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OBJECTIVE: To examine short- and medium-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), with a focus on comparing drug-eluting stents (DESs) with bare-metal stents (BMSs). DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective analysis of data from the Melbourne Interventional Group (MIG) registry, a large multicentre Australian registry. The study cohort consisted of 6364 consecutive patients undergoing 7167 PCIs between April 2004 and August 2007. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical events including death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularisation (TLR), target vessel revascularisation (TVR) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (a composite of death, MI and TVR), at 30 days and at 12 months. RESULTS: The cohort was predominantly male (74%), with a mean age of 64.7 years (SD, 12.0 years). DESs were used in 3482 (51.4%) of PCIs. In the overall cohort, rates of clinical events were low at 30 days: mortality (1.9%), MI (2.4%), TLR (2.0%), TVR (2.4%) and MACE (5.7%). At 12 months, event rates were: mortality (5.2%), MI (6.0%), TLR (5.8%), TVR (8.2%) and MACE (16.2%). Patients receiving DESs had similar mortality rates to those receiving BMSs (4.0% v 6.0%; P = 0.62 [propensity score-adjusted]); late thrombosis rates were also similar in the two groups (0.8% v 1.1%; P = 0.38). The proportion of patients receiving DESs fell significantly over time, from 54.9% in the first 24 months to 44.7% in the last 15 months of the study period (P < 0.01). Independent predictors of 12-month mortality included diabetes, renal failure, ST-segment-elevation MI and cardiogenic shock. CONCLUSION: Our clinical event rates were comparable with international registry outcomes. Rates of mortality and stent thrombosis were no higher in patients with DESs than those with BMSs. Although DESs were used in about half the procedures (preferentially for higher-risk lesions), recent trends suggest their use is in decline.

Objective: We aimed to assess the pattern of use of drug-eluting stents (DESs) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in Victorian public hospitals. Design, setting and patients: Prospective study comparing the use of one or more DESs versus bare-metal stents (BMSs) only, in consecutive patients undergoing 2428 PCIs with stent implantation from 1 April 2004 to 31 December 2005 at seven Victorian public hospitals. Main outcome measures: Adherence to current Victorian Department of Human Services guidelines which recommend DES use in patients with high-risk features for restenosis (diabetes, small vessels, long lesions, in-stent restenotic lesions, chronic total occlusions and bifurcation lesions). Results: Of the 2428 PCIs performed, at least one DES was implanted in 1101 (45.3%) and BMSs only were implanted in 1327 (54.7%). In 87.7% (966/1101) of PCI with DESs, there was at least one criterion for high risk of restenosis. DESs were more likely to be used in patients with diabetes (risk ratio [RR], 2.45; 95% CI, 2.02–2.97), small vessels (RR, 3.35; 95%CI, 2.35–4.76), long lesions (RR, 3.87; 95% CI, 3.23–4.65), in-stent restenotic lesions (RR, 3.98; 95%CI, 2.67–6.06), chronic total occlusions (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.51–2.88) and bifurcation lesions (RR, 2.23; 95%CI, 1.57–3.17). However, 66.2% (1608/2428) of all PCIs were in patients eligible for DESs according to Victorian guidelines, and in 39.9% (642/1608) of these PCIs, a BMS was used. Conclusion: In Victorian public hospitals, DESs have been largely reserved for patients at high risk of restenosis in accordance with Department of Human Services guidelines. However, many patients with high-risk criteria for restenosis did not receive DESs. Greater use of DESs in these patients may improve outcomes by reducing the need for