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Importance: Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) living in rural settings often have worse clinical outcomes compared with their urban counterparts. Whether this discrepancy is due to clinical characteristics or delays in timely reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) or fibrinolysis is unclear., Objective: To assess process metrics and outcomes among patients with STEMI in rural and urban settings across the US., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional multicenter study analyzed data for 70 424 adult patients with STEMI from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry Chest Pain-MI Registry in 686 participating US hospitals between January 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020. Patients without a valid zip code were excluded, and those transferred to a different hospital during the course of the study were excluded from outcome analysis., Main Outcomes and Measures: In-hospital mortality and time-to-reperfusion metrics., Results: This study included 70 424 patients with STEMI (median [IQR] age, 63 [54-73] years; 49 850 [70.8%] male and 20 574 [29.2%] female; patient self-reported race: 6753 [9.6%] Black, 60 114 [85.4%] White, and 2096 [3.0%] of another race [including American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander]; 5281 [7.5%] individuals of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity) in 686 hospitals (50 702 [72.0%] living in urban zip codes and 19 722 [28.0%] in rural zip codes). Patients from rural settings were less likely to undergo PPCI compared with patients from urban settings (14 443 [73.2%] vs 43 142 [85.1%], respectively; P < .001) and more often received fibrinolytics (2848 [19.7%] vs 937 [2.7%]; P < .001). Compared with patients from urban settings, those in rural settings undergoing PPCI had longer median (IQR) time from first medical contact to catheterization laboratory activation (30 [12-42] minutes vs 22 [15-59] minutes; P < .001) and longer median (IQR) time from first medical contact to device (99 minutes [75-131] vs 81 [66-103] minutes; P < .001), including those who arrived directly at PPCI centers (83 [66-107] minutes vs 78 [64-97] minutes; P < .001) and those who transferred to PPCI centers from another treatment center (125 [102-163] minutes vs 103 [85-135] minutes; P < .001). Among those who transferred in, median (IQR) door-in-door-out time was longer in patients from rural settings (63 [41-100] minutes vs 50 [35-80] minutes; P < .001). Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was more common in patients from urban vs rural settings (3099 [6.1%] vs 958 [4.9%]; P < .001), and patients from urban settings were more likely to present with heart failure (4112 [8.1%] vs 1314 [6.7%]; P < .001). After multivariable adjustment, there was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between rural and urban groups (adjusted odds ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.89-1.06)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this large cohort of patients with STEMI from US hospitals participating in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry Chest Pain-MI Registry, patients living in rural settings had longer times to reperfusion, were less likely to receive PPCI or meet guideline-recommended time to reperfusion, and more frequently received fibrinolytics than patients living in urban settings. However, there was no difference in adjusted in-hospital mortality between patients with STEMI from urban and rural settings.

Introduction: Previous studies have reported lower rates of coronary angiography and revascularization, and significantly higher mortality among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This observational study was designed to evaluate characteristics and inpatient outcomes of patients with seropositive HIV infection presenting with AMI., Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we identified patients (admissions) with a primary diagnosis of myocardial infarction and a co-occurring HIV. We described baseline characteristics and outcomes. Our primary outcomes of interest were prevalence of coronary angiography, revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or CABG), and mortality., Results: From 2010 to 2014, of about 2,977,387 patients with a primary diagnosis of AMI, 10,907 (0.4%) were HIV seropositive. Patients with HIV were younger and more likely to be African American or Hispanic. Coronary angiography and revascularization were performed more frequently in the HIV population. The higher prevalence of revascularization was driven by a higher incidence of PCI. In a multivariable model, patients with HIV were no more likely to undergo revascularization than the general population. This was also the case for PCI. Unadjusted all-cause mortality was lower among patients with HIV. After controlling for confounders, this finding was not significant (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.75-1.25, p = 0.79). The length of stay between both groups was comparable., Conclusion: In this current analysis, we did not note any treatment bias or difference in the rate of in-hospital total mortality for HIV-seropositive patients presenting with AMI compared with the general population.

The optimal treatment strategy for coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) has not been well established. The benefit of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was inferred mainly from observational studies comparing successful versus failed PCI without a control group receiving optimal medical therapy (OMT). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing PCI using drug-eluting stent (DES) versus OMT alone in patients with CTO. Eight studies were identified: 3 RCTs and 5 observational studies. Among a total of 4784 included patients, 2461 patients underwent PCI and 2323 patients received OMT. There was a significant association between PCI and lower cardiac mortality (odds ratio = 0.62; 95% confidence interval 0.42-0.93; P = .02). There was no significant difference between PCI and OMT regarding major adverse cardiac events, recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), repeat revascularization, or stroke. In the RCT subset (1399 patients), there was no significant difference between PCI and OMT regarding clinical outcomes. Compared with OMT alone, PCI with DES for CTO was associated with lower cardiac mortality, mainly driven by observational studies, without significant difference in recurrent MI or repeated revascularization. Further RCTs are needed to investigate the role of PCI for management of patients with CTO.

Objectives: Patients with cirrhosis have increased bleeding risk due to coagulopathy and platelet sequestration, as well as inherent cardiovascular risk. We aim to assess the impact of cirrhosis on the revascularization rates and in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI)., Methods: We queried the National Inpatient Sample Database from 2010 to 2014 and identified hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of AMI (n = 612,547); of these, a total of 3135 patients had a concomitant diagnosis of cirrhosis. We compared clinical outcomes between patients with cirrhosis and a propensity-score matched cohort without cirrhosis (n = 3086)., Results: Patients with cirrhosis had a lower rate of ST-elevation MI (18.9% vs 26.7% in the cohort with no cirrhosis; P<.001), a lower rate of coronary angiography (51.4% vs 63.9% in the cohort with no cirrhosis; P<.001), and lower rates of revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (28.7% vs 39.2% in the cohort with no cirrhosis; P<.001) or coronary artery bypass grafting (6.0% vs 12.9% in the cohort with no cirrhosis; P<.001). Gastrointestinal and postprocedural hemorrhage was more common in patients with cirrhosis (12.3% vs 7.1% in the cohort with no cirrhosis; P<.001), regardless of revascularization status, and cirrhosis patients also had a higher in-hospital mortality rate (8.7% vs 6.9% in the cohort with no cirrhosis; P<.01). PCI was independently associated with lower mortality in patients with cirrhosis (odds ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.98; P=.04)., Conclusion: Patients with cirrhosis presenting with AMI were highly selected to undergo coronary angiography and subsequent revascularization, and had higher mortality than those without cirrhosis. However, PCI was independently associated with lower mortality in patients with cirrhosis, although to less effect than non-cirrhotics, perhaps due to higher bleeding rates.

Background: Patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are at increased risk for subsequent ischemic events., Hypothesis: Short-term dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) (≤6 months) is inferior to standard or long-term DAPT in patients who undergo PCI for ACS events., Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared short-term (≤6 months) to long-term (≥12 months) DAPT after PCI for ACS. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database., Results: Ten randomized controlled trials, including a total of 12 696 patients, met our inclusion criteria. For short-term DAPT, duration of therapy ranged from 3 to 6 months, while long-term DAPT ranged from 12 to 24 months. The majority of studies used clopidogrel and second-generation drug-eluting stents. No statistically significant difference was found between short-term and long-term DAPT with regard to myocardial infarction (odds ratio 1.21; 95% confidence interval 0.94-1.57; P = 0.14), stent thrombosis (odds ratio 1.54; 95% confidence interval 1.00-2.38; P = 0.052), or major bleeding events (odds ratio 0.74; 95% confidence interval 0.49-1.11; P = 0.14). There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality, cardiac death, or net adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events., Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that short-term DAPT (<6 months) after PCI for ACS was not associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction or stent thrombosis when compared to long-term DAPT., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Sickle-cell disease (SCD) affects millions worldwide. Sickle-cell anemia (SCA), the most severe form of this disease, is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States. There are limited data on the incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in these patients. Using data from the National Inpatient Sample database, we matched cases (AMI with SCA) with controls (AMI without SCA) in a 1:1 ratio for age, gender, race, and year of admission. We compared both groups in terms of clinical characteristics and inpatient outcomes and performed a logistic regression with mortality as the primary outcome. Using weighted samples, we also described trends of SCA in the general population of patients with AMI. Of the 2,386,657 admissions with AMI, SCA was reported in 501 (0.02%) patients, and 495 were successfully matched to controls. Patients with SCA were less likely to have risk factors for coronary artery disease than those without SCA. Patients with SCA were more likely to develop pneumonia, respiratory failure, and acute renal failure, and require mechanical ventilation, hemodialysis for acute renal failure and blood transfusion. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with SCA. In a multivariate analysis, SCA was an independent predictor of mortality (odds ratio 3.49; 95% confidence interval 1.99 to 6.12; p = < .001). In conclusion, myocardial infarction occurs in patients with SCA at a relatively early age. These patients do not typically have the traditional risk factors for the acute coronary syndrome. Mortality in these patients is significantly higher in age-, gender-, and race-matched controls., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the early days of coronary angioplasty, follow-up coronary angiography was often performed to assess restenosis. Angiographic restenosis has been shown to be associated with worse clinical outcomes, though the exact causality has yet to be determined. Numerous studies have repeatedly demonstrated that routine follow-up coronary angiography increases the incidence of target lesion revascularization without a clear reduction in mortality or myocardial infarction. Despite the lack of proven benefit of angiographic follow-up, routine follow-up coronary angiography is still being performed in certain countries and facilities. There are several factors that might explain the lack of benefit of angiographic follow-up: 1) lower incidence of stent failure in the current drug-eluting stent era has attenuated the net clinical benefit of follow-up angiography. 2) Angiographic restenosis might not lead to myocardial ischemia. 3) Patients that do have functionally significant restenosis are often referred for coronary angiography due to clinical indications such as intractable angina. 4) Absence of restenosis at the time of follow-up angiography does not exclude future restenosis. The absence of proven benefit in unselected populations does not necessarily preclude the presence of benefit in selected population, and there may be a subgroup of patients who can benefit from angiographic follow-up such as those with a large myocardial ischemic territory or those at very high risk of restenosis. Until there is more clinical evidence with respect to follow-up angiography, the decision of whether or not to perform it routinely in selected high-risk population should entail an in-depth discussion with the patient., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) can lead to subendocardial ischemia by altering the coronary blood flow and its transmural myocardial distribution in the setting of increased oxygen demand. We hypothesized that electrocardiographic LVH predicts nonsignificant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). We performed a retrospective analysis of 406 consecutive patients with NSTEMI who underwent coronary angiography. The LVH was diagnosed using Sokolow-Lyon and Cornell voltage criteria. Nonsignificant CAD was defined as stenosis less than 50% in the left main and 70% in any other coronary arteries. Of the 406 patients, 100 (25%) patients had electrocardiographic LVH and 99 (24%) patients had nonsignificant CAD. Patients with electrocardiographic LVH had a higher prevalence of nonsignificant CAD (32% vs 22%, P = .04) and a lower rate of in-hospital revascularization (45% vs 69%, P < .001) than those without LVH. On multivariate analysis, electrocardiographic LVH was an independent predictor of nonsignificant CAD (odds ratio 1.94; 95% confidence interval 1.12-3.35; P = .02). In conclusion, electrocardiographic LVH is an independent predictor of nonsignificant CAD and associated with a lower rate of in-hospital revascularization in patients with NSTEMI., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Background: ST-segment elevation in lead aVR predicts left main and/or three-vessel disease (LM/3VD) in patients with acute coronary syndromes. ST-segment elevation in lead aVR is generally reciprocal to and accompanied by ST-segment depression in precordial leads. Previous studies have assessed the independent predictive value of ST-segment elevation in lead aVR for LM/3VD in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome and have reported conflicting results., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 379 patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Electrocardiograms on presentation were reviewed especially for ST-segment elevation ≥0.05 mV in lead aVR and ST-segment depression ≥0.05 mV in more than two contiguous leads in any other leads., Results: Among 379 patients, 97 (26%) patients had ST-segment elevation in lead aVR and 88 (23%) patients had LM/3VD. Patients with ST-segment elevation in lead aVR had a higher rate of LM/3VD (39% vs. 18%; P < 0.001) and in-hospital revascularization (73% vs. 60%; P = 0.02) driven by a higher rate of in-hospital coronary artery bypass grafting (19% vs. 7%; P < 0.001) than those without ST-segment elevation in lead aVR. On multivariate analysis, ST-segment elevation in lead aVR (odds ratio [OR] 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-3.77; P = 0.02) and ST-segment depression in leads V1 -V4 (OR 2.99; 95% CI 1.46-6.15; P = 0.003) were independent predictors of LM/3VD., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that ST-segment elevation in lead aVR is an independent predictor of LM/3VD in patients with NSTEMI., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: The prognostic value of ST-segment elevation in lead V1 (STE in V1) in anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has not been elucidated., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 190 consecutive first anterior STEMI patients. STE in V1 ≥0.1mV was recorded. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as a composite of all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization., Results: Among 190 patients, 42 patients did not have STE in V1. The patient without STE in V1 had a higher peak creatine kinase value and a higher incidence of 1-year MACE (36% vs. 13%, p<0.001), driven by a higher mortality (24% vs. 5%, p<0.001). The absence of STE in V1 was an independent predictor for 1-year MACE (odds ratio 3.16; 95% confidence interval 1.28-7.83; p=0.01)., Conclusion: The absence of STE in V1 was an independent predictor for worse long-term outcomes in patients with first anterior STEMI., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The association between preinfarction angina and angiographic findings has not been elucidated in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)., Hypothesis: Patients with preinfarction angina have favorable angiographic findings., Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 481 patients who underwent coronary angiography within 5 days of presenting NSTEMI. Preinfarction angina was defined as experiencing ≥1 chest-pain episode within 7 days prior to admission. Infarct size was measured as the peak cardiac troponin I (cTnI) level, and large myocardial infarction (MI) was defined as a peak cTnI level >85th percentile value in the study population. Infarct-related artery (IRA) patency was defined as Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction grade 2 or 3 flow. Clinical and angiographic characteristics and in-hospital mortality were compared between patients with and without preinfarction angina., Results: Among 481 patients, 200 (42%) had preinfarction angina. Preinfarction angina was associated with smaller infarct size, indicated by lower peak cTnI levels (P = 0.006) and lower incidence of large MI (P = 0.02), and IRA patency (P = 0.03). There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality. On multivariate analysis, both preinfarction angina (odds ratio: 0.53, 95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.94, P = 0.03) and IRA patency (odds ratio: 0.30, 95% confidence interval: 0.17-0.52, P < 0.001) were independent negative predictors of large MI., Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that preinfarction angina is a predictor of smaller infarct size and infarct-related artery patency in NSTEMI patients, suggesting that NSTEMI patients presenting without preinfarction angina are at increased risk of developing a large MI., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background/purpose: Patients with acute coronary syndrome due to left main and/or three-vessel disease (LM/3VD) are at the highest risk of short- and long-term adverse cardiovascular events. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown to predict the severity of coronary artery disease in various clinical settings, but its independent predictive value for LM/3VD has not been investigated in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). We aimed to evaluate the independent predictive value of NLR for LM/3VD in NSTEMI patients., Methods/materials: We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive NSTEMI patients who underwent coronary angiography. NLR was calculated as the ratio of neutrophil to lymphocyte based on the laboratory data on admission. The primary outcome was the presence of LM/3VD., Results: In all, 396 patients were included in the final analysis. Median NLR in the entire study population was 3.43 (interquartile range, 2.12-5.51). By receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, the optimal cutoff value of NLR in predicting LM/3VD was 2.80 (area under the curve 0.60, sensitivity 73%, specificity 43%). Of the 396 patients, 244 patients (62%) had NLR ≥2.8. Patients with NLR ≥2.8 were older and had a higher prevalence of LM/3VD (30 % vs. 18%, p=0.005). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, NLR ≥2.8 was an independent predictor of LM/3VD after adjusting for other clinical variables including ST depression and ST elevation in lead aVR (odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.07-3.21, p=0.03)., Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that NLR ≥2.8 is an independent predictor of LM/3VD in patients with NSTEMI., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) predicts short-term and long-term mortalities in patients with stable and unstable coronary artery disease. However, it has been reported that white blood cell and neutrophil counts vary considerably among different races. We aimed to assess the impact of racial difference on NLR in our diverse population with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)., Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis of 456 consecutive NSTEMI patients who had undergone coronary angiography. The patients were divided into four groups on the basis of self-reported race: White, Hispanic, African-American, and Asian. NLR was compared among the four groups. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were carried out between NLR and baseline clinical characteristics and angiographic findings. The primary outcome was inhospital mortality., Results: The median NLR in the entire study population was 3.47 (interquartile range, 2.16-5.57). NLR differed significantly among the four groups according to the Kruskal-Wallis test (P=0.03). NLR was significantly lower in the African-American group compared with the White group according to the Steel-Dwass test (P=0.03). Multivariate analysis revealed that African-American ethnicity was negatively associated with NLR (P=0.04). The second multivariate analysis using the White group as a reference also revealed that African-American ethnicity was negatively associated with NLR (P=0.04). There was no significant difference in inhospital mortality among the four groups., Conclusion: The present study demonstrated an independent association between race and NLR in patients with NSTEMI, suggesting that a tailored cutoff value according to race would provide more precise prognostic information.

Background/purpose: Stent thrombosis is an infrequent yet one of the most feared complications after stent implantation. Stent thrombosis most commonly manifests as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, thus the data regarding non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) resulting from stent thrombosis are still sparse. The aim of the study is to evaluate the prevalence and outcomes of NSTEMI resulting from stent thrombosis., Methods/materials: We performed a retrospective analysis of 378 consecutive NSTEMI patients who underwent coronary angiography. Patients were divided into those with and without stent thrombosis. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcome was the incidence of large myocardial infarction defined as a peak troponin I value greater than 90th percentile of the entire study population (26.5 μg/L)., Results: Among 378 patients with NSTEMI, 12 (3.2%) patients had angiographically confirmed definite stent thrombosis. With respect to the timing of stent thrombosis, 2 patients had early, 3 had late and 7 had very-late stent thrombosis. Patients with stent thrombosis had a higher incidence of large myocardial infarction (33% vs. 9%, p = 0.02) and a higher albeit statistically insignificant peak troponin value (interquartile, 4.62 [0.19-64.0] μg/L vs. 1.21 [0.14-7.12] μg/L, p = 0.25) compared to those without stent thrombosis. There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between the two groups (8% vs. 2%, p = 0.2)., Conclusions: Stent thrombosis accounted for 3.2% cases of NSTEMI in our cohort of patients and patients with NSTEMI resulting from stent thrombosis had a higher incidence of large myocardial infarction., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Previous studies have reported lower rates of coronary angiography and revascularization, and significantly higher mortality among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This observational study was designed to evaluate characteristics and inpatient outcomes of patients with seropositive HIV infection presenting with AMI.Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we identified patients (admissions) with a primary diagnosis of myocardial infarction and a co-occurring HIV. We described baseline characteristics and outcomes. Our primary outcomes of interest were prevalence of coronary angiography, revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or CABG), and mortality.Results: From 2010 to 2014, of about 2,977,387 patients with a primary diagnosis of AMI, 10,907 (0.4%) were HIV seropositive. Patients with HIV were younger and more likely to be African American or Hispanic. Coronary angiography and revascularization were performed more frequently in the HIV population. The higher prevalence of revascularization was driven by a higher incidence of PCI. In a multivariable model, patients with HIV were no more likely to undergo revascularization than the general population. This was also the case for PCI. Unadjusted all-cause mortality was lower among patients with HIV. After controlling for confounders, this finding was not significant (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.75-1.25, p = 0.79). The length of stay between both groups was comparable.Conclusion: In this current analysis, we did not note any treatment bias or difference in the rate of in-hospital total mortality for HIV-seropositive patients presenting with AMI compared with the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bleeding is a major complication in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Several studies suggested that Asians are more susceptible to bleeding when treated with antiplatelets, anticoagulants, and thrombolytic agents. In our study, we aimed to investigate the association between Asian ethnicity and bleeding events in patients who presented with STEMI. We analyzed the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2002 to 2013 and identified patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of STEMI. We compared clinical outcomes between patients of Asian and white ethnicity. Primary outcome was inhospital major bleeding defined as a composite of intracranial hemorrhage and blood transfusions for bleeding events. After exclusions, an estimated 1 695 680 white and 46 563 Asian patients with STEMI were included in the analysis. Asian patients had a higher incidence of inhospital major bleeding (3.6% vs 2.2%, P < .001) without a significant difference in inhospital mortality (9.3% vs 8.7%, P = .06). Asian ethnicity was an independent predictor for major bleeding (estimated odds ratio: 1.32; 95% confidence interval: 1.16-1.51; P < .001). This increased risk of bleeding would warrant further investigation of optimal treatment strategies tailored for patients with STEMI of Asian ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the negative impact of noncompliance (NC) and leaving against medical advice (LAMA) on the hospital mortality and health of the patients. It talks about the clinical management involved in NC patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It tells about NC being higher in Hispanic and black young male patients with AMI who belong to the lower income group.

Background/purpose: Shock index (SI), a ratio of heart rate/systolic blood pressure, has been reported to predict increased mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. However, the prognostic value of SI has not been fully elucidated in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).Methods/materials: We performed a retrospective analysis of 481 consecutive NSTEMI patients who underwent coronary angiography from January 2013 to June 2014. Systolic blood pressure and heart rate on presentation were recorded, and SI was calculated as heart rate/systolic blood pressure. Patients were divided into those with SI≧0.7 and those with SI<0.7. Baseline and angiographic characteristics were recorded. In addition, cardiogenic shock and in-hospital mortality were recorded and compared between the two groups.Results: Among 481 patients, 103 patients (21.4%) had SI≧0.7. No statistically significant difference was observed in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Patients with SI≧0.7 had a lower left ventricular ejection fraction than those with SI<0.7 (56 [35-60] % vs. 60 [45-64] %, p=0.035). Patients with SI≧0.7 had a higher rate of cardiogenic shock on admission (2.9% vs. 0.3%, p=0.032). Patients with SI≧0.7 had a higher, albeit statistically insignificant, incidence of cardiogenic shock after admission (5.0% vs. 1.9%, p=0.074). The total incidence of cardiogenic shock was higher in patients with SI≧0.7 (7.8% vs. 2.1%, p=0.001). Patients with SI≧0.7 had higher in-hospital mortality (4.9% vs. 0.5%, p=0.006) than those with SI<0.7.Conclusion: Elevated SI was associated with higher in-hospital mortality in patients with NSTEMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B METHODS: b We queried the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia who also were reported to have a secondary diagnosis of NSTEMI. B CONCLUSIONS: b NSTEMI is a relatively common diagnosis in patients who were admitted for pneumonia which leads to subsequent CA and PCI. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted many aspects of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care, including timely access to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).Objectives: The goal of the NACMI (North American COVID-19 and STEMI) registry is to describe demographic characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with STEMI.Methods: A prospective, ongoing observational registry was created under the guidance of 3 cardiology societies. STEMI patients with confirmed COVID+ (group 1) or suspected (person under investigation [PUI]) (group 2) COVID-19 infection were included. A group of age- and sex-matched STEMI patients (matched to COVID+ patients in a 2:1 ratio) treated in the pre-COVID era (2015 to 2019) serves as the control group for comparison of treatment strategies and outcomes (group 3). The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital death, stroke, recurrent myocardial infarction, or repeat unplanned revascularization.Results: As of December 6, 2020, 1,185 patients were included in the NACMI registry (230 COVID+ patients, 495 PUIs, and 460 control patients). COVID+ patients were more likely to have minority ethnicity (Hispanic 23%, Black 24%) and had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (46%) (all p < 0.001 relative to PUIs). COVID+ patients were more likely to present with cardiogenic shock (18%) but were less likely to receive invasive angiography (78%) (all p < 0.001 relative to control patients). Among COVID+ patients who received angiography, 71% received PPCI and 20% received medical therapy (both p < 0.001 relative to control patients). The primary outcome occurred in 36% of COVID+ patients, 13% of PUIs, and 5% of control patients (p < 0.001 relative to control patients).Conclusions: COVID+ patients with STEMI represent a high-risk group of patients with unique demographic and clinical characteristics. PPCI is feasible and remains the predominant reperfusion strategy, supporting current recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]