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Background: Serum troponin levels correlate with the extent of myocyte necrosis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and predict adverse outcomes. However, thresholds of cardiac troponin elevation that could portend to poor outcomes have not been established., Methods: In this cohort study, we characterized all cardiac troponin elevations > 0.04 ng/mL (upper limit of normal [ULN]) from patients hospitalized with an ICD-9/10 diagnosis of AMI across our health system from 2012-2019. We grouped events into exponential categories of peak cardiac troponin and evaluated the association of these troponin categories with all-cause mortality, heart transplants, or durable left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). Patients with cardiac troponin > 10,000 × ULN were manually chart reviewed and described., Results: There were 18,194 AMI hospitalizations with elevated cardiac troponin. Peak troponin was 1-10 × ULN in 21.1%, 10-100 × ULN in 34.8%, 100-1,000 × ULN in 30.1%, 1,000-10,000 × ULN in 13.1%, and > 10,000 × ULN in 0.9% of patients. One-year mortality was 17-21% across groups, except in > 10,000 × ULN group where it was 33% (adjusted hazard ratio (99%CI) for > 10,000 × ULN group compared to all others: 1.86 (1.21, 2.86)). Hazards of one-year transplant and MCS were also significantly elevated in the > 10,000 × ULN group., Conclusions: Elevation in cardiac troponin levels post AMI that are > 10,000 × ULN was rare but identified patients at particularly high risk of adverse events. These patients may benefit from clarification of goals of care and early referral for advanced heart failure therapies. These data have implications for conversion to newer high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays whose maximum assay limit is often lower than traditional assays., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Among Medicare value-based payment programs for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program uses International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision ( ICD-10 ) codes to identify the program denominator, while the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced program uses diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). The extent to which these programs target similar patients, whether they target the intended population (type 1 myocardial infarction), and whether outcomes are comparable between cohorts is not known., Methods: In a retrospective study of 2176 patients hospitalized in an integrated health system, a cohort of patients assigned a principal ICD-10 diagnosis of AMI and a cohort of patients assigned an AMI DRG were compared according to patient-level agreement and outcomes such as mortality and readmission., Results: One thousand nine hundred thirty-five patients were included in the ICD-10 cohort compared with 662 patients in the DRG cohort. Only 421 patients were included in both AMI cohorts (19.3% agreement). DRG cohort patients were older (70 versus 65 years, P <0.001), more often female (48% versus 30%, P <0.001), and had higher rates of heart failure (52% versus 33%, P <0.001) and kidney disease (42% versus 25%, P <0.001). Comparing outcomes, the DRG cohort had significantly higher unadjusted rates of 30-day mortality (6.6% versus 2.5%, P <0.001), 1-year mortality (21% versus 8%, P <0.001), and 90-day readmission (26% versus 19%, P =0.006) than the ICD-10 cohort. Two observations help explain these differences: 61% of ICD-10 cohort patients were assigned procedural DRGs for revascularization instead of an AMI DRG, and type 1 myocardial infarction patients made up a smaller proportion of the DRG cohort (34%) than the ICD-10 cohort (78%)., Conclusions: The method used to identify denominators for value-based payment programs has important implications for the patient characteristics and outcomes of the populations. As national and local quality initiatives mature, an emphasis on ICD-10 codes to define AMI cohorts would better represent type 1 myocardial infarction patients.

Importance: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, including intravascular microaxial left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs), are used in patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock despite limited evidence of their clinical benefit., Objective: To examine trends in the use of MCS devices among patients who underwent PCI for AMI with cardiogenic shock, hospital-level use variation, and factors associated with use., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used the CathPCI and Chest Pain-MI Registries of the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry. Patients who underwent PCI for AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock between October 1, 2015, and December 31, 2017, were identified from both registries. Data were analyzed from October 2018 to August 2020., Exposures: Therapies to provide hemodynamic support were categorized as intravascular microaxial LVAD, IABP, TandemHeart, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, LVAD, other devices, combined IABP and intravascular microaxial LVAD, combined IABP and other device (defined as TandemHeart, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, LVAD, or another MCS device), or medical therapy only., Main Outcomes and Measures: Use of MCS devices overall and specific MCS devices, including intravascular microaxial LVAD, at both patient and hospital levels and variables associated with use., Results: Among the 28 304 patients included in the study, the mean (SD) age was 65.4 (12.6) years and 18 968 were men (67.0%). The overall MCS device use was constant from the fourth quarter of 2015 to the fourth quarter of 2017, although use of intravascular microaxial LVADs significantly increased (from 4.1% to 9.8%; P < .001), whereas use of IABPs significantly decreased (from 34.8% to 30.0%; P < .001). A significant hospital-level variation in MCS device use was found. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) proportion of patients who received MCS devices was 42% (30%-54%), and the median proportion of patients who received intravascular microaxial LVADs was 1% (0%-10%). In multivariable analyses, cardiac arrest at first medical contact or during hospitalization (odds ratio [OR], 1.82; 95% CI, 1.58-2.09) and severe left main and/or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.20-1.54) were patient characteristics that were associated with higher odds of receiving intravascular microaxial LVADs only compared with IABPs only., Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that, among patients who underwent PCI for AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock, overall use of MCS devices was constant, and a 2.5-fold increase in intravascular microaxial LVAD use was found along with a corresponding decrease in IABP use and a significant hospital-level variation in MCS device use. These trends were observed despite limited clinical trial evidence of improved outcomes associated with device use.

The worldwide pandemic caused by the novel acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has resulted in a new and lethal disease termed coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Although there is an association between cardiovascular disease and COVID-19, the majority of patients who need cardiovascular care for the management of ischemic heart disease may not be infected with this novel coronavirus. The objective of this document is to provide recommendations for a systematic approach for the care of patients with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a recognition of two major challenges in providing recommendations for AMI care in the COVID-19 era. Cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 are complex with patients presenting with AMI, myocarditis simulating an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presentation, stress cardiomyopathy, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, coronary spasm, or nonspecific myocardial injury, and the prevalence of COVID-19 disease in the U.S. population remains unknown with risk of asymptomatic spread. This document addresses the care of these patients focusing on 1) the varied clinical presentations; 2) appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) for health care workers; 3) role of the Emergency Department, Emergency Medical System and the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory; and 4) Regional STEMI systems of care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, primary PCI remains the standard of care for STEMI patients at PCI capable hospitals when it can be provided in a timely fashion, with an expert team outfitted with PPE in a dedicated CCL room. A fibrinolysis-based strategy may be entertained at non-PCI capable referral hospitals or in specific situations where primary PCI cannot be executed or is not deemed the best option., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Cardiology Foundation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The worldwide pandemic caused by the novel acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has resulted in a new and lethal disease termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although there is an association between cardiovascular disease and COVID-19, the majority of patients who need cardiovascular care for the management of ischemic heart disease may not be infected with this novel coronavirus. The objective of this document is to provide recommendations for a systematic approach for the care of patients with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a recognition of two major challenges in providing recommendations for AMI care in the COVID-19 era. Cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 are complex with patients presenting with AMI, myocarditis simulating an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presentation, stress cardiomyopathy, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, coronary spasm, or nonspecific myocardial injury, and the prevalence of COVID-19 disease in the US population remains unknown with risk of asymptomatic spread. This document addresses the care of these patients focusing on (a) varied clinical presentations; (b) appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) for health care workers; (c) the roles of the emergency department, emergency medical system, and the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL); and (4) regional STEMI systems of care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains the standard of care for STEMI patients at PCI-capable hospitals when it can be provided in a timely manner, with an expert team outfitted with PPE in a dedicated CCL room. A fibrinolysis-based strategy may be entertained at non-PCI-capable referral hospitals or in specific situations where primary PCI cannot be executed or is not deemed the best option., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Importance: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Although intravascular microaxial left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) provide greater hemodynamic support as compared with intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs), little is known about clinical outcomes associated with intravascular microaxial LVAD use in clinical practice., Objective: To examine outcomes among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock treated with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices., Design, Setting, and Participants: A propensity-matched registry-based retrospective cohort study of patients with AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock undergoing PCI between October 1, 2015, and December 31, 2017, who were included in data from hospitals participating in the CathPCI and the Chest Pain-MI registries, both part of the American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registry. Patients receiving an intravascular microaxial LVAD were matched with those receiving IABP on demographics, clinical history, presentation, infarct location, coronary anatomy, and clinical laboratory data, with final follow-up through December 31, 2017., Exposures: Hemodynamic support, categorized as intravascular microaxial LVAD use only, IABP only, other (such as use of a percutaneous extracorporeal ventricular assist system, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or a combination of MCS device use), or medical therapy only., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and in-hospital major bleeding., Results: Among 28 304 patients undergoing PCI for AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock, the mean (SD) age was 65.0 (12.6) years, 67.0% were men, 81.3% had an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, and 43.3% had cardiac arrest. Over the study period among patients with AMI, an intravascular microaxial LVAD was used in 6.2% of patients, and IABP was used in 29.9%. Among 1680 propensity-matched pairs, there was a significantly higher risk of in-hospital death associated with use of an intravascular microaxial LVAD (45.0%) vs with an IABP (34.1% [absolute risk difference, 10.9 percentage points {95% CI, 7.6-14.2}; P < .001) and also higher risk of in-hospital major bleeding (intravascular microaxial LVAD [31.3%] vs IABP [16.0%]; absolute risk difference, 15.4 percentage points [95% CI, 12.5-18.2]; P < .001). These associations were consistent regardless of whether patients received a device before or after initiation of PCI., Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients undergoing PCI for AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock from 2015 to 2017, use of an intravascular microaxial LVAD compared with IABP was associated with higher adjusted risk of in-hospital death and major bleeding complications, although study interpretation is limited by the observational design. Further research may be needed to understand optimal device choice for these patients.

Background Although recommended in the guidelines, the safety of chronic P2Y 12 inhibitor therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease ( CKD ) after an acute myocardial infarction ( MI ) is not well studied. Methods and Results The TRANSLATE -ACS (Treatment with ADP Inhibitors: Longitudinal Assessment of Treatment Patterns and Events After Acute Coronary Syndrome) study included 11 108 MI patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and discharged alive on a P2Y 12 inhibitor from 233 US hospitals. We compared rates of GUSTO (Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Arteries) severe/moderate bleeding and premature discontinuation of P2Y 12 inhibitor by 1 year after MI among patients with varying CKD severity. The majority of MI patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention had CKD : 42% had stage 2 (mild), 27% had stage 3 (moderate), and 4% had stage ≥4 (severe/end stage). Higher potency P2Y 12 inhibitors (prasugrel or ticagrelor) were prescribed at discharge in 39%, 35%, 23%, and 15% ( P<0.01) of patients with stages 1, 2, 3, and ≥4, respectively. One-year GUSTO severe/moderate bleeding rates were higher with each stage of CKD : 1% in patients with CKD stage 1 or no CKD , 2% with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.61 (95% CI, 1.05-2.35) for CKD stage 2, 4% with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.92 (95% CI, 1.21-3.02) for CKD stage 3, and 10% with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.44 (95% CI, 1.40-4.23) for patients with CKD stage ≥4. By 1 year after MI , 16% of patients overall had prematurely discontinued P2Y 12 inhibitor therapy; however, this rate was not largely affected by CKD stage. Premature P2Y 12 inhibitor-discontinuation rates were higher for patients discharged on higher potency P2Y 12 inhibitors in patients with CKD stage ≥2 ( P<0.01). Conclusions CKD severity was associated with a higher bleeding risk among those with acute MI treated with a P2Y 12 inhibitor. Patients with more advanced CKD were not significantly more likely than those with less advance CKD to prematurely discontinue P2Y 12 inhibitor therapy.

Background: Professional guidelines have reduced the recommended minimum number to an average of 50 percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures performed annually by each operator. Operator volume patterns and associated outcomes since this change are unknown., Objectives: The authors describe herein PCI operator procedure volumes; characteristics of low-, intermediate-, and high-volume operators; and the relationship between operator volume and clinical outcomes in a large, contemporary, nationwide sample., Methods: Using data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry collected between July 1, 2009, and March 31, 2015, we examined operator annual PCI volume. We divided operators into low- (<50 PCIs per year), intermediate- (50 to 100 PCIs per year), and high- (>100 PCIs per year) volume groups, and determined the adjusted association between annual PCI volume and in-hospital outcomes, including mortality., Results: The median annual number of procedures performed per operator was 59; 44% of operators performed <50 PCI procedures per year. Low-volume operators more frequently performed emergency and primary PCI procedures and practiced at hospitals with lower annual PCI volumes. Unadjusted in-hospital mortality was 1.86% for low-volume operators, 1.73% for intermediate-volume operators, and 1.48% for high-volume operators. The adjusted risk of in-hospital mortality was higher for PCI procedures performed by low- and intermediate-volume operators compared with those performed by high-volume operators (adjusted odds ratio: 1.16 for low versus high; adjusted odds ratio: 1.05 for intermediate vs. high volume) as was the risk for new dialysis post PCI. No volume relationship was observed for post-PCI bleeding., Conclusions: Many PCI operators in the United States are performing fewer than the recommended number of PCI procedures annually. Although absolute risk differences are small and may be partially explained by unmeasured differences in case mix between operators, there remains an inverse relationship between PCI operator volume and in-hospital mortality that persisted in risk-adjusted analyses., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The reasons for postdischarge adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitor (ADPri) switching among patients with myocardial infarction (MI) are unclear. We sought to describe the incidence and patterns of postdischarge ADPri switching among patients with acute MI treated with percutaneous coronary intervention., Methods: We used TRANSLATE-ACS (2010-2012) data to assess postdischarge ADPri switching among 8,672 MI patients discharged after percutaneous coronary intervention who remained on ADPri therapy 1 year post-MI. We examined patient-reported reasons for switching, GUSTO moderate or severe bleeding, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), and definite stent thrombosis events around the time of the switch., Results: Among patients still on ADPri therapy 1 year post-MI, 663 (7.6%) switched ADPri during that year. Switching occurred at a median of 50 days postdischarge and most frequently in patients discharged on ticagrelor (64/226; 28.3%), followed by prasugrel (383/2,489; 15.4%) and clopidogrel (216/5,957; 3.6%) (P < .001). Among patients discharged on prasugrel, 97.3% of switches were to clopidogrel and 87.5% of ticagrelor switches were to clopidogrel; both of these groups most often cited cost as a reason for switching (43.6% and 39.1%, respectively), whereas 60.7% who switched from clopidogrel cited physician decision as a reason. In the 7 days preceding the switch from clopidogrel, 40 (18.5%) had a MACE and 12 (5.6%) had a definite stent thrombosis event, whereas that from prasugrel or ticagrelor, a GUSTO moderate or severe bleeding event occurred in 1 (0.3%) and 0 patients, respectively., Conclusions: Postdischarge ADPri switching occurred infrequently within the first year post-MI and uncommonly was associated with MACEs or bleeding events., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Guidelines recommend the use of adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitor (ADPri) therapy for 1 year postacute myocardial infarction; yet, early cessation of therapy occurs frequently in clinical practice., Methods and Results: We examined 11 858 acute myocardial infarction patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention discharged alive on ADPri therapy from 233 United States TRANSLATE-ACS study (Treatment With Adenosine Diphosphate Receptor Inhibitors: Longitudinal Assessment of Treatment Patterns and Events After Acute Coronary Syndrome) participating hospitals to determine the prevalence of early ADPri cessation (within 1 year), patient-reported reasons for cessation, and associated risk of major adverse cardiovascular events at 1 year. Overall, 2514 (21.2%) of percutaneous coronary intervention-treated patients stopped ADPri by 1 year postmyocardial infarction; the median time from discharge to cessation was 200.5 days (25th, 75th percentiles: 71, 340). Among those with early ADPri cessation, 53.9% received drug-eluting stents and had a median duration of 301 treatment days (25th, 75th percentiles: 137, 353); 33.3% of drug-eluting stent patients stopped treatment within 6 months compared with 64.2% of bare metal stent patients. Those discharged on prasugrel (versus clopidogrel) had a slightly higher likelihood of early ADPri cessation (23.2% versus 21.0%; P=0.03; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.40). Patient-reported reasons for early ADPri cessation included physician-recommended discontinuation (54%), as well as patient self-discontinuation, because of cost (19%), medication side effects (9%), and procedural interruption (10%). Using a time-dependent covariate model, early cessation of ADPri therapy was associated with increased major adverse cardiovascular event (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.65; P<0.0001)., Conclusions: One in 5 percutaneous coronary intervention-treated myocardial infarction patients stopped ADPri treatment within 1 year. Early cessation was associated with increased major adverse cardiovascular event risk., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01088503., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) reduce gastrointestinal bleeding events but may alter clopidogrel metabolism. We sought to understand the comparative effectiveness and safety of prasugrel versus clopidogrel in the context of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use., Methods and Results: Using data on 11 955 acute myocardial infarction (MI) patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention at 233 hospitals and enrolled in the TRANSLATE-ACS study, we compared whether discharge PPI use altered the association of 1-year adjusted risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; death, MI, stroke, or unplanned revascularization) and Global Use of Strategies To Open Occluded Arteries (GUSTO) moderate/severe bleeding between prasugrel- and clopidogrel-treated patients. Overall, 17% of prasugrel-treated and 19% of clopidogrel-treated patients received a PPI at hospital discharge. At 1 year, patients discharged on a PPI versus no PPI had higher risks of MACE (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-1.58) and GUSTO moderate/severe bleeding (adjusted HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.15-2.09). Risk of MACE was similar between prasugrel and clopidogrel regardless of PPI use (adjusted HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.62-1.26 with PPI, adjusted HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.90-1.28 without PPI, interaction P=0.31). Comparative bleeding risk associated with prasugrel versus clopidogrel use differed based on PPI use but did not reach statistical significance (adjusted HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.36-1.48 with PPI, adjusted HR 1.34, 95% CI 0.79-2.27 without PPI, interaction P=0.17)., Conclusions: PPIs did not significantly affect the MACE and bleeding risk associated with prasugrel use, relative to clopidogrel., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01088503., (© 2016 The Authors and Eli Lilly & Company. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

In 2006, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration published advisory highlighting concerns for late drug-eluting stent thrombosis; its impact on US bare-metal stent (BMS) utilization is unknown. We examined rates of BMS use among Medicare patients at 946 US hospitals in the CathPCI Registry who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during 3 periods: (1) 2004 to 2006 preadvisory (n = 166,458); (2) 2007 to 2008 postadvisory (n = 216,318); and (3) 2012 to 2014 contemporary (n = 827,948). We examined predicted risks of target vessel revascularization and bleeding among BMS recipients by period. We compared 1-year repeat revascularization and death/myocardial infarction risks among BMS recipients immediately preadvisory and postadvisory. BMS were used in 15.8% of preadvisory, 40.9% of postadvisory, and 20.0% of contemporary PCI procedures. Although 19.5% of preadvisory BMS patients had a predicted target vessel revascularization risk ≥15%/year, this decreased to 16.7% postadvisory (p <0.001), and increased back to 18.7% among contemporary BMS recipients (p <0.001). In contrast, 12.3% of preadvisory BMS recipients had a predicted bleeding risk ≥5%/year, compared with 14.6% postadvisory (p <0.001), and 18.2% in contemporary BMS recipients (p <0.001). Postadvisory BMS recipients had a lower risk of repeat revascularization (12.8% vs 14.6%, adjusted hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.90) but no difference in the composite risk of death/myocardial infarction (15.9% vs 15.9%, adjusted hazard ratio 0.97, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.00). In conclusion, a surge in BMS use after the advisory was not associated with an increased risk of repeat revascularization or adverse outcomes in BMS-treated patients. One in 5 contemporary PCI procedures still involve BMS implantation., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies examining early readmission after acute myocardial infarction have focused exclusively on inpatient readmissions. However, from a patient's perspective, any unplanned inpatient or observation rehospitalization after acute myocardial infarction represents a significant event; these unplanned rehospitalizations have not been well characterized., Methods and Results: We examined all patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and discharged alive from 233 hospitals in the Treatment With Adenosine Diphosphate Receptor Inhibitors: Longitudinal Assessment of Treatment Patterns and Events After Acute Coronary Syndrome (TRANSLATE-ACS) study from 2010 to 2012. Our primary outcome was unplanned rehospitalizations (inpatient or observation status) within 30 days after discharge. We identified factors associated with unplanned rehospitalizations using multivariable logistic regression. Among 12 312 patients, 1326 (10.8%) had 1483 unplanned rehospitalizations within 30 days of the index event: 1028 (69.3%) were inpatient readmissions, and 455 (30.7%) were observation stays. The majority of unplanned rehospitalizations (72%) were for cardiovascular reasons. Variation in hospital rates of 30-day unplanned rehospitalization ranged from 5.4% to 20.0%, with a median of 10.7%. After multivariable modeling, the factors most strongly associated with unplanned rehospitalization were baseline quality of life and depression, followed by index hospital length of stay., Conclusions: Early unplanned rehospitalizations are common after acute myocardial infarction, and close to one third were classified as an observation stay. Predischarge and postdischarge assessments of overall, not just cardiovascular, health and strategies to optimize patient functional status may help to reduce unplanned rehospitalizations., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01088503., (© 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Older adults presenting with acute myocardial infarction (MI) often have multivessel coronary artery disease amenable to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), yet the risks of multivessel intervention may outweigh potential benefits in these patients. We sought to determine if nonculprit intervention during the index PCI is associated with better outcomes among older patients with acute MI and multivessel disease., Methods: We examined 19,271 ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) and 31,361 non-STEMI (NSTEMI) patients 65years or older with multivessel disease in a linked CathPCI Registry-Medicare database, excluding patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting, left main disease, or cardiogenic shock. Using inverse probability-weighted propensity adjustment, we compared mortality between patients receiving culprit-only vs multivessel intervention during the index PCI procedure., Results: Most older MI patients (91% STEMI and 74% NSTEMI) received culprit-only intervention during the index PCI. Among STEMI patients, multivessel intervention during the index PCI was associated with higher 30-day mortality (8.3% vs 6.3%, adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.36, 95% CI 1.14-1.62) than culprit-only intervention, and this trend persisted at 1year (13.8% vs 12.2%, adjusted HR 1.14, 95% CI 0.99-1.31). No significant mortality differences were observed among NSTEMI patients at 30days (3.4% vs 4.1%, adjusted HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.88-1.15) or at 1year (10.1% vs 10.8%, adjusted HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.91-1.08)., Conclusions: Nonculprit intervention during the index PCI was associated with worse outcomes among STEMI patients, but not NSTEMI patients., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To evaluate the safety of drug-eluting stents (DES) when treating patients with failing saphenous vein grafts (SVG)., Background: DES reduce target vessel revascularization in patients with failing SVGs; however, compared with bare metal stents (BMS), DES have been variably associated with increased mortality., Methods: Clinical records from National Cardiovascular Data Registry(®) CathPCI Registry(®) (49,325 older individuals [≥65 years] who underwent SVG stenting 2005-2009) were linked to Medicare claims to create a longitudinal record. Death, myocardial infarction (MI), and urgent revascularization with DES versus BMS were evaluated to 3 years using propensity matching (PM). Results were stratified by clinical presentation (acute coronary syndrome [ACS], non-ACS), previous lesion treatment (in-stent, de novo), and graft segment (aortic, body, distal anastomosis)., Results: In this older cohort (median age, 75 years), acute presentations were prevalent (ACS, 69%; TIMI flow <3, 45%), and adverse clinical outcomes were common by 3 years (death, 24.5%; MI, 14.6%; urgent revascularization, 29.5%). Among DES patients (n = 31,403), 3-year mortality was lower (vs. BMS) (22.7% vs. 28.0%, P < 0.001; PM hazard ratio [HR] 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.83-0.91), and no difference was observed in the adjusted risk for MI (PM HR 0.97, 0.91 to 1.03) or urgent revascularization (PM HR 1.04, 0.99-1.08). These findings were independent of clinical presentation, previous lesion treatment, and graft segment (P interaction, ns)., Conclusions: In this large SVG PCI cohort, all-cause mortality was lower among those receiving DES, and no difference in MI or urgent revascularization was observed to 3 years. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether bleeding risk varies depending on which P2Y12 receptor inhibitor agent is used., Background: Prior studies have shown significant bleeding risk among patients treated with triple therapy (i.e., oral anticoagulant, P2Y12 receptor inhibitor, and aspirin)., Methods: We evaluated patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at 233 hospitals in the United States enrolled in the TRANSLATE-ACS (Treatment with Adenosine Diphosphate Receptor Inhibitors: Longitudinal Assessment of Treatment Patterns and Events After Acute Coronary Syndrome) study (April 2010 to October 2012). Using inverse probability-weighted propensity modeling, we compared 6-month adjusted risks of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) bleeding, stratifying by whether or not bleeding was associated with rehospitalization among patients discharged on aspirin + anticoagulant + clopidogrel (triple-C), aspirin + anticoagulant + prasugrel (triple-P), aspirin + clopidogrel (dual-C), or aspirin + prasugrel (dual-P)., Results: Of 11,756 MI patients, 526 (4.5%) were discharged on triple-C, 91 (0.8%) on triple-P, 7,715 (66%) on dual-C, and 3,424 (29%) on dual-P. Compared with dual-therapy patients, triple-therapy patients had significantly higher any BARC-defined bleeding. Triple-P was associated with a greater risk of any BARC-defined bleeding events compared with triple-C. This finding was driven mostly by an increased risk of bleeding events that were patient-reported only and did not require rehospitalization. There were no significant differences in bleeding requiring rehospitalization between the triple-P and -C groups., Conclusions: Among MI patients, the addition of an oral anticoagulant was associated with a significantly greater risk of any BARC-defined bleeding relative to dual antiplatelet therapy, regardless of which P2Y12 receptor inhibitor was selected. Among patients on triple therapy, prasugrel use was associated with higher patient-reported-only bleeding, but not bleeding requiring rehospitalization, than clopidogrel-treated patients., (Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: While randomized clinical trials have compared clopidogrel with higher potency adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor inhibitors among patients with acute myocardial infarction, little is known about the frequency, effectiveness and safety of switching between ADP receptor inhibitors in routine clinical practice., Methods and Results: We studied 11,999 myocardial infarction patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention at 230 hospitals from April 2010 to October 2012 in the TRANSLATE-ACS study. Multivariable Cox regression was used to compare six-month post-discharge risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or unplanned revascularization) and Global Utilization of Streptokinase and t-PA for Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO)-defined bleeding between in-hospital ADP receptor inhibitor switching versus continuation of the initially selected therapy. Among 8715 patients treated initially with clopidogrel, 994 (11.4%) were switched to prasugrel or ticagrelor; switching occurred primarily after percutaneous coronary intervention (60.9%) and at the time of hospital discharge (26.7%). Among 3284 patients treated initially with prasugrel or ticagrelor, 448 (13.6%) were switched to clopidogrel; 48.2% of switches occurred after percutaneous coronary intervention and 48.0% at hospital discharge. Switching to prasugrel or ticagrelor was not associated with increased bleeding when compared with continuation on clopidogrel (2.7% vs. 3.3%, adjusted hazard ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.64-1.42, p=0.82). Switching from prasugrel or ticagrelor to clopidogrel was not associated with increased MACE (8.9% vs. 7.7%, adjusted hazard ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval 0.75-1.49, p=0.76) when compared with continuation on the higher potency agent., Conclusions: In-hospital ADP receptor inhibitor switching occurs in more than one in 10 myocardial infarction patients in contemporary practice. In this observational study, ADP receptor inhibitor switching does not appear to be significantly associated with increased hazard of MACE or bleeding., (© The European Society of Cardiology 2014.)

Background: Although platelet function and pharmacogenomic testing have been studied in clinical trials, their adoption into contemporary practice is unknown., Methods: We studied patterns of platelet function and pharmacogenomic testing among 10,048 patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention at 226 US hospitals in the TRANSLATE-ACS observational study between April 2010 and October 2012, excluding those receiving research protocol-mandated testing. Inverse probability-weighted propensity adjustment was used to compare 1-year bleeding and major adverse cardiac event risks between patients with and without testing., Results: Overall, 337 (3.4%) patients underwent predischarge platelet function testing, whereas 85 (0.9%) underwent pharmacogenomic testing; 82% and 93% of hospitals never performed any platelet function or pharmacogenomic testing, respectively. Patients undergoing testing were more likely to be on an adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitor preadmission or to have percutaneous coronary intervention of a previously treated lesion. Tested patients were more likely than nontested patients to be switched from clopidogrel to prasugrel/ticagrelor (25.7% vs 9.7%, P < .001) and were more likely to be on prasugrel/ticagrelor 6 months postdischarge (33.8% vs 25.1%, P < .001). No significant differences in 1-year bleeding and major adverse cardiac event risks were observed between tested and nontested patients (adjusted hazard ratios 1.06 [95% CI 0.68-1.65] and 1.21 [95% CI 0.94-1.54], respectively)., Conclusions: Platelet function and pharmacogenomic testing are rarely performed in contemporary myocardial infarction patients in the United States. When tested, patients were more likely to be treated with higher-potency adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitors, yet no significant differences in longitudinal outcomes were observed., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the SAFE-PCI for Women trial, patient preference for radial access for future procedures was greater than for femoral access. We sought to assess whether radial or femoral access impacts formal measures of quality-of-life (QOL) among women undergoing cardiac catheterization., Methods: We assessed QOL using European quality of life-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) and EQ visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) scores among 304 women randomized to radial or femoral arteriotomy in the SAFE-PCI for Women trial at sites with QOL substudy approval. Patient surveys were administered at baseline, hospital discharge, and 30 days (for percutaneous coronary intervention patients)., Results: Women randomized to both treatments had similar EQ-5D index and EQ-VAS scores at baseline, hospital discharge, and 30-day follow-up. After adjustment for baseline scores, there was no effect of assigned treatment on EQ-5D (discharge 0.004; 95% CI -0.03 to 0.04; 30 days -0.03; 95% CI -0.09 to 0.02) or EQ-VAS (discharge -1.31; 95% CI -4.74 to 2.12; 30 days -2.10; 95% CI -8.92 to 4.71) scores. At discharge, 60.5% versus 63.5% (P = .60) of patients in radial and femoral groups were free from access site pain; at 30 days, rates were 85.7% versus 77.6% (P = .30), respectively. Patient preference for the same access strategy for repeat procedures was greater in the radial versus femoral group (77.2% vs 26.8%; P < .0001)., Conclusions: Using established QOL instruments, we did not measure any difference in QOL or functional status according to access site strategy in women undergoing cardiac catheterization, yet patient preference for the radial approach was significantly greater. Other factors influencing patient choice for radial access should be investigated., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Recent reductions in average door-to-balloon (D2B) times have not been associated with decreases in mortality at the population level. We investigated this seemingly paradoxical finding by assessing components of this association at the individual and population levels simultaneously. We postulated that the changing population of patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) contributed to secular trends toward an increasing mortality risk, despite consistently decreased mortality in individual patients with shorter D2B times., Methods: This was a retrospective study of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients who underwent pPCI between Jan 1, 2005, and Dec 31, 2011, in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) CathPCI Registry. We looked for catheterisation laboratory visits associated with STEMI. We excluded patients not undergoing pPCI, transfer patients for pPCI, patients with D2B times less than 15 min or more than 3 h, and patients at hospitals that did not consistently report data across the study period. We assessed in-hospital mortality in the entire cohort and 6-month mortality in elderly patients aged 65 years or older matched to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We built multilevel models to assess the relation between D2B time and in-hospital and 6-month mortality, including both individual and population-level components of this association after adjusting for patient and procedural factors., Findings: 423 hospitals reported data on 150,116 procedures with a 55% increase in the number of patients undergoing pPCI at these facilities over time, as well as many changes in patient and procedural factors. Annual D2B times decreased significantly from a median of 86 min (IQR 65-109) in 2005 to 63 min (IQR 47-80) in 2011 (p<0·0001) with a concurrent rise in risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality (from 4·7% to 5·3%; p=0·06) and risk-adjusted 6-month mortality (from 12·9% to 14·4%; p=0·001). In multilevel models, shorter patient-specific D2B times were consistently associated at the individual level with lower in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR for each 10 min decrease 0·92; 95% CI 0·91-0·93; p<0·0001) and 6-month mortality (adjusted OR for each 10 min decrease, 0·94; 95% CI 0·93-0·95; p<0·0001). By contrast, risk-adjusted in-hospital and 6-month mortality at the population level, independent of patient-specific D2B times, rose in the growing and changing population of patients undergoing pPCI during the study period., Interpretation: Shorter patient-specific D2B times were consistently associated with lower mortality over time, whereas secular trends suggest increased mortality risk in the growing and changing pPCI population. The absence of association of annual D2B time and changes in mortality at the population level should not be interpreted as an indication of its individual-level relation in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI., Funding: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Whether increasing use of radial access has improved percutaneous coronary intervention outcomes remains unknown. We sought to determine the relationship between increasing facility-level use of transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (TRI) and periprocedural outcomes., Methods and Results: Within the National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI Registry, we estimated the risk-adjusted association between hospital category of change in TRI use (during the 3-year period from 2009 to 2012) and trends in access site and overall bleeding, fluoroscopy time, and contrast use among 818 facilities with low baseline TRI use. There were 4 categories of hospital change in TRI use: very low (baseline, 0.2% increasing to 1.8% at the end of 3 years), low (0.9% increasing to 8.9%), moderate (1.6% increasing to 27.2%), and high (1.0% increasing to 45.1%). Risk-adjusted access site bleeding decreased over time for all hospital categories; however, the rate of decline varied across hospital categories (P for interaction, <0.001). The decrease in access site bleeding was significantly greater for hospitals with moderate or high increases in TRI use (relative risk, 0.45, 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.56) when compared with that of very low or low hospitals (relative risk, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.58-0.74; P for comparison, 0.002). Similar findings were observed for overall bleeding. An increase in fluoroscopy time (≈1.3 minutes) was noted at hospitals with moderate and high use of TRI (P=0.01). Trends in contrast use were similar across hospital categories., Conclusions: In a national sample of hospitals performing percutaneous coronary intervention, bleeding rates decreased over time for all hospital categories of change in TRI use. The decline in bleeding outcomes was larger at hospitals with increased adoption of TRI when compared with hospitals with minimal or no change in TRI use., Competing Interests: Dr Rao has received consulting fees from Terumo Medical and Medtronic. Dr Curtis receives salary support under contract with the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) to provide analytic services and with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to support development of quality measures in addition to equity interest in Medtronic. The other authors report no conflicts., (© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Adoption of transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (TRI) in the United States is low and may be related to challenges learning the technique. We examined the relationships between operator TRI volume and procedural metrics and outcomes., Methods and Results: We used CathPCI Registry data from July 2009 to December 2012 to identify new radial operators, defined by an exclusively femoral percutaneous coronary intervention approach for 6 months after their first percutaneous coronary intervention in the database and ≥15 total TRIs thereafter. Primary outcomes of fluoroscopy time, contrast volume, and procedure success were chosen as markers of technical proficiency. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, bleeding, and vascular complications. Adjusted outcomes were analyzed by using operator TRI experience as a continuous variable with generalized linear mixed models. Among 54 561 TRI procedures performed at 704 sites, 942 operators performed 1 to 10 procedures, 942 operators performed 11 to 50 procedures, 375 operators performed 51 to 100 procedures, and 148 operators performed 101 to 200 procedures. As radial caseload increased, more TRIs were performed in women, in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and for emergency indications. Decreased fluoroscopy time and contrast use were nonlinearly associated with greater operator TRI experience, with faster reductions observed for newer (<30-50 cases) compared with more experienced (>30-50 cases) operators. Procedure success was high, whereas mortality, bleeding, and vascular complications remained low across TRI volumes., Conclusions: As operator TRI volume increases, higher-risk patients are chosen for TRI. Despite this, operator proficiency improves with greater TRI experience, and safety is maintained. The threshold to overcome the learning curve appears to be approximately 30 to 50 cases., (© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Little is known about percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) outcomes among patients presenting with an acute myocardial infarction (MI) with a history of prior PCI. Outcomes may differ depending on whether PCI is performed on a previously treated or de novo culprit lesion., Methods: We examined ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI patients who underwent PCI in the CathPCI Registry from 2009 to 2012. We used multivariable logistic regression to compare adjusted in-hospital mortality between groups., Results: Among 675,587 MI patients, 147,841 (22%) had a history of prior PCI; these patients were older and more frequently had co-morbid conditions yet had lower adjusted mortality compared with patients undergoing their first intervention (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.70-0.76). Among patients with prior PCI, 50,744 (34%) received intervention to a culprit lesion in a previously treated segment. Compared with patients with de novo culprit lesions, those with previously treated culprits were more likely to present with STEMI, but had lower mortality risk (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.82-0.95) regardless of STEMI or non-STEMI presentation. Among previously treated patients, in-hospital mortality was not significantly different between those with prior drug-eluting versus bare metal stent-treated culprit lesions (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.81-1.12)., Conclusion: Despite greater co-morbidity burden, MI patients with prior PCI had lower mortality compared with patients undergoing their first intervention. Among patients with prior PCI, patients undergoing PCI to a previously treated culprit lesion were associated with lower mortality than those being intervened for a de novo culprit. A better understanding of these differences will help improve procedural strategies and outcomes of patients undergoing PCI of a previously treated lesion., (© 2014.)

Objectives: This study sought to examine the contemporary incidence, predictors and outcomes of acute kidney injury in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions., Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious and potentially preventable complication of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) that is associated with adverse outcomes. The contemporary incidence, predictors, and outcomes of AKI are not well defined, and clarifying these can help identify high-risk patients for proactive prevention., Methods: A total of 985,737 consecutive patients underwent PCIs at 1,253 sites participating in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry Cath-PCI registry from June 2009 through June 2011. AKI was defined on the basis of changes in serum creatinine level in the hospital according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria. Using multivariable regression analyses with generalized estimating equations, we identified patient characteristics associated with AKI., Results: Overall, 69,658 (7.1%) patients experienced AKI, with 3,005 (0.3%) requiring new dialysis. On multivariable analyses, the factors most strongly associated with development of AKI included ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presentation (odds ratio [OR]: 2.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.53 to 2.67), severe chronic kidney disease (OR: 3.59; 95% CI: 3.47 to 3.71), and cardiogenic shock (OR: 2.92; 95% CI: 2.80 to 3.04). The in-hospital mortality rate was 9.7% for patients with AKI and 34% for those requiring dialysis compared with 0.5% for patients without AKI (p < 0.001). After multivariable adjustment, AKI (OR: 7.8; 95% CI: 7.4 to 8.1, p < 0.001) and dialysis (OR: 21.7; 95% CI: 19.6 to 24.1; p < 0.001) remained independent predictors of in-hospital mortality., Conclusions: Approximately 7% of patients undergoing a PCI experience AKI, which is strongly associated with in-hospital mortality. Defining strategies to minimize the risk of AKI in patients undergoing PCI are needed to improve the safety and outcomes of the procedure., (Copyright © 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Guidelines recommend consideration of cardiac biomarker measurement after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), especially with complex cases or complicated procedures. However, the long-term prognostic implications of biomarker measurement after elective PCI have not been well characterized in older patients., Methods: We examined 157,825 Medicare patients undergoing elective PCI in the United States from 2004 to 2008 at 711 hospitals in the CathPCI Registry. Clinical characteristics and 1-year mortality risk were studied, stratified by creatine kinase-muscle band measurement., Results: Overall, 26% of patients on elective PCI had postprocedure biomarkers measured. These patients had more complex coronary anatomy and procedures but had similar rates of PCI success and inhospital mortality when compared with patients without biomarker measurement. The treating hospital was a significant factor associated with the likelihood of postprocedure biomarker surveillance. Hospitals that measured creatine kinase-muscle band in ≥ 90% of patients on elective PCI had lower associated 1-year mortality rates (adjusted hazard ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.75-0.94) compared with hospitals that measured in < 10% of patients., Conclusions: Among older patients undergoing elective PCI, postprocedure cardiac biomarker measurement occurred infrequently and was concentrated at certain hospitals. Hospitals that routinely measured post-PCI biomarkers were associated with lower long-term mortality compared with hospitals without routine measurement., (© 2013.)

Background: Current guidelines for the treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction recommend a door-to-balloon time of 90 minutes or less for patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Door-to-balloon time has become a performance measure and is the focus of regional and national quality-improvement initiatives. However, it is not known whether national improvements in door-to-balloon times have been accompanied by a decline in mortality., Methods: We analyzed annual trends in door-to-balloon times and in-hospital mortality using data from 96,738 admissions for patients undergoing primary PCI for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction from July 2005 through June 2009 at 515 hospitals participating in the CathPCI Registry. In a subgroup analysis using a linked Medicare data set, we assessed 30-day mortality., Results: Median door-to-balloon times declined significantly, from 83 minutes in the 12 months from July 2005 through June 2006 to 67 minutes in the 12 months from July 2008 through June 2009 (P<0.001). Similarly, the percentage of patients for whom the door-to-balloon time was 90 minutes or less increased from 59.7% in the first year to 83.1% in the last year (P<0.001). Despite improvements in door-to-balloon times, there was no significant overall change in unadjusted in-hospital mortality (4.8% in 2005-2006 and 4.7% in 2008-2009, P=0.43 for trend) or in risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality (5.0% in 2005-2006 and 4.7% in 2008-2009, P=0.34), nor was a significant difference observed in unadjusted 30-day mortality (P=0.64)., Conclusions: Although national door-to-balloon times have improved significantly for patients undergoing primary PCI for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, in-hospital mortality has remained virtually unchanged. These data suggest that additional strategies are needed to reduce in-hospital mortality in this population. (Funded by the National Cardiovascular Data Registry of the American College of Cardiology Foundation.).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine use and describe outcomes of radial access for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)., Background: Transradial PCI (TRI) is associated with reduced risk of bleeding and vascular complications, as compared with femoral access PCI (FPCI). Studies have suggested that TRI may reduce mortality among patients with STEMI., Methods: We examined 294,769 patients undergoing PCI for STEMI at 1,204 hospitals in the CathPCI Registry between 2007 and 2011. Patients were grouped according to access site used for PCI. The temporal trend in the rate of radial versus femoral approach was determined. For minimization of confounding, an inverse probability weighting analysis incorporating propensity scores was used to compare procedural success, post-PCI bleeding, door-to-balloon times, and in-hospital mortality between radial and femoral access., Results: Over the 5-year period, the use of TRI versus FPCI in STEMI increased from 0.9% to 6.4% (p < 0.0001). There was no difference in procedural success. TRI was associated with longer median door-to-balloon time (78 vs. 74 min; p < 0.0001) but lower adjusted risk of bleeding (odds ratio [OR]: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.53 to 0.72; p < 0.0001) and lower adjusted risk of in-hospital mortality (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.57 to 0.99; p = 0.0455)., Conclusions: In this large national database, use of radial access for PCI in STEMI increased over the study period. Despite longer door-to-balloon times, the radial approach was associated with lower bleeding rate and reduced in-hospital mortality. These data provide support to execute an adequately powered randomized controlled trial comparing radial and femoral approaches for PCI in STEMI., (Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We sought to examine the contemporary use of thrombectomy during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the United States., Background: Adjunctive thrombectomy during primary PCI for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has demonstrated mixed results. While earlier studies showed either unfavorable or neutral effects with rheolytic thrombectomy, recent clinical trials have shown benefits with manual or rheolytic thrombectomy when compared to PCI alone., Methods: We analyzed data from 122,449 patients undergoing primary PCI for STEMI from 1,181 centers reported to the CathPCI Registry® between July 2009 and December 2010. We used logistic regression analysis to examine factors associated with the use of manual and rheolytic thrombectomy., Results: Thrombectomy was performed in 23,195 patients (18.9%): 22,404 (18.3%) had manual thrombectomy and 791 (0.6%) had rheolytic thrombectomy. The use of manual thrombectomy increased over time (P < 0.05). The use of rheolytic thrombectomy did not change. There was significant variation in the use of thrombectomy across hospitals. The strongest predictors of manual versus no thrombectomy included TIMI 0/1 flow (odds ratio 1.69), younger age (OR 0.90 per 10 year increase), saphenous vein graft (OR 2.22), glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (OR 1.34), single-vessel disease (OR 1.13), and year of admission (OR 1.20 per year; all P < 0.001). The strongest predictor of manual versus rheolytic thrombectomy was year of admission (OR 1.23, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Our data show that thrombectomy is performed infrequently in the US during primary PCI for STEMI. There is significant variation in the use of thrombectomy across US hospitals., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine temporal trends in post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) bleeding among patients with elective PCI, unstable angina (UA)/non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)., Background: The impact of bleeding avoidance strategies on post-PCI bleeding rates over time is unknown., Methods: Using the CathPCI Registry, we examined temporal trends in post-PCI bleeding from 2005 to 2009 among patients with elective PCI (n = 599,524), UA/NSTEMI (n = 836,103), and STEMI (n = 267,632). We quantified the linear time trend in bleeding using 3 sequential logistic regression models: 1) clinical factors; 2) clinical + vascular access strategies (femoral vs. radial, use of closure devices); and 3) clinical, vascular strategies + antithrombotic treatments (anticoagulant ± glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor [GPI]). Changes in the odds ratio for time trend in bleeding were compared using bootstrapping and converted to risk ratio., Results: An approximate 20% reduction in post-PCI bleeding was seen (elective PCI: 1.4% to 1.1%; UA/NSTEMI: 2.3% to 1.8; STEMI: 4.9% to 4.5%). Radial approach remained low (<3%), and closure device use increased marginally from 44% to 49%. Bivalirudin use increased (17% to 30%), whereas any heparin + GPI decreased (41% to 28%). There was a significant 6% to 8% per year reduction in annual bleeding risk in UA/NSTEMI and elective PCI, but not in STEMI. Antithrombotic strategies were associated with roughly half of the reduction in annual bleeding risk: change in risk ratio from 7.5% to 4% for elective PCI, and 5.7% to 2.8% for UA/NSTEMI (both p <0.001)., Conclusions: The nearly 20% reduction in post-PCI bleeding over time was largely due to temporal changes in antithrombotic strategies. Further reductions in bleeding complications may be possible as bleeding avoidance strategies evolve, especially in STEMI., (Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Post hoc analyses of clinical trials suggest that certain patients are eligible for early discharge after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The extent to which ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients are discharged early after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in current practice is unknown., Methods: We examined 115,113 patients in the CathPCI Registry to assess temporal trends in length of stay (LOS) after PPCI. Baseline characteristics were compared between patients with LOS ≤2 and >2 days. Predictors of LOS >2 days were determined by logistic regression and adjusted for clustering among centers. Patterns of discharge within 2 days for low-risk patients with no inhospital complications were examined., Results: From January 2005 through March 2009, mean LOS (4.0 ± 3.0 to 3.6 ± 2.7 days) (P for trend <.001) and the proportion of patients discharged after 2 days decreased (72.0%-65.9%), while predicted inhospital mortality risk remained unchanged. Patients with LOS >2 days (n = 77,471; 67.3%) were older and more likely to have had an intra-aortic balloon pump, cardiogenic shock, transfusions, and post-PPCI complications. Of 958 hospitals, 437 (45.6%) discharged at least half of their low-risk patients with no inhospital complications within 2 days., Conclusions: While the predicted risk profile has remained stable, there has been a significant decrease in LOS after PPCI. Nevertheless, hospitals vary in discharging low-risk and uncomplicated patients early. Discharge within 2 days was associated with specific patient, procedure, and hospital factors. Further study is needed to determine the safety of early discharge among patients undergoing PPCI., (Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The American College of Cardiology/American Health Association guidelines recommend both an early invasive strategy and administration of antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy for high-risk patients in the absence of contraindications. Little is known about adherence to guideline recommendations in patients with prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery presenting with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)., Methods: We analyzed 47,557 patients with NSTEMI in the 2007-2008 National Cardiovascular Data Registry Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry-Get With The Guidelines. Treatment patterns were compared between patients with and without prior CABG surgery. Multivariable regression with generalized estimating equations evaluated the association between prior CABG and in-hospital outcomes., Results: In this study, 8,790 NSTEMI patients (18.5%) had a history of CABG surgery. Prior CABG surgery was associated with a significantly lower adjusted likelihood of early cardiac catheterization (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.88, 95% CI 0.83-0.92), higher rates of short-term clopidogrel use (adjusted OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.14), and comparable use of anticoagulant therapy (adjusted OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.88-1.04). Adjusted risks of bleeding and in-hospital mortality did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (adjusted ORs 1.00, 95% CI 0.92-1.11 and 0.99, 95% CI 0.87-1.11, respectively)., Conclusions: Patients with prior CABG surgery presenting with NSTEMI are often felt to be at high risk for adverse outcomes and therefore require aggressive treatment. Our study indicates that they are less likely to undergo guideline-recommended early cardiac catheterization but equally or more likely to receive guideline-recommended antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy. This risk-treatment paradox, however, does not appear to negatively influence short-term clinical outcomes., (Copyright © 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although drug-eluting stents (DES) significantly reduce restenosis, they require 3 to 6 months of thienopyridine therapy to prevent stent thrombosis. The rate and consequences of prematurely discontinuing thienopyridine therapy after DES placement for acute myocardial infarction (MI) are unknown., Methods and Results: We used prospectively collected data from a 19-center study of MI patients to examine the prevalence and predictors of thienopyridine discontinuation 30 days after DES treatment. We then compared the mortality and cardiac hospitalization rates for the next 11 months between those who stopped and those who continued thienopyridine therapy. Among 500 DES-treated MI patients who were discharged on thienopyridine therapy, 68 (13.6%) stopped therapy within 30 days. Those who stopped were older, less likely to have completed high school or be married, more likely to avoid health care because of cost, and more likely to have had preexisting cardiovascular disease or anemia at presentation. They were also less likely to have received discharge instructions about their medications or a cardiac rehabilitation referral. Patients who stopped thienopyridine therapy by 30 days were more likely to die during the next 11 months (7.5% versus 0.7%, P<0.0001; adjusted hazard ratio=9.0; 95% confidence interval=1.3 to 60.6) and to be rehospitalized (23% versus 14%, P=0.08; adjusted hazard ratio=1.5; 95% confidence interval=0.78 to 3.0)., Conclusions: Almost 1 in 7 MI patients who received a DES were no longer taking thienopyridines by 30 days. Prematurely stopping thienopyridine therapy was strongly associated with subsequent mortality. Strategies to improve the use of thienopyridines are needed to optimize the outcomes of MI patients treated with DES.

The article focuses on cohort analysis performed to understand the association between bleeding and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and subsequent association with increased morbidity and health care costs. Post procedural bleeding is associated with nonfatal myocardial infraction, blood transfusion and stroke. The study was conducted on CathPCI registry performed in the U.S. between 2004 - 2011. The results obtained showed that in-hospitality mortality rate increased with increase in number of post procedural bleeding events in PCI-registered patients.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the long-term effectiveness of drug-eluting stents (DES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS). Background: Improved recanalization techniques have increased interest in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total coronary occlusion (CTO). The long-term effectiveness of DES and BMS is not known. Methods: We used data from 10,261 stable patients age ≥65 years at 889 U.S. hospitals who underwent CTO PCI from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2008, in the NCDR (National Cardiovascular Data Registry) CathPCI Registry with linked Medicare inpatient claims for follow-up. Patient and procedural characteristics, and 30-month death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, and hospitalization for bleeding were evaluated by stent type. Outcomes following stenting were adjusted and compared using propensity score matching. Results: DES were used for CTO PCI in 8,218 (80%) and BMS in 2,043 (20%). DES patients were younger (74.0 vs. 75.5 years, p < 0.001), had longer lesions (18.8 vs. 16.5 mm, p < 0.001), received more stents (≥2 stents in 45.7% vs. 37.9%, p < 0.001), and underwent multivessel PCI (18.9% vs. 15.1%, p < 0.001). DES implantation was associated with a lower hazard of mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: = 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.60 to 0.86, p < 0.001), a similar hazard for myocardial infarction (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.61 to 1.19, p = 0.35), and subsequent revascularization (HR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.79 to 1.12, p = 0.48), including PCI (HR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.83 to 1.19, p = 0.87) and coronary artery bypass grafting (HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.46 to 1.10, p = 0.12). Hospitalization for bleeding was also similar for DES versus BMS (HR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.61 to 1.39, p = 0.70). Conclusions: Compared with BMS, DES use in stable patients undergoing CTO PCI was associated with lower mortality, as well as similar myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization rates without an increase in subsequent bleeding requiring hospitalization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: The authors sought to describe the association between post-procedural bleeding and long-term recurrent bleeding, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and mortality among older patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background: Bleeding complications after PCI are associated with an increased risk for acute morbidity and long-term mortality, but the association of these bleeding complications with other events is unknown. Methods: Patients entered into the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) CathPCI Registry (n = 461,311; 946 sites) from January 2004 to December 2008 were linked with claims from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and grouped according to in-hospital post-PCI bleeding. The association between post-PCI bleeding and 1-, 12-, and 30-month readmission for bleeding, MACE, and all-cause mortality was examined with Cox regression that included patient and procedural characteristics using no bleeding as the reference. Results: Overall, 3.1% (n = 14,107) of patients experienced post-PCI bleeding. Patients who bled were older, more often female, had more medical comorbidities, less often received bivalirudin, and more often underwent PCI via the femoral approach. After adjustment, bleeding after the index procedure was significantly associated with readmission for bleeding (adjusted hazard ratios [95% confidence interval]: 1 month, 1.54 [1.42 to 1.67]; 12 months, 1.52 [1.40 to 1.66]; 30 months, 1.29 [1.11 to 1.50]), MACE (1 month, 1.11 [1.07 to 1.15]; 12 months, 1.17 [1.13 to 1.21]; 30 months, 1.12 [1.06 to 1.19]) and all-cause mortality (1 month, 1.32 [1.26 to 1.38]; 12 months, 1.33 [1.27 to 1.40]); 30 months, 1.22 [1.15 to 1.30]). Conclusions: Post-PCI bleeding complications are associated with an increased risk for short- and long-term recurrent bleeding, MACE, and all-cause mortality. These data underscore the prognostic importance of periprocedural bleeding and the need for identifying strategies to reduce long-term bleeding risk among patients undergoing PCI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES) compared with bare-metal stents (BMS) in older patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Background: DES may be associated with late death and myocardial infarction (MI) secondary to stent thrombosis. However, data on outcomes in older patients with CKD are limited. Methods: We estimated the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 283,593 patients 65 years of age and older who underwent stent implantation between 2004 and 2007. In propensity-matched cohorts grouped by GFR, the association between DES and BMS and the risk of death, MI, revascularization, and major bleeding was examined. Results: A total of 121,446 patients (42.8%) had CKD (GFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2). The 30-month mortality rate for patients on long-term dialysis was 52.0%. In propensity-matched pairs, placement of a DES compared with a BMS in patients with normal renal function was associated with significant reductions in 30-month revascularization (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86 to 0.95), MI (HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.71 to 0.83), and death (HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.69 to 0.77), but no difference in bleeding (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.79 to 1.00). Lower MI and mortality rates were also observed after DES compared with BMS implantation in all CKD subgroups with the exception of MI in the long-term dialysis group. Decreased rates of revascularization did not extend to any subgroup of patients with CKD. Conclusions: The safety of DES compared with BMS is observed in all patients regardless of renal function and is associated with reduced rates of MI and death in some subsets of patients with CKD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Platelets play a major role in the pathophysiology of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Recent evidence reveals megakaryocyte-derived platelet pre-mRNA is spliced to mRNA and then translated into functional proteins in response to external stimulation. An exon microarray analyzes pre-mRNA alternative splicing and is thus applicable for studying gene expression in the anucleate platelet. We hypothesized a subset of megakaryocyte/platelet genes exists that are significantly over or underexpressed in AMI compared with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), yielding a gene expression profile for further study. Microarray analysis employing platelet mRNA was used to generate gene expression data in the above two patient groups. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering has revealed an expression profile that includes 95 over- or under-expressed genes depicted in a heat map where separation of both sets takes place. This preliminary study reveals a platelet-based gene expression signature that differentiates between AMI and stable CAD, and further study may yield a prognostic tool for a future AMI event in atherosclerosis risk factor-based subsets of CAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a previous pilot study, we demonstrated that adjunctive treatment with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) appears to be feasible and safe in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and may result in an attenuated rise in creatine phosphokinase (CPK), more rapid resolution of pain and ST changes. This randomized multicenter trial was organized to further assess the safety and feasibility of this treatment in human subjects. Patients with an AMI treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) or streptokinase (STK), were randomized to treatment with HBO combined with either rTPA or STK, or rTPA or STK alone. An analysis included 112 patients, 66 of whom had inferior AMIs (p = NS). The remainder of the patients had anterior AMIs. The mean CPK at 12 and 24 h was reduced in the HBO patients by approximately 7.5% (p = NS). Time to pain relief was shorter in the HBO group. There were 2 deaths in the control and 1 in those treated with HBO. The left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) on discharge was 51.7% in the HBO group as compared to 48.4% in the controls (p = NS). The LVEF of the controls was 43.4 as compared to 47.6 for those treated, approximately 10% better (no significant difference). Treatment with HBO in combination with thrombolysis appears to be feasible and safe for patients with AMI and may result in an attenuated CPK rise, more rapid resolution of pain and improved ejection fractions. More studies are needed to assess the benefits of this treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among Medicare value-based payment programs for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program uses International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes to identify the program denominator, while the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced program uses diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). The extent to which these programs target similar patients, whether they target the intended population (type 1 myocardial infarction), and whether outcomes are comparable between cohorts is not known.Methods: In a retrospective study of 2176 patients hospitalized in an integrated health system, a cohort of patients assigned a principal ICD-10 diagnosis of AMI and a cohort of patients assigned an AMI DRG were compared according to patient-level agreement and outcomes such as mortality and readmission.Results: One thousand nine hundred thirty-five patients were included in the ICD-10 cohort compared with 662 patients in the DRG cohort. Only 421 patients were included in both AMI cohorts (19.3% agreement). DRG cohort patients were older (70 versus 65 years, P<0.001), more often female (48% versus 30%, P<0.001), and had higher rates of heart failure (52% versus 33%, P<0.001) and kidney disease (42% versus 25%, P<0.001). Comparing outcomes, the DRG cohort had significantly higher unadjusted rates of 30-day mortality (6.6% versus 2.5%, P<0.001), 1-year mortality (21% versus 8%, P<0.001), and 90-day readmission (26% versus 19%, P=0.006) than the ICD-10 cohort. Two observations help explain these differences: 61% of ICD-10 cohort patients were assigned procedural DRGs for revascularization instead of an AMI DRG, and type 1 myocardial infarction patients made up a smaller proportion of the DRG cohort (34%) than the ICD-10 cohort (78%).Conclusions: The method used to identify denominators for value-based payment programs has important implications for the patient characteristics and outcomes of the populations. As national and local quality initiatives mature, an emphasis on ICD-10 codes to define AMI cohorts would better represent type 1 myocardial infarction patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study assessed the comparative effectiveness of drug-eluting stents (DES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) among patients ≥85 years of age. Background: Despite an aging population, little is known about the comparative effectiveness of DES versus BMS among patients age ≥85 years undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: We examined 471,006 PCI patients age ≥65 years at 947 hospitals in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry between 2004 and 2008 and linked to Medicare claims data. Long-term outcomes (median follow-up 640.8 ± 423.5 days) were compared between users of DES and BMS. Results: Patients age ≥85 years comprise an increasing proportion of PCIs performed among elderly subjects, yet rates of DES use declined the most in this age group. Compared with BMS, use of DES was associated with lower mortality: age ≥85 years, 29% versus 38% (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.80 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.77 to 0.83]); age 75 to 84 years, 17% versus 25% (HR: 0.77 [95% CI: 0.75 to 0.79]); and age 65 to 74 years, 10% versus 16% (HR: 0.73 [95% CI: 0.71 to 0.75]). However, the adjusted mortality difference narrowed with increasing age (pinteraction <0.001). In contrast, the adjusted HR for myocardial infarction rehospitalization associated with DES use was significantly lower with increasing age: age ≥85 years, 9% versus 12% (HR: 0.77 [95% CI: 0.71 to 0.83]); age 75 to 84 years, 7% versus 9% (HR: 0.81 [95% CI: 0.77 to 0.84]); and age 65 to 74 years, 7% versus 8% (HR: 0.84 [95% CI: 0.80 to 0.88]) (pinteraction <0.001). Conclusions: In this national study of older patients undergoing PCI, declines in DES use were most pronounced among those aged ≥85 years, yet lower adverse-event rates associated with DES versus BMS use were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Standardization of risk is critical in benchmarking and quality improvement efforts for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). In 2018, the CathPCI Registry was updated to include additional variables to better classify higher-risk patients.Objectives: This study sought to develop a model for predicting in-hospital mortality risk following PCI incorporating these additional variables.Methods: Data from 706,263 PCIs performed between July 2018 and June 2019 at 1,608 sites were used to develop and validate a new full and pre-catheterization model to predict in-hospital mortality, and a simplified bedside risk score. The sample was randomly split into a development cohort (70%, n = 495,005) and a validation cohort (30%, n = 211,258). The authors created 1,000 bootstrapped samples of the development cohort and used stepwise selection logistic regression on each sample. The final model included variables that were selected in at least 70% of the bootstrapped samples and those identified a priori due to clinical relevance.Results: In-hospital mortality following PCI varied based on clinical presentation. Procedural urgency, cardiovascular instability, and level of consciousness after cardiac arrest were most predictive of in-hospital mortality. The full model performed well, with excellent discrimination (C-index: 0.943) in the validation cohort and good calibration across different clinical and procedural risk cohorts. The median hospital risk-standardized mortality rate was 1.9% and ranged from 1.1% to 3.3% (interquartile range: 1.7% to 2.1%).Conclusions: The risk of mortality following PCI can be predicted in contemporary practice by incorporating variables that reflect clinical acuity. This model, which includes data previously not captured, is a valid instrument for risk stratification and for quality improvement efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although many studies show an inverse association between operator procedural volume and short-term adverse outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the association between procedural volume and longer-term outcomes is unknown.Methods: Using the National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI registry data linked with Medicare claims data, we examined the association between operator PCI volume and long-term outcomes among patients ≥65 years of age. Operators were stratified by average annual PCI volume (counting PCIs performed in patients of all ages): low- (<50 PCIs), intermediate- (50-100), and high- (>100) volume operators. One-year unadjusted rates of death and major adverse coronary events (MACEs; defined as death, readmission for myocardial infarction, or unplanned coronary revascularization) were calculated with Kaplan-Meier methods. The proportional hazards assumption was not met, and risk-adjusted associations between operator volume and outcomes were calculated separately from the time of PCI to hospital discharge and from hospital discharge to 1-year follow-up.Results: Between July 1, 2009, and December 31, 2014, 723 644 PCI procedures were performed by 8936 operators: 2553 high-, 2878 intermediate-, and 3505 low-volume operators. Compared with high- and intermediate-volume operators, low-volume operators more often performed emergency PCI, and their patients had fewer cardiovascular comorbidities. Over 1-year follow-up, 15.9% of patients treated by low-volume operators had a MACE compared with 16.9% of patients treated by high-volume operators ( P=0.004). After multivariable adjustment, intermediate- and high-volume operators had a significantly lower rate of in-hospital death than low-volume operators (odds ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.86-0.96 for intermediate versus low; odds ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.75-0.83 for high versus low). There were no significant differences in rates of MACEs, death, myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularization between operator cohorts from hospital discharge to 1-year follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio for MACEs, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.96-1.01 for intermediate versus low; hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.99-1.04 for high versus low).Conclusions: Unadjusted 1-year outcomes after PCI were worse for older adults treated by operators with higher annual volume; however, patients treated by these operators had more cardiovascular comorbidities. After risk adjustment, higher operator volume was associated with lower in-hospital mortality and no difference in postdischarge MACEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]