital mortality was apparent in the overall study population. In the cardiogenic shock subgroup (n = 80), pre-hospital diagnosis was associated with a two-thirds reduction in in-hospital mortality (P = 0.019); mortality was only 6.2% in shock patients who underwent PCI in < 2 h.
This study shows that pre-hospital diagnosis can provide a reduction in primary PCI treatment delay, and suggests the hypothesis that this referral strategy might provide survival benefits to patients with cardiogenic shock.
Background High mortality rates were reported in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PPCI) “off-hours.” The objective of this ...study was to evaluate this issue in a more recent population of patients with STEMI treated with PPCI in a high-volume tertiary center specifically dedicated to STEMI treatment. Methods and Results We analyzed in-hospital/1-year mortality among 985 consecutive patients with STEMI treated with PPCI between January 2003 and December 2005 in a high-volume (>1400 PCI/year) hub center in a STEMI provincial network organization during “normal-hours” (weekdays 08:00 am to 07:29 pm ) and “off-hours” (weekdays 07:30 pm to 07:59 am and weekends). Most (61.2%) patients were treated during “off-hours”. Clinical and angiographic characteristics of the ”normal-hours” and “off-hours” groups were comparable (in both groups, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa were administered to ∼80% patients). The off-hours group tended toward higher median (25th-75th percentiles) total ischemic time (199 135-312 minutes vs 179 126-285 minutes; P = .052). Median electrocardiogram-to-balloon time was less than 90 minutes in both groups. Despite 20 minutes longer median total ischemic time, patients who underwent PPCI during “off-hours” showed similar post-PPCI Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 3 flow grade and mean left ventricular ejection fraction. No difference could be observed between the 2 groups in terms of in-hospital and 1-year mortality rates. Conclusion This study provides evidence that the clinical effectiveness of “normal” and “off-hours” PPCI can be equivalent, at least when performed at a center specifically dedicated to STEMI treatment with frequent use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa agents.
The residual burden of coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been associated with worse ischemic outcome. However, data are conflicting in elderly patients. The ...aim of our study was to verify the incremental value of the residual Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score (rSS) over clinical variables and baseline SYNTAX score (bSS) in predicting 1-year mortality or cardiovascular events.
A post hoc analysis of data collected in the Elderly-ACS 2 multicenter randomized trial was performed. We included 630 patients aged > 75 years with multivessel coronary disease undergoing PCI for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The primary outcome was a composite of death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and stroke at 1-year follow up. Change in c-statistic and standardized net benefit were used to evaluate the incremental value of the rSS.
Event rates were significantly higher in patients with incomplete revascularization (rSS > 8). When the rSS was included in a core Cox regression model containing age, previous myocardial infarction, and ACS type, the hazard ratio for patients with score values > 8 was 2.47 (95% confidence interval, 1.51-4.06). However, the core model with rSS did not increase the c-statistic compared with the core model with the bSS (from 0.69 to 0.70) and gave little incremental value in the standardized net benefit.
In elderly patients with ACS with multivessel disease undergoing PCI, incomplete revascularization was associated with worse outcome at 1-year follow-up. However, there was no clear incremental value of the rSS in the prediction of 1-year adverse outcome compared with a model including clinical variables and bSS.
Le fardeau résiduel de la coronaropathie après une intervention coronarienne percutanée (ICP) a été associé à de moins bons résultats sur le plan ischémique. Les données recueillies chez les patients âgés sont toutefois contradictoires. Cette étude avait donc pour objectif de valider la valeur ajoutée du score SYNTAX (SYNergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXus and cardiac surgery) résiduel (SSr) par rapport aux paramètres cliniques et au score SYNTAX initial (SSi) pour prédire la mortalité à 1 an et les manifestations cardiovasculaires.
Une analyse a posteriori des données de l’étude multicentrique avec répartition aléatoire Elderly-ACS 2 a été effectuée. Pour ce faire, 630 patients âgés de plus de 75 ans, atteints d’une coronaropathie multitronculaire et ayant subi une ICP pour traiter un syndrome coronarien aigu (SCA) ont été retenus. Le critère d’évaluation principal était composé du décès, de l’infarctus du myocarde récurrent et de l’accident vasculaire cérébral (AVC) au moment du suivi à 1 an. La variation de la statistique C et le bénéfice net normalisé ont servi à évaluer la valeur ajoutée du SSr.
Les manifestations étaient significativement plus fréquentes chez les patients dont la revascularisation était incomplète (SSr > 8). Lorsque le SSr a été pris en compte dans un modèle de régression de Cox de base ayant pour facteurs l’âge, les antécédents d’infarctus du myocarde et le type de SCA, le rapport des risques instantanés pour les patients ayant un score > 8 était de 2,47 (intervalle de confiance à 95 % : 1,51-4,06). L’intégration du SSr dans le modèle de base n’a toutefois pas donné lieu à une statistique C plus élevée que celle du SSi (0,70 vs 0,69) et conférait peu de valeur ajoutée sur le plan du bénéfice net normalisé.
Chez les patients âgés présentant un SCA et une atteinte multitronculaire, et subissant une ICP, la revascularisation incomplète a été associée à de moins bons résultats au moment du suivi à 1 an. Le SSr n’a toutefois pas été clairement associé à une valeur ajoutée pour prédire une issue défavorable à 1 an comparativement à un modèle reposant sur des paramètres cliniques et le SSi.
The purpose of this study was to verify the impact on the number and characteristics of coronary invasive procedures for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) of two hub centers with cardiac catheterization ...facilities, during the first month of lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Procedural data of ACS patients admitted between 10 March and 10 April 2020 were compared with those of the same period of 2019.
We observed a 23.4% reduction in ACS admissions during 2020, with a decrease for both ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (-5.6%) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (-34.5%), albeit not statistically significant (P = 0.2). During the first 15 days of the examined periods, the reduction in ACS admissions reached 52.5% (-25% for STEMI and -70.3% for non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, P = 0.04). Among STEMI patients, the rate of those with a time delay from symptoms onset longer than 180 min was significantly higher during the lockdown period (P = 0.01). Radiograph exposure (P = 0.01) was higher in STEMI patients treated in 2020 with a slightly higher amount of contrast medium (P = 0.1) and number of stents implanted (P = 0.1), whereas the number of treated vessels was reduced (P = 0.03). Percutaneous coronary intervention procedural success and in-hospital mortality were not different between the two groups and in STEMI patients (P NS for all).
During the early phase, the COVID-19 outbreak was associated with a lower rate of admissions for ACS, with a substantial impact on the time delay presentation of STEMI patients, but apparently without affecting the in-hospital outcomes.
BACKGROUND—Elderly patients are at elevated risk of both ischemic and bleeding complications after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and display higher on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity as compared ...to younger patients. Prasugrel 5 mg provides more predictable platelet inhibition, as compared to clopidogrel, in the elderly, suggesting the possibility of reducing ischemic events without increasing bleeding.
METHODS—In a multicenter, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial, we compared a once daily maintenance dose of prasugrel 5 mg with the standard clopidogrel 75 mg in patients >74 years with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The primary endpoint was the composite of mortality, myocardial infarction, disabling stroke and re-hospitalization for cardiovascular causes or bleeding within one year. The study was designed to demonstrate superiority of prasugrel 5 mg over clopidogrel 75 mg.
RESULTS—Enrolment was interrupted, according to pre-specified criteria, after a planned interim analysis, when 1443 patients (40% women, mean age 80 years) had been enrolled, with a median follow-up of 12 months, due to futility for efficacy. The primary endpoint occurred in 121 patients (17%) with prasugrel and 121 (16.6%) with clopidogrel (HR 1.007, 95% CI, 0.78-1.30; P =0.955). Definite/probable stent thrombosis rates were 0.7% with prasugrel vs 1.9% with clopidogrel (OR 0.36, C.I. 0.13-1.00, p=0.06). Bleeding Academic Research Consortium types ≥2 were 4.1% with prasugrel vs 2.7% with clopidogrel (OR 1.52, C.I. 0.85-3.16, P= 0.18).
CONCLUSIONS—The present study in elderly ACS patients showed no difference in the primary endpoint between reduced-dose prasugrel and standard-dose clopidogrel. However, the study should be interpreted in the light of premature termination of the trial.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION—URLhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ Unique IdentifierNCT01777503
Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a systemic disorder associated with dismal short-term prognosis. Given its time-dependent nature, mechanical circulatory support may improve survival. Intra-aortic balloon ...pump (IABP) had gained widespread use because of the easiness to implant and the low rate of complications; however, a randomized trial failed to demonstrate benefit on mortality in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. Acute decompensated heart failure with cardiogenic shock (ADHF-CS) represents a growing resource-intensive scenario with scant data and indications on the best management. However, a few data suggest a potential benefit of IABP in this setting. We present the design of a study aimed at addressing this research gap.
The Altshock-2 trial is a prospective, randomized, multicenter, open-label study with blinded adjudicated evaluation of outcomes. Patients with ADHF-CS will be randomized to early IABP implantation or to vasoactive treatments. The primary end point will be 60 days patients’ survival or successful bridge to heart replacement therapy. The key secondary end point will be 60-day overall survival; 60-day need for renal replacement therapy; in-hospital maximum inotropic score, maximum duration of inotropic/vasopressor therapy, and maximum sequential organ failure assessment score. Safety end points will be in-hospital occurrence of bleeding events (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium >3), vascular access complications and systemic (noncerebral) embolism. The sample size for the study is 200 patients.
The Altshock-2 trial will provide evidence on whether IABP should be implanted early in ADHF-CS patients to improve their clinical outcomes.
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