The introduction of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for the treatment of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions has resulted in a significant decrease in ...the prevalence of diagnosed left ventricular (LV) thrombus. However, reported rates are still as high as 10% to 20% in patients when followed up to 30 days. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and predictors of early (<7 days after admission) LV thrombus formation in patients with acute anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions treated with PPCI. The cohort included 429 consecutive patients with documented acute anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions, who were treated with PPCI from January 2006 to July 2012. All patients underwent cardiac echocardiography on the first or second day of admission and repeat echocardiography 5 to 7 days after admission. Correlates of LV thrombus were estimated using a logistic multivariate regression model. LV thrombus formations were found in 18 of 429 patients (4%) during hospitalization. The first echocardiographic study diagnosed 11 of 18 LV thrombus formations. Patients with identified LV thrombus had significantly lower LV ejection fractions than those without LV thrombus at admission (p = 0.005) and at discharge (p <0.001). Lower admission LV ejection fractions, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade ≤1 before angioplasty, and a longer time from symptom onset to PPCI were independent predictors of early LV thrombus formation. In conclusion, late reperfusion, a lower LV ejection fraction, and a lower TIMI score significantly increased the risk for early LV thrombus formations, even in the era of PPCI. Early echocardiographic assessment is warranted when admission test results identify at-risk patients.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and it is ...associated with poor long-term clinical outcomes. No studies have yet evaluated the association between cardiac function and the risk of AKI in this patient population. We conducted a retrospective study of consecutive 386 patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI and had a full echocardiography study performed within 72 hours of hospital admission from June 2011 to December 2013. AKI was defined as an increase of ≥0.3 mg/dl in serum creatinine within 48 hours after admission. Thirty-four patients (9.7%) developed AKI. Echocardiography demonstrated that patients with AKI had significantly lower systolic ejection fraction (EF; 48% ± 8% vs 41% ± 10%, p <0.001), lower septal (p = 0.001) and lateral (p = 0.01) e′ velocities, higher average E/e′ ratio (p = 0.006), elevated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (p <0.001), and higher right atrial pressure (p = 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, left ventricular EF emerged as an independent predictor of AKI (odds ratio 1.1, 95% confidence interval 0.86 to 0.96; p = 0.001) for every 1% reduction in EF. In conclusion, among patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI, left ventricular EF is a strong and independent predictor of AKI.
Abstract Background Early hemodynamic impairment frequently complicates myocardial injury, however, limited data are present regarding its direct association with acute kidney injury (AKI) after ST ...segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We evaluated the effect of acute hemodynamic derangement on the risk of AKI among STEMI patients who undergo primary PCI. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 1656 consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of STEMI between January 2008 and December 2014, and treated with primary PCI. Medical records were reviewed for the presence of various clinical parameters of hemodynamic derangement and for the occurrence of AKI. Results Mean age was 61 ± 13 and 1329 (80%) were men. AKI occurred in 168 patients (10%). Patients with AKI were older, of female sex, with more comorbidities, had longer time to reperfusion, and were more likely to have hemodynamic impairment including critical state, congestive heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmias, and worse left ventricular function ( P < 0.001 for all). In a multivariate logistic regression model critical state (odds ratio OR, 3.33; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.39-7.8; P = 0.006), reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99; P = 0.03), congestive heart failure (OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.02-5.39; P = 0.04), and a trend for time to coronary reperfusion (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.01; P = 0.07) emerged as independent predictors of AKI. Conclusions Among STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI AKI should not be assumed to be solely contrast-induced nephropathy and acute hemodynamic abnormalities should be considered.
Time to coronary reperfusion and acute kidney injury (AKI) are powerful prognostic markers in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent percutaneous coronary ...intervention (PCI); however, no information to date is present regarding the association between time to reperfusion and AKI. We evaluated whether time to reperfusion predicts the risk of developing AKI in patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI. Medical records of 417 patients admitted to our department from January 2008 to July 2013, for STEMI, and treated with primary PCI were reviewed. Patients were stratified by time to coronary reperfusion tertiles, and their records were assessed for the occurrence of AKI after PCI. Mean age was 61 ± 13 years, and 346 patients (83%) were men. The cut-off points for the time to reperfusion tertiles were <120, 120 to 300, and >300 minutes. Patients having longer time to reperfusion had significantly more AKI complicating the course of STEMI (3% vs 11% vs 13%, p = 0.007) and had significantly higher serum creatinine change throughout hospitalization (0.13 vs 0.18 vs 0.21 mg/dl, p = 0.003). In a multivariable regression model, time to coronary reperfusion emerged as an independent predictor of AKI and to the maximal change in serum creatinine. In conclusion, longer time to coronary reperfusion is an independent risk factor for the development of AKI in patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI.
Abstract Background Anemia on admission is associated with an increased risk for contrast-induced nephropathy, however, its association with acute kidney injury (AKI) after ST segment elevation ...myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) has not been studied. Our aim was to evaluate whether admission hemoglobin levels might increase the risk of AKI among STEMI patients who undergo PPCI. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 1248 consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of STEMI between January 2008 and January 2014, and treated with PPCI. Patient medical records were reviewed for admission hemoglobin levels and for the occurrence of AKI. Results The mean age of patients was 61 ± 13 years and 1009 (81%) were male. AKI occurred in 115 patients (9.2%). Patients with AKI were more likely to be older, female, with more comorbidities, had longer symptom duration, and more likely to be in a critical state. Patients with AKI had significantly lower admission hemoglobin levels (13.6 ± 1.7 g/dL vs 14.4 ± 1.5 g/dL; P < 0.001) and were more likely to be anemic (27% vs 12%; P < 0.001). In a multivariate logistic regression model, a lower admission hemoglobin level (odds ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.98; P = 0.04) and the presence of anemia on admission (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.02; P = 0.04) emerged as independent predictors of AKI. Conclusions Among STEMI patients who underwent PPCI, a lower admission level of hemoglobin and anemia (hemoglobin < 12 in women or < 13 in men) were independent predictors of AKI. Precautions to prevent AKI should be particularly considered in anemic patients.
Means for distinguishing the very common "benign early repolarization" from the very rare but malignant form are needed. Recently, the presence of early repolarization with "horizontal ST segment" ...was found to predict arrhythmic death during long-term follow-up in a large population study. We therefore speculated that the combination of "J waves with horizontal ST segment" would correlate with a history of idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (VF) better than the mere presence of J waves.
To determine whether the morphology of the ST segment adds diagnostic value to the mere presence of J waves in a case-control series of idiopathic VF.
We reanalyzed our case-control study showing that the presence of J waves strongly correlates with a history of idiopathic VF among 45 patients with this disorder, 124 controls matched for age and gender ("matched-control" group), and 121 young athletes. This time we focused only on those patients with J waves and graded their ST-segment morphology as either "horizontal" or "ascending" according to predefined criteria.
The presence of J waves was associated with a history of idiopathic VF with an odds ratio of 4.0 (95% confidence intervals = 2.0-7.9), but having both J waves and horizontal ST segment yielded an odds ratio of 13.8 (95% confidence intervals = 5.1-37.2) for having idiopathic VF.
We report, for the first time, that the combination of J waves with horizontal/descending ST segment improved our ability to distinguish patients with idiopathic VF from controls matched by gender and age.
We tested the hypothesis that admission serum inflammatory biomarkers may predict risk of early left ventricular (LV) thrombus formation in patients with first-ever anterior wall ST-segment elevation ...myocardial infarction (STEMI). Medical records of 207 patients admitted to our department between January 2006 and April 2012 for first-ever diagnosed anterior wall STEMI and treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) were reviewed. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen levels were determined from blood samples taken before PPCI. Patients underwent an initial cardiac echocardiography on days 1 or 2 of admission and a second echocardiography on days 5 to 7 of hospitalization. An early LV thrombus was detected on the second echocardiogram in 11 patients (11 of 207, 5%), 6 of whom had also displayed an LV thrombus already during their first echocardiogram. Patients with an LV thrombus had significantly higher mean serum CRP levels than those without an LV thrombus (48 mg/L vs 8.4 mg/L, p = 0.001), and a trend for higher fibrinogen levels was also observed (398 ± 135 mg/dl vs 312 ± 82 mg/dl, p = 0.063). Following adjustment to other variables and the performance of multiple logistic regression, the CRP (relative risk 4.63, p = 0.004) and fibrinogen (relative risk 1.006, p = 0.033) levels were independent predictors of LV thrombus formation. We conclude that admission serum CRP and fibrinogen levels are independent predictors for early LV thrombus formation complicating a first-ever anterior wall STEMI.
Objectives The purpose of this research was to evaluate the relationship between coronary and carotid atherosclerotic disease using current guidelines for the definition of carotid artery stenosis ...(CAS). Background The reported prevalence of concomitant coronary and carotid atherosclerotic disease has varied among studies due to differences in study populations and methodologies used. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data obtained between January 2007 and May 2009 from consecutive patients undergoing same-day coronary angiography and carotid Doppler studies. Spearman correlations and multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify independent correlates of CAS. Results The study included 1,405 patients (age 65 ± 11 years, 77.2% male), of whom 12.8% had significant CAS (peak systolic velocity PSV >125 cm/s) and 4.6% had severe CAS (PSV >230 cm/s). Mild CAS (PSV <125 cm/s and the presence of a sonographic atherosclerotic lesion) was present in 58%. The severity of CAS and the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) were significantly correlated (r = 0.255, p < 0.001). Independent predictors of severe CAS defined by PSV were the presence of left-main or 3-vessel CAD, increasing age, a history of stroke, smoking status, and diabetes mellitus. Conclusions The degree of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis is related to the extent of CAD, though the prevalence of clinically significant ICA stenosis is lower in specific CAD subsets than previously reported.
Abstract New generation of the most widely used devices for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) have been recently introduced into practice. We compare the short term outcomes of TAVI with ...the Edwards SAPIEN S3 and the Medtronic Evolut-R. We performed a retrospective analysis from a single high volume tertiary center. Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 criteria were used to define composite endpoints of device success and safety at 30 days. Study population included 232 patients implanted with the SAPIEN S3 (n=124) and Evolut-R (n=108). Device success reached 91.9% and 95.4% in the SAPIEN S3 and Evolut-R groups, respectively (p=0.289). Post-procedural echocardiography showed higher AV gradients (22.8±7 mmHg vs. 16±9 mmHg, p<0.001) among SAPIEN S3 group. Paravalvular leak of ≥ moderate severity was observed in 2.4% and 0% in the SAPIEN S3 and Evolut-R groups, respectively (p=0.251). Similar rates of in hospital complications, including major bleedings, vascular complications and pacemaker implantations were recorded in both groups. At 30 day follow-up, the combined-safety endpoint was reached in 5.6% and in 6.5% of patients in the SAPIEN S3 and Evolut-R groups, respectively (p=0.790). During follow up of 237±138 days, all-cause mortality was higher among patients implanted with Evolut-R compared to SAPIEN S3 (7 vs. 1 cases, respectively, p=0.006), however, cardiovascular mortality was not significantly different between groups. In conclusions, in a single-center comparative analysis, comparable rate of device success as well as safety profile and long term cardiovascular mortality were observed with the SAPIEN S3 and Evolut-R valves.
Previous data reported worse outcomes in female patients after acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), related at least in part to less aggressive and nonparallel treatment. We investigated ...the presence of gender differences in left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function in patients presenting with first STEMI, treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Study population included 187 consecutive patients (81% men) presenting with STEMI and treated by primary PCI and guideline-based medications. Their mean age was 58 ± 10 years. All patients underwent a comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation within 3 days of admission. Female patients were older (62 ± 11 vs 59 ± 10 years, p = 0.006), with more co-morbidities and longer symptom duration (490 ± 436 vs 365 ± 437 minutes, p = 0.013). Echocardiography demonstrated that female patients had significantly lower LV systolic function (47 ± 8% vs 45 ± 8%, p = 0.03), lower septal and lateral e′ velocities, higher average E/e′ ratio (all p <0.001), elevated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (p = 0.03), and worse diastolic dysfunction (p = 0.007). No significant changes were present in left atrial volumes. In a logistic multivariate analysis model, female gender emerged as an independent predictor of septal e′ <8 cm/s (odds ratio 10.11, 95% confidence interval 1.23 to 82.32, p = 0.002) and E/average e′ ratio >15 (odds ratio 6.47, 95% confidence interval 1.63 to 25.61, p = 0.008). In conclusion, female patients undergoing primary PCI for first STEMI demonstrated worse systolic and diastolic LV function, despite receiving similar treatment as male patients.
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