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Thrombus embolisation complicating primary percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-elevation myocardial infarction is associated with an increase in adverse outcomes. However, there are currently no proven recommendations for intervention in the setting of large thrombus burden. In this review, we discuss the clinical implications of thrombus embolisation and angiographic predictors of embolisation, and provide an update of current evidence for some preventative strategies, both pharmacological and mechanical, in this setting.

Chronic total occlusions (CTO) are commonly encountered in patients undergoing coronary angiography; however, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is infrequently performed owing to technical difficulty, the perceived risk of complications and a lack of randomized data. The aim of this study was to analyse the frequency and outcomes of CTO-PCI procedures in a large contemporary cohort of successive patients.We undertook an observational cohort study of 48 234 patients with stable angina of which 5496 (11.4%) procedures were performed for CTOs between 2005 and 2015 at nine tertiary cardiac centres across London, UK. Outcome was assessed by in-hospital major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality at a median follow-up of 4.8 years (interquartile range: 2.2-6.4 years).Over time, there was an increase in the proportion of elective PCI procedures performed for CTOs, but no increase in the absolute number. Overall success rates increased over time (74.3% in 2005 to 81.5% in 2015; P=0.0003) despite an increase in case complexity (previous myocardial infarction, diabetes, renal failure, previous coronary artery bypass grafting, peripheral vascular disease and left ventricular impairment) that correlated with procedural advancements. Successful CTO PCI was associated with lower mortality [9.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 8.1-11.6 vs. 15.3%, 95% CI: 13.7-20.6, P0.0001] that persisted after multivariate cox analysis (hazard ratio: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.25-0.62) and propensity matching (hazard ratio=0.36, 95% CI: 0.18-0.73, P=0.0005).Successful procedures were associated with lower mortality suggesting that the greater uptake of CTO PCI may improve clinical outcomes in a wider population than are currently being offered therapy.

Background: More than half of the patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have multi-vessel coronary artery disease. This is associated with worse outcomes compared with single vessel disease. Whilst evidence now exists to support complete revascularisation for bystander disease the optimal timing is still debated. This study aimed to compare clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI and multi-vessel disease who underwent complete revascularisation as inpatients in comparison to patients who had staged PCI as early outpatients. Methods and results: We conducted an observational cohort study consisting of 1522 patients who underwent primary PCI with multi-vessel disease from 2012 to 2019. Exclusions included patients with cardiogenic shock and previous CABG. Patients were split into 2 groups depending on whether they had complete revascularisation performed as inpatients or as staged PCI at later outpatient dates. The primary outcome of this study was major adverse cardiac events (consisting of myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularisation and all-cause mortality). 834 (54.8%) patients underwent complete inpatient revascularisation and 688 patients (45.2%) had outpatient PCI (median 43 days post discharge). Of the inpatient group, 652 patients (78.2%) underwent complete revascularisation during the index procedure whilst 182 (21.8%) patients underwent inpatient bystander PCI in a second procedure. Overall, there were no significant differences between the groups with regards to their baseline or procedural characteristics. Over the follow-up period there was no significant difference in MACE between the cohorts ( P = .62), which persisted after multivariate adjustment (HR 1.21 [95% CI 0.72-1.96]). Furthermore, in propensity-matched analysis there was no significant difference in outcome between the groups (HR: 0.86 95% CI: 0.75-1.25). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the timing of bystander PCI after STEMI did not appear to have an effect on cardiovascular outcomes. We suggest that patients with multi-vessel disease can potentially be discharged promptly and undergo early outpatient bystander PCI. This could significantly reduce length of stay in hospital.

Background Acute myopericarditis can be caused by a myriad of infectious and non-infectious aetiologies, however, it is often considered to be due to self-limiting viral infection. Salmonella spp. myopericarditis is rare and the few cases in the literature suggest significant associated morbidity and mortality. Case summary A 44-year-old man presented with fever, dyspnoea, and chest pain. He was found to have a large pericardial effusion with clinical signs of tamponade and sepsis. Therapeutic pericardiocentesis was performed and ceftriaxone and levofloxacin were administered. Fully sensitive Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) was isolated in his pericardial fluid and he made a full recovery after a 4-week course of ciprofloxacin. A new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus was made on admission. A follow-up cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scan was suggestive of myocarditis which was unexpected given a normal Troponin T level on presentation. Discussion We report a rare case of S. Enteritidis myopericarditis. Our case is notable as the patient was immunocompetent apart from newly diagnosed diabetes. This case highlights the value of CMR imaging in assessing for myocarditis and ventricular function.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect on long-term survival of using optical coherence tomography (OCT) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Background: Angiograph...

Aims To use the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) and Can Rapid risk stratification of Unstable angina patients Suppress ADverse outcomes with Early implementation of the ACC/AHA guidelines (CRUSADE) scores to risk stratify antiplatelet treatment post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods and results This was a prospective registry of 3374 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for ACS between 2013 and 2015 at a UK cardiac centre. Patients with either low GRACE or high CRUSADE risk scores were stratified either to clopidogrel therapy or ticagrelor was used. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or target vessel revascularization with bleeding rates as a secondary outcome, assessed at a median follow-up of 1.8 years (interquartile range 0.8-3.4 years). A total of 1723 (51.1%) patients were risk stratified to either clopidogrel (n = 520) or ticagrelor treatment (n = 1203), with the remaining 1651 not risk scored and treated with clopidogrel therapy. Patients in the risk score stratified group were older than the control group otherwise the groups were similar. Over the follow-up period, a significant reduction in MACE rates between the patients' risk score stratified and control (clopidogrel therapy) (13.7% vs. 19.7%, P

Transradial access is increasingly used for coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention, however, femoral access remains necessary for numerous procedures, including complex high-risk interventions, structural procedures, and procedures involving mechanical circulatory support. Optimising the safety of this approach is crucial to minimize costly and potentially life-threatening complications. We initiated a quality improvement project recommending routine fluoroscopic guidance (femoral head), and upfront femoral angiography should be performed to assess for location and immediate complications. We assessed the effect of these measures on the rate of vascular complications. Data were collected prospectively on 4534 consecutive patients undergoing femoral coronary angiographic procedures from 2015 to 2017. The primary end-point was any access complication. Outcomes were compared pre and post introduction including the use of an Interrupted Time-Series (ITS) analysis. 1890 patients underwent angiography prior to the introduction of routine fluoroscopy and upfront femoral angiography and 2644 post. All operators adopted these approaches. Baseline characteristics, including large sheath use, anticoagulant use and PCI rates were similar between the 2 groups. Fluoroscopy-enabled punctures were made in the ‘safe zone’ in over 91% of cases and upfront femoral angiography resulted in management changes i.e. procedural abandonment prior to heparin administration in 21 patients (1.1%). ITS analysis demonstrated evidence of a reduction in femoral complication rates after the introduction of the intervention, which was over and above the existing trend before the introduction (40% decrease RR 0.58; 95% CI: 0.25–0.87; P

Objectives This study aimed to assess the impact of thrombus aspiration on mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background The clinical effect of routine intracoronary thrombus aspiration before primary PCI in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is uncertain. Methods We undertook an observational cohort study of 10,929 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients from January 2005 to July 2011 at 8 centers across London, United Kingdom. Patients’ details were recorded at the time of the procedure into local databases using the British Cardiac Intervention Society PCI dataset. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality at a median follow-up of 3.0 years (interquartile range: 1.2 to 4.6 years). Results In our cohort, 3,572 patients (32.7%) underwent thrombus aspiration during primary PCI. Patients who had thrombus aspiration were younger, had lower rates of previous myocardial infarction but were more likely to have poor left ventricular function. Procedural success rates were higher (90.9% vs. 89.2%; p = 0.005) and in-hospital major adverse cardiac event rates were lower (4.4% vs. 5.5%; p = 0.012) in patients undergoing thrombus aspiration. However, Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated no significant difference in mortality rates between patients with and without thrombus aspiration (14.8% aspiration vs. 15.3% PCI only; p = 0.737) during the follow-up period. After multivariate Cox analysis (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65 to 1.23) and the addition of propensity matching (HR: 0.85 95% CI: 0.60 to 1.20) thrombus aspiration was still not associated with decreased mortality. Conclusions In this cohort of nearly 11,000 patients, routine thrombus aspiration was not associated with a reduction in long-term mortality in patients undergoing primary PCI, although procedural success and in-hospital major adverse cardiac event rates were improved.

Introduction Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors are recommended by guidelines in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. There are few studies directly comparing these agents. The aim of this study was to assess whether eptifibatide is a safe and cost-effective alternative to abciximab in the treatment of primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Methods This was an observational cohort study of 3863 patients who received a GPIIb/IIIa inhibitor whilst undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention from 2007 to 2014. Patients who did not receive a GPIIb/IIIa inhibitor were excluded. Time to first major adverse cardiac event defined as death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke or target vessel revascularization, and total hospital costs were compared between the groups. Results In all, 1741 patients received abciximab with 2122 receiving eptifibatide. Patients who received eptifibatide had higher rates of previous MI/percutaneous coronary intervention and were more likely to undergo a procedure from the radial route. Unadjusted Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed no significant difference in the 1-year event rates between patients given eptifibatide versus abciximab (p = 0.201). Age-adjusted Cox analysis demonstrated no difference in 1-year outcome between abciximab and eptifibatide (hazard ratio: 0.83; 95% confidence interval: 0.73–1.39), which persisted after multivariate adjustment (hazard ratio: 0.92; 95% confidence interval: 0.79–1.56) including the incorporation of a propensity score (hazard ratio: 0.88; 95% confidence interval: 0.71–1.44). Eptifbatide was associated with significant cost savings being 87% cheaper overall compared to abciximab (on average £650 cheaper per patient and saving approximately £950,000). Conclusion This observational data suggest that eptifibatide is associated with similar outcomes and significant cost savings compared to abciximab when used in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

AIMS We aimed to examine the prevalence, clinical outcomes and procedural characteristics of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) complicated by coronary artery perforation (CAP) in a contemporary patient population. METHODS AND RESULTS Procedural records of 39,115 patients undergoing PCI between 2005 and 2016 were reviewed. CAP affected 149 cases (0.37%). The prevalence of CAP increased from 0.31% in 2005 to 0.45% in 2016 (p=0.03), reflecting an increase in more complex PCI (from 14% in 2005 to 21% in 2016; p

Current recommendations are for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, information about longer-term outcomes is sparse, particularly among high-risk patients who do not regain consciousness promptly after resuscitation.Of 1836 consecutive patients admitted with STEMI for pPCI between April 2008-October 2011, 132 (7.2%) who had suffered OHCA with recovery of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) form the study population. 101 patients survived to hospital discharge (76.5%) with only one further death in the first year. Prognosis was worse for the 62 patients who were unconscious on arrival and required admission to the intensive therapy unit (ITU), only 54% of whom survived. Every additional minute in the time to ROSC increased the hazard of death by 1.7% while alertness upon ROSC and successful reperfusion in response to pPCI reduced the hazard of death by 90% and 65% respectively. Full neurological recovery was recorded in 85.1% of those who survived to be discharged but in only 30.6% of the 34 survivors who were admitted unconscious and received ITU treatment. Every additional minute in the time to ROSC increased the odds of neurological deficit by 7.0%.In patients with STEMI who are conscious after OHCA, high rates of survival can be achieved with pPCI, depending in part on the time it takes for ROSC. Prognosis is less good in the subgroup brought to hospital unconscious but even in this high risk group neurologically intact survival can be achieved in about one-third of cases, suggesting the benefit of immediate pPCI in STEMI patients successfully resuscitated after OHCA.

Background Drug-eluting stents (DES) may be associated with an increased risk of late stent thrombosis (ST) compared with bare metal stents (BMS). We compared major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and long term all cause mortality in patients with isolated proximal LAD disease treated with DES or BMS. Method and Results This study of 1653 patients with isolated proximal LAD disease, includes 643 treated with BMS and 1010 treated with DES. All patients received standard dual antiplatelet treatment. MACE after 5 years were less frequent in DES compared with BMS (12.1% 95% CI 9.3–14.2 versus 21.3% 95% CI: 16.9–25.1, P < 0.0001), driven largely by a decreased rate of both target vessel and lesion revascularization (TVR: 6.3%, 95% CI 4.0–7.5% versus 14.7%, 95% CI 11.0–17.3%, P < 0.0001, TLR: (5.3%, 95% CI 3.2–7.1% versus 13.2%, 95% CI 9.8.0–15.4%, P < 0.0001). There was no difference in the rate of death, myocardial infarction, or CVA. Incidence of stent thrombosis was also comparable (1.2% 95% CI: 0.6–2.6% versus 1.1% 95% CI: 0.6–2.5%, P = 0.8). Adjusted Cox analysis confirmed a decreased risk of MACE for DES compared with BMS 0.55 (95% confidence intervals 0.41–0.73) with no difference in the hazard of all cause mortality (HR: 1.04 95% CI: 0.67–1.61). Conclusion When treating proximal LAD disease, use of DES was associated with a lower MACE rate than BMS, with no differences in the incidence of stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction or 5 year all cause mortality. Our data suggests that despite the adverse prognostic correlates of proximal LAD disease, DES deployment in this location is both safe and clinically more effective than BMS. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The role of percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) in the management of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis has come under the spotlight following the development of the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) technique. Previous indications for BAV were limited to symptom palliation and as a bridge to definitive therapy for patients undergoing conventional surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). In the TAVI era, BAV may also be undertaken to assess the ‘therapeutic response’ of a reduction in aortic gradient in borderline patients often with multiple comorbidities, to assess symptomatic improvement prior to consideration of definitive TAVI intervention. This narrative review aims to update the reader on the current indications and practical techniques involved in undertaking a BAV procedure. In addition, a summary of the haemodynamic and clinical outcomes, as well as the frequently encountered procedural complications is presented for BAV procedures conducted during both the pre-TAVI and post-TAVI era.

Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds (BVS) are the newest generation of stents for use during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. However, as history has demonstrated, each development in stent technology has been associated with its own specific complications. With BVS, there are reports that recoil is

Embolization of athero-thrombotic material during primary percutaneous coronary intervention is a common cause of periprocedural complication. Methods developed to reduce embolization include thrombus aspiration, and distal protection. We report five cases of primary percutaneous intervention to coronary arteries that contain large amounts of thrombus, using a novel mesh covered stent. The mesh covering of the stent is designed such that it is theoretically able to ensnare thrombus and thus prevent distal migration of embolic material. In all cases, TIMI grade III flow was achieved at the end of the procedure, despite the extensive thrombus burden.

Several studies have examined the relationship between age and clinical outcomes in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). The majority of studies have concentrated on describing elderly patients and there has been less focus on the profile and outcome of young patients suffering from STEMI. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical profile and outcomes of young patients compared with an older cohort and to establish what risk factors were associated with young patients having PPCI for STEMI.This was an observational cohort study of 3618 patients with STEMI treated by PPCI at a regional heart attack centre in London between January 2004 and September 2012. Clinical characteristics and outcomes in (young) patients aged ≤ 45 years were compared with those in (older) patients aged45 years. The primary and main secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular event rates, respectively, at a median follow-up of 3.0 (interquartile range 1.2-4.6) years.Of the 3618 patients, 367 (10.1%) were aged ≤ 45 years and 3251 (89.9%) were aged45 years. The proportion of patients aged ≤ 45 years increased from 8.5% to 11.5% (p=0.04) during the study period. Compared with older patients, those aged ≤ 45 years were more likely to be male, smokers, of South Asian ethnicity and to have a family history of premature coronary artery disease. Young patients were less likely to have a history of hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, diabetes mellitus, previous myocardial infarction, myocardial revascularisation, or to have left ventricular systolic impairment or renal impairment. Over the follow-up period, mortality (2.7% vs. 7.6%; p0.0001) and major adverse cardiovascular event rates (7.0% vs. 13.5%; p0.0001) were significantly lower in patients aged ≤ 45 years compared with older patients. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, young age remained a predictor of reduced all cause mortality when compared with older patients (hazard ratio 0.12 (95% confidence interval 0.04-0.38)), including after incorporation of a propensity score (hazard ratio: 0.14 (95% confidence interval 0.04-0.36)).In this cohort of patients with STEMI treated by PPCI there was an increasing incidence of young patients aged ≤ 45 years throughout the study period. These patients were more often male, smokers and of South Asian ethnicity. Outcomes in younger patients was good. Focusing preventative strategies on smokers and high risk ethnic groups may help reduce the incidence of premature coronary artery disease.

Aims. We investigate the effect of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP IIb/IIIa) inhibitors on long-term outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Meta-analyses indicate that these agents are associated with improved short-term outcomes. However, many trials were undertaken before the routine use of P2Y12inhibitors. Recent studies yield conflicting results and registry data have suggested that GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors may cause more bleeding than what trials indicate.Methods and Results. This retrospective observational study involves 3047 patients receiving dual-antiplatelet therapy who underwent PCI for NSTEMI. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were a secondary outcome. Mean follow-up was 4.6 years. Patients treated with GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors were younger with fewer comorbidities. Although the unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor use was associated with improved outcomes, multivariate analysis (including propensity scoring) showed no benefit for either survival (P=0.136) or MACE (P=0.614). GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor use was associated with an increased risk of major bleeding (P=0.021).Conclusion. Although GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor use appeared to improve outcomes after PCI for NSTEMI, patients who received GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors tended to be at lower risk. After multivariate adjustment we observed no improvement in MACE or survival and an increased risk of major bleeding.

Background Research trials have shown improved short-term outcome with drug-eluting stents (DES) over bare metal stents (BMS) in saphenous vein graft (SVG) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), primarily by reducing target vessel revascularization (TVR) for in-stent restenosis. We compared the outcomes in patients undergoing SVG stent implantation treated with DES or BMS. In exploratory analyses we investigated the influence of stent generation and diameter. Methods Data were obtained from a prospective database of 657 patients who underwent PCI for SVG lesions between 2003 and 2011. A total of 344 patients had PCI with BMS and 313 with DES. Propensity scores were developed based on 15 observed baseline covariates in a logistic regression model with stent type as the dependent variable. The nearest-neighbour-matching algorithm with Greedy 5-1 Digit Matching was used to produce two patient cohorts of 313 patients each. We assessed major adverse cardiac events (MACE) out to a median of 3.3 years (interquartile range: 2.1-4.1). MACE was defined as all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), TVR and stroke. Results There was a significant difference in MACE between the two groups in favour of DES (17.9% DES vs. 31.2% BMS group; p = 0.0017) over the 5-year follow-up period. MACE was driven by increased TVR in the BMS group. There was no difference in death, MI or stroke. Adjusted Cox analysis confirmed a decreased risk of MACE for DES compared with BMS 0.75 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.52-0.94), with no difference in the hazard of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.77-1.68). However, when looking at stent diameters greater than 4 mm, no difference was seen in MACE rates between BMS and DES. Conclusions Overall in our cohort of patients who had PCI for SVG disease, DES use resulted in lower MACE rates compared with BMS over a 5-year follow-up period; however, for stent diameters over 4 mm no difference in MACE rates was seen.

Two advantages of transradial coronary procedures are an increased potential for same-day discharge and better resource management. This study assessed the impact of a dedicated "radial lounge" (1) on the rate of same-day discharge after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary angiography and (2) on bed utilization.We compared our unit's rates of same-day discharge in patients who underwent elective PCI or coronary angiography in the year before and in the year after the opening of a dedicated radial lounge for elective patients.In its first year of operation, 439 patients who underwent PCI and 1,109 patients who underwent angiography were managed in the radial lounge. Among these patients, the rate of same-day discharge was 84.7% after PCI and 97.0% after angiography. Requirement for overnight admission was significantly more common after femoral access compared with radial access for both angiography (4.1% vs 2.8%, P.05) and PCI (20.3% vs 14.2%, P.01). The unit's overall rate of same-day discharge increased from 2.3% to 51.2% after elective PCI (P.0005) and from 72.7% to 84.9% after elective angiography (P.005). An estimated 595 bed days were saved through reduced overnight admissions in elective patients.Our unit's overall rates of same-day discharge after elective PCI and coronary angiography increased dramatically in the year after the opening of a dedicated radial lounge. This was directly attributable to the high rates of same-day discharge in radial lounge patients. The radial lounge impacted favorably on in-patient bed capacity.

ObjectivesThis study investigated the impact of procedural success on mortality following chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a large cohort of patients in the drug-eluting stent era.BackgroundDespite advances in expertise and technologies, many patients with CTO are not offered PCI.MethodsA total of 6,996 patients underwent elective PCI for stable angina at a single center (2003 to 2010), 836 (11.9%) for CTO. All-cause mortality was obtained to 5 years (median: 3.8 years; interquartile range: 2.0 to 5.4 years) and stratified according to successful chronic total occlusion (sCTO) or unsuccessful chronic total occlusion (uCTO) recanalization. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) included myocardial infarction (MI), urgent revascularization, stroke, or death.ResultsA total of 582 (69.6%) procedures were successful. Stents were implanted in 97.0% of successful procedures (mean: 2.3 ± 0.1 stents per patient, 73% drug-eluting). Prior revascularization was more frequent among uCTO patients: coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (16.5% vs. 7.4%; p < 0.0001), PCI (36.0% vs. 21.2%; p < 0.0001). Baseline characteristics were otherwise similar. Intraprocedural complications, including coronary dissection, were more frequent in unsuccessful cases (20.5% vs. 4.9%; p < 0.0001), but did not affect in-hospital MACE (3% vs. 2.1%; p = NS). All-cause mortality was 17.2% for uCTO and 4.5% for sCTO at 5 years (p < 0.0001). The need for CABG was reduced following sCTO (3.1% vs. 22.1%; p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that procedural success was independently predictive of mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.32 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18 to 0.58]), which persisted when incorporating a propensity score (HR: 0.28 [95% CI: 0.15 to 0.52]).ConclusionsSuccessful CTO PCI is associated with improved survival out to 5 years. Adoption of techniques and technologies to improve procedural success may have an impact on prognosis.

ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by out of hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) is associated with significant mortality. Small observational studies have shown survival benefit with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in this setting. We sought to investigate

Introduction The potential to achieve safe early mobilisation and same day discharge on a consistent basis after radial artery access has provided us with the opportunity to make a step change in the way we deliver elective care to patients undergoing percutaneous coronary procedures. We designed a dedicated “radial lounge” to accommodate patients before and after their procedure with the aim of minimising the feeling of “hospitalisation” that accompanies most encounters with health services. The lounge is a day case unit that has no beds, only chairs, and televisions but no cardiac monitors. Patients remain in their clothes throughout their hospital visit. Here we report our first year′s experience of this facility. Methods: The study population comprised all patients who attended the radial lounge between July 2009–June 2010 for coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients were suitable for the radial lounge if they were elective cases who had a satisfactory radial pulse and no pre-procedure contraindication to same day discharge. Patients were excluded if they had any of the following: an unsuitable radial pulse, planned femoral access, prior coronary artery bypass surgery, or the requirement for an overnight hospital stay for planned complex/high risk PCI, renal impairment, or social reasons. The final decision regarding route of arterial access was left to the operator. Results In the one year study period, 1548 patients were managed in the radial lounge. 1109 patients underwent coronary angiography, 114 (10.2%) of whom also had a pressure wire or intravascular ultrasound, and 439 underwent PCI. This represented approximately 88% of our unit′s elective angiograms and 60% of our elective PCIs. Among the patients who underwent angiography, 938 (84.5%) were performed radially and 1076 (97.0%) were discharged from the radial lounge on the same day as their procedure. Among the PCI patients, 359 (81.8%) were performed radially and 372 (84.7%) were discharged the same day. The PCI group included 326 (74.3%) patients who had a single vessel treated, 105 (23.9%) who had two vessels or a bifurcation with a significant side branch treated, and 8 (1.8%) patients who had three vessels treated. There were no deaths or arrhythmias in the radial lounge. Requirement for overnight admission was significantly more common after femoral access compared with radial access for both angiography (4.1% vs 2.8%; p Conclusions A dedicated radial lounge free of cardiac monitors is a safe environment in which to manage most patients before and after elective coronary angiography and PCI. The lack of monitoring necessitates patient selection but this does not prevent the lounge being suitable for the majority of elective patients. Femoral access is associated with a significantly greater requirement for overnight admission.

Background Multi-vessel disease occurs in 40%–65% of patients undergoing Primary PCI for STEMI and is associated with adverse prognosis. Contemporary guidelines recommend treating the infarct related artery alone (culprit) during the urgent procedure. There is limited data comparing outcomes of complete with infarct-related artery (IRA)-only revascularisation in primary PCI for STEMI with few studies including the option of later date elective procedures for the other lesions (staged revascularisation). We therefore sought to clarify the outcome of patients with multi-vessel disease undergoing primary PCI dependent on management strategy. Methods Clinical information was analysed from a prospective data base on 2131 STEMI patients who underwent Primary PCI between January 2004 and May 2010 at a London centre. Patients with previous CABG were excluded. Information was entered at the time of procedure and outcome assessed by all-cause mortality information provided by the Office of National Statistics via the BCIS/CCAD national audit. Patients were split into three different treatment groups: culprit vessel angioplasty-only (COR group); staged revascularisation (SR group) and simultaneous treatment of non-IRA (CR group). The primary end point used was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and target vessel revascularisation (TVR). Results There were 963 (45%) consecutive patients with STEMI and multivessel CAD undergoing primary angioplasty. There were similar baseline characteristics between the 3 groups, aside from cardiogenic shock, which was significantly higher in the complete revascularisation group. See Abstract 19 table 1. At 30-days of follow-up, 23/263 (9%) patients in the CR group experienced at least one major adverse cardiac event (MACE), 1 (1%) in the SR group and 35 (5%) in the COR group, p=0.01. This trend continued up to 1-year of follow-up with the lowest rates of events in the SR group. However after 3 years MACE rates are significantly increased in the COR group (24%) but were similar in the CR (18%) and SR (17%) groups. See Abstract figure 1. MACE rates were driven mainly by death in the CR with high rates of TVR in the COR and SR groups. See Abstract figure 2. Conclusions Culprit vessel-only angioplasty was associated with the highest rate of long-term MACE compared with multivessel treatment. Patients scheduled for staged revascularisation experienced a similar rate of MACE to patients undergoing complete simultaneous treatment of non-IRA.

Purpose: European guidelines state that with the exception of cardiogenic shock, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) should be limited to the culprit artery. Although there is no robust randomized controlled trial data available there is a general consensus that non culprit coronary artery lesions identified at the time of STEMI should be treated in a staged manner. Whilst there is general consensus on the above; currently neither guidelines nor evidence exist regarding the optimal time for staged PCI. Our aim was to compare outcomes in patients who underwent staged PCI either as an inpatient or as an outpatient within six weeks time. Methods: This was an observational cohort study of 983 patients with multi-vessel disease who underwent PPCI from 2007 to 2011. Patients with previous CABG, cardiogenic shock were excluded. 102 patients were managed with staged intervention. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (all cause mortality, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularisation and stroke). Follow-up was for a median of 3.2 years (IQR range 2.0-4.4 years). Results: 24 (23.5%) patients underwent inpatient staged PCI with 78 (76.5%) patients undergoing their intervention within 6 weeks of hospital discharge. Patients who underwent inpatient staged PCI were older compared to those having 6 week staged procedures. (66.1±10.4 vs 59.2±10.6, P=0.02). Otherwise there were no other differences in baseline characteristics. Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant difference in the 3-year event rates between patients undergoing in-patient and 6 week staged procedures. Un-adjusted Cox analysis demonstrated no difference in 3 year outcomes between inpatient and 6 week procedures (HR 0.84 [95% CI 0.27-2.61)), which persisted after multivariate adjustment ((HR 0.60 [95% CI 0.12-2.96)) (factors corrected for: previous MI, DM, access, age, EF, eGFR, DES use, gender, previous CVA, PVD). Conclusion: This observational data suggests that staged procedures performed as an in-patient or at 6 weeks post discharge are associated with similar outcomes in STEMI patients with MVD undergoing primary PCI.

Introduction During Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PPCI) post ST-Segment Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), distal embolisation of thrombus may lead to failure to re-establish normal flow in the infarct-related artery. Manual thrombus aspiration has been shown to improve coronary perfusion as assessed by time to ST-segment resolution and myocardial blush grade. Evidence supporting the benefit of thrombus aspiration on clinical outcomes, however, is limited and inconsistent. We aimed to assess the impact of manual thrombectomy on mortality in patients presenting with STEMI across all PPCI centres in London over a 5 year period from 2007 until 2012. Methods This was an observational cohort study of 9935 consecutive patients with STEMI treated with PPCI between 2007 and 2012 at eight tertiary cardiac centres across London, UK. Patient9s details were recorded at the time of the procedure into the British Cardiac Intervention Society (BCIS) database. Outcome was assessed by all-cause mortality. Anonymous datasets from the eight centres were merged for analysis. The primary end-point was all-cause mortality at a median follow-up of 2.0 years (IQR range 1.1–3.1 years). Results Of the 9935 consecutive STEMI patients presenting for PPCI, 2859 had mechanical thrombectomy. Patients who had manual thrombectomy were significantly younger (average age 60.6 vs 62.9) and were less likely to have had a previous myocardial infarction (11.9% of thrombectomy patients vs 14.7% of non-thrombectomy patients). Patients receiving manual thromectomy were found to be significantly more likely to have had PPCI via a radial approach (33.1% in thrombectomy patients vs 19.9% in non-thromectomy patients). Procedural success (defined as TIMI 3 flow at the end of procedure) was found to be significantly more likely in patients receiving manual thrombectomy (89.5% vs 86.7%) (table 1). Patients with thrombectomy use had similar unadjusted all-cause mortality rates to those without thrombectomy use (12.7% vs 16.5%, p=NS) during the 5-year follow-up period (figure 1). After multivariable adjustment thrombectomy use was associated with significantly decreased mortality rates (HR: 0.82, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.9, p=0.04). Conclusion Mechanical thrombectomy use appears to be associated with improved outcome, in the form of decreased mortality, in this large observational trial.

Background The superiority of stress CMR imaging for the detection of coronary artery disease has been demonstrated in recent studies. The identification of perfusion defects has been correlated with adverse outcomes. The percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatment of proximal LAD lesions has been shown to be associated with improved outcome. Patients with previous proximal LAD stenting presenting with chest pain symptoms have often observed to have basal septal perfusion defects which do not propagate beyond the basal segments. This is likely related to compromised flow in the septal perforators in the presence of the stent scaffold. However, the significance of basal septal perfusion defects identified in patients presenting with chest pain symptoms in the presence of angiographically unobstructed proximal LAD stents is unclear. We studied the outcome of patients with previous proximal LAD stenting presenting with chest pain symptoms with or without a basal septal perfusion defect. Methods Retrospective analysis of 326 patients presenting with stable angina, who had undergone PCI to the proximal LAD at our institution between January 2005 and November 2011 was performed. All patients were investigated with a standard stress CMR protocol utilising vasodilator stress with adenosine. Patients were divided into two cohorts—234 patients with no basal septal perfusion defect and 92 patients with a basal septal perfusion defect. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The mean follow-up after stent implantation was 3.0±1.7 years for no basal septal perfusion defect group and 2.7±1.7 years for basal septal perfusion defect group. Results The two groups of patients were well matched in terms of age and gender. Among patients with a basal septal perfusion defect, there was a higher rate of Asian ethnicity and diabetes but this was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference in the use of drug eluting stents (DES) or the number of stents used. There was no significant difference between the two cohorts with regards to indication of PCI and the time elapsed from stenting to CMR scan. On long term follow-up, there was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between the two groups. Conclusions The presence of a basal septal perfusion defect in patients with proximal LAD stent is not associated with adverse outcome. The increasing observation of these defects may be related to superior spatial resolution of CMR imaging. However, if these perfusion defects are causing patients9 symptoms, our data does point to the safety of conservative management of these cases. Although there was higher rate of female gender, Asian ethnicity and diabetes among patients with a basal septal perfusion defect, there was no significant patient or procedural factors associated with the identification of perfusion defects in the presence of proximal LAD stent.

Background European guidelines state that with the exception of cardiogenic shock, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) should be limited to the culprit artery. Although there is no robust randomised controlled trial data available there is a general consensus that non-culprit coronary artery lesions identified at the time of STEMI should be treated in a staged manner. Whilst there is general consensus on the above; currently neither guidelines nor evidence exist regarding the optimal time for staged PCI. Our aim was to compare outcomes in patients who underwent staged PCI either as an in-patient or as an out-patient within 6 weeks time following a STEMI. Methods This was an observational cohort study of 983 patients with multi-vessel disease who underwent primary PCI from 2007 to 2011. Patients with previous CABG, cardiogenic shock were excluded. 102 patients were managed with staged intervention. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (all cause mortality, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularisation and stroke). Follow-up was for a median of 3.2 years (IQR range 2.0–4.4 years). Results 24 (23.5%) patients underwent in-patient staged PCI with 78 (76.5%) patients undergoing their intervention within 6 weeks of hospital discharge. Differences in baseline characteristics are outlined in table 1. Patients who underwent in-patient staged PCI were older compared to those having 6 week staged procedures. (66.1±10.4 vs 59.2±10.6, p=0.02). Otherwise there were no other differences in baseline characteristics. Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant difference in the 3-year event rates between patients undergoing in-patient and 6 week staged procedures (figure 1). Un-adjusted Cox analysis demonstrated no difference in 3 year outcomes between in-patient and 6 week procedures (HR 0.84 (95% CI 0.27 to 2.61)), which persisted after multivariate adjustment ((HR 0.60 (95% CI 0.12 to 2.96)) (factors corrected for: previous MI, DM, access, age, EF, eGFR, DES use, gender, previous CVA, PVD). Conclusions This observational data suggests that staged procedures performed as an in-patient or at 6 weeks post discharge are associated with similar outcomes in STEMI patients with multi-vessel disease undergoing primary PCI.

Background Recent UK epidemiological data suggests that while incidence and mortality of myocardial infarction (MI) is in decline, mortality associated with out of hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) in the setting of MI is still a significant problem now constituting 70% of its total fatality. Small studies have shown survival benefit with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in OOHCA in the setting of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). There is little contemporary outcome data in this population. We sought to identify predictors of survival in STEMI complicated by OOHCA in a large, contemporary cohort in the era of pPCI. Methods Between January 2008 and October 2011, 1836 consecutive STEMI admissions to a high volume pPCI centre were retrospectively analysed. 132 patients were identified as having OOHCA. Clinical and procedural data was collected from the UK Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) database and patient notes. Endpoints were all cause mortality to 4 years (mean: 559 days, median: 380 days) and neurological recovery at discharge (Cerebral Performance Score/CPS 1). Mortality data was collected using the Office of National Statistics mortality database. Results 132 out of 1836 consecutive STEMI patients were identified with OOHCA (7.2%). The mean age of patients was 59.4±14years, 78.8% were male and 55% were directly conveyed to the pPCI centre; the remaining were transferred from district hospitals. Survival to discharge was 76.5% (101/132 patients). 86 patients had full neurological recovery (65% of the whole cohort). Long term follow-up revealed only one further death making the overall survival rate 75.8%. Survivors had significantly higher incidence of witnessed arrest (p Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first reported series of STEMI complicated by OOHCA of this size in UK contemporary practice. This data shows a 76% survival rate, 65% rate of full neurological recovery and supports the emergent transfer of this patient group to a cardiac centre for pPCI.

Introduction Chronic total occlusion (CTO) remains a challenging lesion subset. Despite advances in equipment and expertise, many CTO patients may not be offered PCI as physicians perceive procedural success may be lower, and the anatomy is stable. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of procedural success on mortality following CTO-PCI in a large cohort of patients in the drug eluting stent era. Methods 6122 consecutive patients underwent elective PCI at a single centre (October 2003–May 2010), 836 (13.7%) for CTO. Demographic and procedural data were collected at the time of intervention (Abstract 35 table 1). In-hospital MACE (myocardial infarction, urgent revascularisation, stroke or death) was documented at discharge. All cause mortality data was obtained from the Office of National Statistics via the BCIS/CCAD national audit out to 4 years (mean 2.9±1.6) and stratified according to successful or unsuccessful CTO recanalisation. Results 572 (68.4%) CTO procedures were successful. Coronary stents were implanted in 96.9% (mean 2.3±0.1 stents per patient, 70% drug eluting). Prior revascularisation was more frequent among patients with unsuccessful CTO-PCI than successful; prior CABG 16.5% unsuccessful vs 7.4% successful, (p Conclusion A successful angiographic outcome following CTO-PCI is associated with a survival advantage out to 4 years following intervention. These data suggest that the adoption of new techniques and technologies to improve procedural success may improve prognosis.