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Background: Previous studies have evaluated return to work after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated medically, after bypass surgery or after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for stable coronary artery disease. However, there are few data regarding return to work after acute STEMI treated by direct PCI., Aims: To analyse the factors influencing return to work after STEMI treated by direct PCI., Methods: Two hundred consecutive patients who underwent direct PCI for acute STEMI and who were employed at the time of their STEMI were studied. Stents were used in 94% of patients and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in 77%., Results: Among the 200 patients, 152 (76%) patients returned to work and 48 (24%) did not. Patients who did not return to work did not differ from those who returned to work in terms of time from onset of chest pain to PCI, STEMI location, left ventricular function, extent of vessel disease, PCI technique and success, completeness of revascularization, duration of hospital stay, intrahospital complications and performance of cardiac rehabilitation. Multivariable analysis showed that older age, daytime onset of chest pain, manual labour, rapid call-out of the emergency medical team, unmarried status and a limited number of risk factors were independent predictors of non-return to work., Conclusion: Age, sociopsychological and occupational factors appear to be the strongest predictors of return to work after STEMI treated by direct PCI. Clinical and procedural factors as well as cardiac rehabilitation appear to have no impact on return to work in this subset of patients., (2010. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Aims: The authors tested the value of stress single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging performed systematically for detecting angiographic restenosis in asymptomatic patients who underwent direct percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Angiographic restenosis of the infarct-related artery after direct PCI for STEMI is often silent and the strategy for follow-up evaluation of asymptomatic patients remains debated., Methods: A total of 149 patients successfully treated by direct PCI (96% stenting) for STEMI with no symptoms during the follow-up systematically underwent both rest thallium 201/stress Tc 99m setamibi myocardial perfusion imaging and coronary angiogram at 6 months. Patients were followed up for 2.5+/-0.5 years after 6 months control for cardiac events., Results: In the 149 patients, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of SPECT imaging were 48, 61, 35, 72 and 57%, respectively, for detecting binary angiographic restenosis defined as > or =50% diameter stenosis. Whether stress testing was maximal or performed after withheld anti-ischemic drugs did not improve the results. Reversible ischemia at SPECT in the infarct territory did not predict long-term cardiac events., Conclusion: These data suggest a poor correlation between stress SPECT imaging and angiographic restenosis at 6 months in patients treated by direct PCI for STEMI who remain asymptomatic at follow-up. The long-term clinical prognostic value of SPECT reversible ischemia in the infarct territory appears also limited in this peculiar subset of patients. These findings should be taken into account in the strategy of the clinical follow-up of this population.

Objectives: No reflow has been reported in 12-30% of the patients directly revascularized by angioplasty for acute ST elevation myocardial infarction with the highest incidence after primary stenting in patients with initial thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) grade 0 flow. We hypothesized that a minimalist immediate mechanical intervention (MIMI) based on the use of very small size balloons to avoid both large dissection and distal embolization may be sufficient to restore flow in emergency and that recanalization may be sustained by maximized antithrombotic regimen (abcximab, clopidogrel, aspirin and heparin) allowing one to postpone stenting in better conditions., Methods: MIMI was performed in 93 patients for ST elevation myocardial infarction with initial TIMI grade 0 flow., Results: MIMI resulted in a TIMI grade 3 flow in 77/93 patients (83%). Immediate stenting was performed in the 16 patients with failed MIMI and resulted in a TIMI grade 3 flow in nine (56%). The residual stenosis after MIMI was 81+/-11% and ST segment resolution (> or =50%) at 1 h after reperfusion was obtained in 84%. Stenting was performed the following days in 52 patients with a post-stenting TIMI grade 3 flow in 50 (96%; 100% when stenting done beyond 24 h). No reocclusion occurred between MIMI and stenting. Among the 25 patients without stenting, six had mild stenosis at control angiogram and underwent medical treatment whereas 19 had multiple vessel disease and underwent bypass surgery., Conclusions: MIMI combined with maximized antithrombotic therapy results in immediate and sustained recanalization with a high rate of ST resolution in a majority of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction. This approach allows one to postpone stenting in more stable conditions with a low rate of TIMI flow deterioration or to schedule more appropriate medical or surgical alternative management.