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Background There are limited data about how COURAGE (Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation) and ORBITA (Objective Randomized Blinded Investigation With Optimal Medical Therapy of Angioplasty in Stable Angina) trials have impacted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) practices at regional or national level. We evaluated temporal trends in elective PCI rates for stable angina and, specifically, examined the impact of the COURAGE and ORBITA trials on PCI practices in England and Wales. Methods and Results We used national PCI data comprising >1.2 million patients undergoing PCI between January 2006 and December 2019. Patient demographics, procedural details, and clinical outcomes were analyzed, and temporal trends in PCI rates for stable angina were compared before and after the publication of the COURAGE and ORBITA trials. Of 1 245 802 PCI procedures, 430 248 (34.5%) were performed for stable angina. Over the study period, the number of elective PCI procedures per year (30 823 in 2006 to 34 103 in 2019) and per 100 000 population estimates (50.7 in 2006 to 58.4 in 2019) remained stable. The proportion of patients undergoing elective PCI without angina symptoms almost doubled from 5.1% to 9.7%. The incidence rate of elective PCI volume after the COURAGE trial, published in 2007, was not different from before the trial was published (incidence rate ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.69-1.62]). It also remained stable after the publication of the ORBITA trial in 2017 (incidence rate ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.74-1.23]). Conclusions In this nationwide analysis, rates of elective PCI for stable angina remained stable over 14 years. Publication of the COURAGE and ORBITA trials had no impact on elective PCI activity.

Introduction: Coronary artery perforation (CP) is a rare but life-threatening complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study aimed to assess the incidence, management and outcomes of CP over time., Methods: A single-centre retrospective cohort study of all PCIs performed between January 2010 and December 2020. Patients with CP were divided into two cohorts (A+B), representing the two halves of the 11-year study., Results: The incidence of CP was 68 of 9701 (0.7%), with an increasing trend over the two 5.5-year periods studied (24 of 4661 (0.5%) vs 44 of 5040 (0.9%); p=0.035). Factors associated with CP included chronic total occlusions (CTOs) (16 of 68 (24%) vs 993 of 9633 (10%); p<0.001), type C lesions (44 of 68 (65%) vs 4280 of 9633 (44%); p<0.001), use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) (12 of 68 (18%) vs 541 of 9633 (6%); p<0.001), cutting balloon angioplasty (3 of 68 (4%) vs 98 of 9633 (1%); p<0.001) and hydrophilic wires (24 of 68 (35%) vs 1454 of 9633 (15%); p<0.001). Cohorts A and B were well matched with respect to age (69±11 vs 70±12 years; p=0.843), sex (males: 13 of 24 (54%) vs 31 of 44 (70%); p=0.179) and renal function (chronic kidney disease: 1 of 24 (4%) vs 4 of 44 (9%); p=0.457). In cohort A, CP was most frequently caused by post-dilatation with non-compliant balloons (10 of 24 (42%); p=0.009); whereas in cohort B, common causes included guidewire exits (23 of 44 (52%)), followed by stent implantation (10 of 44 (23%)). The most common treatment modality in cohorts A and B was balloon inflation, which accounted for 16 of 24 (67%) and 13 of 44 (30%), respectively. The use of covered stents (16%) and coronary coils (18%) during cohort B study period did not impact all-cause mortality, which occurred in 2 of 24 (8%) and 7 of 44 (16%) (p=0.378) in cohorts A and B, respectively., Conclusion: The incidence of CP is increasing as more complex PCI is performed. Factors associated with perforation include CTO or type C lesions and use of IVUS, cutting balloon angioplasty or hydrophilic wires., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Mitral regurgitation (MR) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) worsens prognosis and reports of prevalence vary significantly. The objective was to determine prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes related to MR following AMI. We identified 1000 consecutive patients admitted with AMI in 2016/17 treated by percutaneous coronary intervention with pre-discharge transthoracic echocardiography. MR was observed in 294 of 1000 (29%), graded as mild (n = 224 [76%]), moderate (n = 61 [21%]) and severe (n = 9 [3%]). Compared with patients without MR, patients with MR were older (70 ± 12 vs 63 ± 13 years; p <0.001), with worse left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (52 ± 15% vs 55 ± 11%; p <0.001) and creatinine clearance (69 ± 33 ml/min vs 90 ± 39 ml/min; p <0.001). They also had higher rates of hypertension (64% vs 55%; p = 0.012), heart failure (3.4% vs 1.1%; p = 0.014), previous MI (28% vs 20%; p = 0.005) and severe flow-limitation in the circumflex (50% vs 33%; p <0.001) or right coronary artery (51% vs 42%; p = 0.014). Prevalence and severity of MR were unaffected by AMI subtype. Revascularization later than 72 hours from symptom-onset was associated with increased likelihood of MR (33% vs 25%; p = 0.036) in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). After a mean of 3.2 years, 56 of 288 (19%) patients with untreated MR died. Age and LVEF independently predicted mortality. The presence of even mild MR was associated with increased mortality (p = 0.029), despite accounting for confounders. In conclusion, MR is observed in over one-quarter of patients after AMI and associated with lower survival, even when mild. Prevalence and severity are independent of MI subtype, but MR was more common with delayed revascularization following NSTEMI., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA) can be used as an adjunctive percutaneous coronary intervention treatment for challenging, heavily calcified lesions. Although previous studies have documented high rates of complication and restenosis, these predate the introduction of the smaller 0.9 mm laser catheter. As the coronary complexity has increased, there has been a renewed interest in the ELCA. This study investigates the indications, procedural characteristics, complications and outcomes of ELCA in a contemporary coronary interventional practice., Methods: This single-centre study retrospectively analysed 50 patients treated with ELCA between January 2013 and January 2019., Results: Patients had a mean age of 67.9±11.4 years with a male predominance (65.3%). 25 (50%) cases were performed in patients with stable angina. Failure to deliver the smallest available balloon/microcatheter was the most frequent indication in 32 (64%) cases for ELCA use. 30 (60%) of the procedures were performed via radial access. The 0.9 mm X-80 catheter was used in 41 (82%) of cases, delivering on average 9000±3929 pulses. ELCA-related complications included 2 coronary dissections and 1 perforation, all of which were covered with stents. No major complications could be directly attributed to the use of ELCA. There was one death and one case of stent thrombosis within 30 days of the procedure., Conclusion: ELCA can be performed safely via the radial approach with a 0.9 mm catheter with a high success rate by suitably trained operators. The low procedure-related complications with contemporary techniques make this a very useful tool for complex coronary interventions, especially for difficult to dilate lesions and chronic total occlusion vessels., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To investigate the clinical and procedural characteristics in patients with a history of renal transplant (RT) and compare the outcomes with patients without RT in 2 national cohorts of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Patients and Methods: Data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) and British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) were used to compare the clinical and procedural characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing PCI who had RT with those who did not have RT. The primary outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality., Results: Of the PCI procedures performed in 2004-2014 (NIS) and 2007-2014 (BCIS), 12,529 of 6,601,526 (0.2%) and 1521 of 512,356 (0.3%), respectively, were undertaken in patients with a history of RT. Patients with RT were younger and had a higher prevalence of congestive cardiac failure, hypertension, and diabetes but similar use of drug-eluting stents, intracoronary imaging, and pressure wire studies compared with patients who did not have RT. In the adjusted analysis, patients with RT had increased odds of in-hospital mortality (NIS: odds ratio [OR], 1.90; 95% CI, 1.41-2.57; BCIS: OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.05-2.46) compared with patients who did not have RT but no difference in vascular or bleeding events. Meta-analysis of the 2 data sets suggested an increase in in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.40-2.29) but no difference in vascular (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.77-2.00) or bleeding (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.86-1.68) events., Conclusion: This large collaborative analysis of 2 national databases revealed that patients with RT undergoing PCI are younger, have more comorbidities, and have increased mortality risk compared with the general population undergoing PCI., (Copyright © 2020 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) registry is hosted by the National Institute of Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (NICOR) at Bart's Heart Centre and collects clinical characteristics, indications, procedural details, and outcomes of all patients undergoing PCI in the UK. The data are used for audit and research to monitor and improve PCI practices and patient outcomes. Bespoke live data analysis and structured monthly reports are used to provide real-time feedback to all participating hospitals about the provision of care. Risk-adjusted analyses are used as a quality metric and benchmarking PCI practices. The consecutive patients undergoing PCI in all PCI performing hospitals in the UK from 1994 to present. One hundred and thirteen variables encompassing patient demographics, indication, procedural details, complications, and in-hospital outcomes are recorded. Prospective data are collected electronically and encrypted before transfer to central database servers. Data are validated locally and further range checks, sense checks, and assessments of internal consistency are applied during data uploads. Analyses of uploaded data including an assessment of data completeness are provided to all hospitals for validation, with repeat validation rounds prior to public reporting. Endpoints are in-hospital PCI complications, bleeding and mortality. All-cause mortality is obtained via linkage to the Office of National Statistics. No other linkages are available at present. Available for research by application to NICOR at http://www.nicor.org.uk/ using a data sharing agreement., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2019. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The role of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) remains uncertain. Previous analyses compare PPCI outcomes with clopidogrel plus GPI, versus without GPI. This does not reflect modern contemporary PPCI practice with ticagrelor or prasugrel. Nor does it answer the important question faced daily by PPCI operators: should GPI be used routinely or selectively? We aim to determine whether a strategy of routine use of GPI in contemporary PPCI practice is superior to selective GPI use. A total of 110,327 consecutive PPCIs performed in England were prospectively recorded in the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society Database (2009 to 2015). The cohort was divided into routine and selective GPI usage groups based on the PPCI operator's strategy, defined as GPI used in >75% and <25% PPCIs, respectively. Overall, GPI use declined from 73.1% to 43.3% of PPCIs. Routine compared with selective GPI usage was associated with lower all-cause 1-year mortality: 9.7% versus 11.0%, p < 0.001. There was a consistent survival benefit for routine GPI usage as compared with selective GPI usage: univariable analysis (hazard ratio = 0.88 [95% confidence interval 0.83 to 0.93], p < 0.001), multivariable analysis (hazard ratio = 0.82 [0.77 to 0.88], p < 0.001). For survival, there was no interaction between GPI usage and the type of P2Y12-inhibitor used. In conclusion, a strategy of routine GPI usage in patients who underwent PPCI was associated with lower all-cause mortality as compared with selective GPI usage. This benefit was maintained despite 44.3% of patients receiving prasugrel or ticagrelor., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background:: High survival rates are commonly reported following primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction, with most contemporary studies reporting overall survival., Aims:: The aim of this study was to describe survival following primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction corrected for non-cardiovascular deaths by reporting relative survival and investigate clinically significant factors associated with poor long-term outcomes., Methods and Results:: Using the prospective UK Percutaneous Coronary Intervention registry, primary percutaneous coronary intervention cases ( n=88,188; 2005-2013) were matched to mortality data for the UK populace. Crude five-year relative survival was 87.1% for the patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention and 94.7% for patients <55 years. Increasing age was associated with excess mortality up to four years following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (56-65 years: excess mortality rate ratio 1.61, 95% confidence interval 1.46-1.79; 66-75 years: 2.49, 2.26-2.75; >75 years: 4.69, 4.27-5.16). After four years, there was no excess mortality for ages 56-65 years (excess mortality rate ratio 1.27, 0.95-1.70), but persisting excess mortality for older groups (66-75 years: excess mortality rate ratio 1.72, 1.30-2.27; >75 years: 1.66, 1.15-2.41). Excess mortality was associated with cardiogenic shock (excess mortality rate ratio 6.10, 5.72-6.50), renal failure (2.52, 2.27-2.81), left main stem stenosis (1.67, 1.54-1.81), diabetes (1.58, 1.47-1.69), previous myocardial infarction (1.52, 1.40-1.65) and female sex (1.33, 1.26-1.41); whereas stent deployment (0.46, 0.42-0.50) especially drug eluting stents (0.27, 0.45-0.55), radial access (0.70, 0.63-0.71) and previous percutaneous coronary intervention (0.67, 0.60-0.75) were protective., Conclusions:: Following primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction, long-term cardiovascular survival is excellent. Failure to account for non-cardiovascular death may result in an underestimation of the efficacy of primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to determine the relevance of different clinical presentations requiring PCI to this relationship., Background: Obesity is a growing problem, and studies have reported a protective effect from obesity compared with normal BMI for adverse outcomes after PCI., Methods: Between 2005 and 2013, 345,192 participants were included. Data were obtained from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society registry, and mortality data were obtained through the U.K. Office of National Statistics. Multiple logistic regression was performed to determine the association between BMI group (<18.5, 18.5 to 24.9, 25 to 30 and >30 kg/m 2 ) and adverse in-hospital outcomes and mortality., Results: At 30 days post-PCI, significantly lower mortality was seen in patients with elevated BMIs (odds ratio [OR]: 0.86 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80 to 0.93] 0.90 [95% CI: 0.82 to 0.98] for BMI 25 to 30 and >30 kg/m 2 , respectively). At 1 year post-PCI, and up to 5 years post-PCI, elevated BMI (either overweight or obese) was an independent predictor of greater survival compared with normal weight (OR: 0.70 [95% CI: 0.67 to 0.73] and 0.73 [95% CI: 0.69 to 0.77], respectively, for 1 year; OR: 0.78 [95% CI: 0.75 to 0.81] and 0.88 [95% CI: 0.84 to 0.92], respectively, for 5 years). Similar reductions in mortality were observed for the analysis according to clinical presentation (stable angina, unstable angina or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction)., Conclusions: A paradox regarding the independent association of elevated BMI with reduced mortality after PCI is still evident in contemporary U.K. practice. This is seen in both stable and more acute clinical settings., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recent recommendations suggest that in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation and coexistent significant coronary artery disease, the latter should be treated before the index procedure; however, the evidence basis for such an approach remains limited. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to study the clinical outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease who did or did not undergo revascularization prior to transcatheter aortic valve implantation., Methods and Results: We conducted a search of Medline and Embase to identify studies evaluating patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation with or without percutaneous coronary intervention. Random-effects meta-analyses with the inverse variance method were used to estimate the rate and risk of adverse outcomes. Nine studies involving 3858 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Patients who underwent revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention had a higher rate of major vascular complications (odd ratio [OR]: 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-2.60; P =0.0003) and higher 30-day mortality (OR: 1.42; 95% CI, 1.08-1.87; P =0.01). There were no differences in effect estimates for 30-day cardiovascular mortality (OR: 1.03; 95% CI, 0.35-2.99), myocardial infarction (OR: 0.86; 95% CI, 0.14-5.28), acute kidney injury (OR: 0.89; 95% CI, 0.42-1.88), stroke (OR: 1.07; 95% CI, 0.38-2.97), or 1-year mortality (OR: 1.05; 95% CI, 0.71-1.56). The timing of percutaneous coronary intervention (same setting versus a priori) did not negatively influence outcomes., Conclusions: Our analysis suggests that revascularization before transcatheter aortic valve implantation confers no clinical advantage with respect to several patient-important clinical outcomes and may be associated with an increased risk of major vascular complications and 30-day mortality. In the absence of definitive evidence, careful evaluation of patients on an individual basis is of paramount importance to identify patients who might benefit from elective revascularization., (© 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.)

Aims: Pre-procedural ventilation is a marker of high risk in PCI patients. Causes include out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and cardiogenic shock. OHCA occurs in approximately 60,000 patients in the UK per annum. No consensus exists regarding the need/timing of coronary angiography ± revascularization without ST elevation. The aim was to describe the national variation in the rate of emergency PCI in ventilated patients., Methods and Results: Using the UK national database for PCI in 2013, we identified all procedures performed as 'emergency' or 'salvage' for whom ventilation had been initiated before the PCI. Of the 92,589 patients who underwent PCI, 1342 (5.5%) fulfilled those criteria. There was wide variation in practice. There was no demonstrable relationship between the number of emergency PCI patients with pre-procedure ventilation per annum and (i) total number of PPCIs in a unit (r=-0.186), and (ii) availability of 24h PCI, (iii) on-site surgical cover., Conclusion: We demonstrated a wide variation in practice across the UK in rates of pre-procedural ventilation in emergency PCI. The majority of individuals will have suffered an OHCA. In the absence of a plausible explanation for this discrepant practice, it is possible that (a) some patients presenting with OHCA that may benefit from revascularization are being denied treatment and (b) procedures may be being undertaken that are futile. Further prospective data are needed to aid in production of guidelines aiming at standardized care in OHCA., (Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the United Kingdom, a clinical data set is completed for every patient undergoing coronary intervention and certain structural interventions, and sent to central servers in the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (NICOR) on behalf of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS). These data are linked to the national mortality register. In addition, data are obtained about the structure of healthcare provision using an annual survey. Analyses of these data are provided for different audiences in several formats. Public reports of individual consultant operator activity and risk-adjusted outcomes from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have also been produced annually since 2012. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been performed since 2007. Over 2,000 cases were performed in 2015, giving a rate of 30 per million population. Complications to discharge have fallen as case mix has changed and technologies improved. While the mean age has remained about 81 years, the logistic EuroSCORE of patients treated by TAVI has fallen from about 22 in 2010 to 18 in 2015. Tracked 30-day mortality was 3.7% in 2014. Left atrial appendage occlusion and patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure for stroke, and the use of the MitraClip® system (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA) for mitral regurgitation have been funded through a process called "commissioning through evaluation".

Background: There are limited data on comparison of contemporary drug-eluting stent (DES) platforms, previous generation DES, and bare-metal stents (BMS) for percutaneous coronary intervention in saphenous vein grafts (SVG). We aimed to assess clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention to SVG in patients receiving bare-metal stents (BMS), first-generation DES, and newer generation DES in a large unselected national data set from the BCIS (British Cardiovascular Intervention Society)., Methods and Results: Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention to SVG in the United Kingdom from January 2006 to December 2013 were divided into 3 groups according to stent use: BMS, first-generation DES, and newer generation DES group. Study outcomes included in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality. Patients (n=15 003) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention to SVG in England and Wales during the study period. Of these, 38% received BMS, 15% received first-generation DES, and 47% received second-generation DES. The rates of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events were significantly lower in patients treated with second-generation DES (odds ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.68; P <0.001), but not with first-generation DES, compared with BMS-treated patients. Similarly, 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.59; P <0.001) and 1-year mortality (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.71; P <0.001) were lower in patients treated with second-generation DES, but not with first-generation DES, compared with the patients treated with BMS., Conclusions: Patients receiving second-generation DES for the treatment SVG disease have lower rates of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality, compared with those receiving BMS., (© 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background and Purpose: Stroke after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a serious complication, but its determinants and outcomes after PCI in different clinical settings are poorly documented., Methods: The British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) database was used to study 560 439 patients who underwent PCI in England and Wales between 2006 and 2013. We examined procedural-type specific determinants of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and the likelihood of subsequent 30-day mortality and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (a composite of in-hospital mortality, myocardial infarction or reinfarction, and repeat revascularization)., Results: A total of 705 stroke cases were recorded (80% ischemic). Stroke after an elective PCI or PCI for acute coronary syndrome indications was associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes compared with those without stroke; 30-day mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events outcomes in fully adjusted model were odds ratios 37.90 (21.43-67.05) and 21.05 (13.25-33.44) for elective and 5.00 (3.96-6.31) and 6.25 (5.03-7.77) for acute coronary syndrome, respectively. Comparison of odds of these outcomes between these 2 settings showed no differences; corresponding odds ratios were 1.24 (0.64-2.43) and 0.63 (0.35-1.15), respectively., Conclusions: Hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke complications are uncommon, but serious complications can occur after PCI and are independently associated with worse mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events outcomes in both the elective and acute coronary syndrome setting irrespective of stroke type. Our study provides a better understanding of the risk factors and prognosis of stroke after PCI by procedure type, allowing physicians to provide more informed advice around stroke risk after PCI and counsel patients and their families around outcomes if such neurological complications occur., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Transradial access is associated with reduced access site-related bleeding complications and mortality post percutaneous coronary intervention. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between access site practice and clinical outcomes and how this may be influenced by operator and center experience/expertise., Methods and Results: The influence of operator and center experience/expertise was studied on 30-day mortality, in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (a composite of in-hospital mortality and in-hospital myocardial infarction and target vessel revascularization) and in-hospital major bleeding based on access site adopted (radial versus femoral). Operator/center experience/expertise were defined by both total volume and transradial access proportion. A total of 164 395 procedures between 2012 and 2013 in the National Health Service in England and Wales were analyzed. After case-mix adjustment, transradial access was associated with an average odds reduction of 39% for 30-day mortality compared with transfemoral access (odds ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.55-0.68; P<0.001). The magnitude of this risk reduction was modified by increases in total procedural volume and radial proportion at the operator level (odds ratio reduction of 11% per 100 extra procedures, 95% confidence interval, 3%-19%; odds ratio reduction of 6% per 10%-point increase in radial proportion, 95% confidence interval, 1%-11%) with no significant impact of operator radial volume, center total volume, center radial volume, and center radial proportion., Conclusions: The lower mortality associated with transradial access adoption relates to both the total procedural volume and the proportion of procedures undertaken radially by operator, with operators undertaking the greatest proportion of their procedures radially having the largest relative reduction in mortality risk., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: The current risk model for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the UK is based on outcomes of patients treated in a different era of interventional cardiology. This study aimed to create a new model, based on a contemporary cohort of PCI treated patients, which would: predict 30 day mortality; provide good discrimination; and be well calibrated across a broad risk-spectrum., Methods and Results: The model was derived from a training dataset of 336,433 PCI cases carried out between 2007 and 2011 in England and Wales, with 30 day mortality provided by record linkage. Candidate variables were selected on the basis of clinical consensus and data quality. Procedures in 2012 were used to perform temporal validation of the model. The strongest predictors of 30-day mortality were: cardiogenic shock; dialysis; and the indication for PCI and the degree of urgency with which it was performed. The model had an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.85 on the training data and 0.86 on validation. Calibration plots indicated a good model fit on development which was maintained on validation., Conclusion: We have created a contemporary model for PCI that encompasses a range of clinical risk, from stable elective PCI to emergency primary PCI and cardiogenic shock. The model is easy to apply and based on data reported in national registries. It has a high degree of discrimination and is well calibrated across the risk spectrum. The examination of key outcomes in PCI audit can be improved with this risk-adjusted model., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: There are limited data on outcomes of patients with previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) presenting with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). We report outcomes in patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI with or without previous CABG surgery in a large real-world, all-comer population., Methods and Results: Clinical, demographic, procedural, and outcomes data were collected for all patients undergoing PPCI in England and Wales from January 2007 to December 2012. All-cause mortality at 30 days and 1 year were evaluated in the whole and a propensity-matched cohort. Of 79 295 patients with STEMI studied, 2658 (3.4%) patients had prior CABG, of whom 44% (n=1168) underwent PPCI to native vessels and 56% (n=1490) to bypass grafts. There were significant differences in the demographic, clinical, and procedural characteristics of these groups. Patients with prior CABG (with primary PCI to native artery or graft) had higher mortality at 30 days (6.2% with PPCI to native artery, 6.1% with PPCI to bypass graft) than patients with no prior CABG (4.5%; P<0.001). However, after risk factor adjustments, there was no significant difference in outcomes. There were also no significant differences in 30-day mortality, in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events, in-hospital stroke, and in-hospital bleeding in the propensity-matched population., Conclusions: A prior history of CABG in patients presenting with STEMI and undergoing PPCI does not independently confer additional risk of mortality, although it is a marker of other high-risk features., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

We investigate adoption of the TRA in different age groups and study the relationship between age and access site related outcomes in a national cohort of patients undergoing PCI in the UK. Previous studies have reported conflicting data on radial access site adoption between different age groups, with age an independent predictor of failure of procedures undertaken through the radial approach. Age and access site related outcomes (based on transradial (TRA) and transfemoral (TFA) access) were studied in 469,983 PCI procedures undertaken in the UK from 2006 to 2012 in the age groups; <60, 60-<70, 70-<80, and ≥80 in the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database. We studied access site practice in 469,983 patients who underwent PCI procedures in the United Kingdom. TRA utilization increased from 17.5% to 65.6% in the age group <60, and 16.6% to 54.5% in the age group ≥80 between 2006 and 2012. TRA was independently associated with decreased 30-day mortality in all age groups (<60: OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.54-0.74, P < 0.0001; 60-<70: OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.57-75, P < 0.0001, 70-<80: OR 0.58 (0.52-0.65, P < 0.0001 and ≥80: OR 0.65 (0.57-0.73, P < 0.0001). Adoption of the TRA for PCI has occurred least in older patients in the UK despite similar associations between TRA use and decreased 30-day mortality observed in all age groups., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Co-morbidities have typically been considered as prevalent cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases rather than systematic measures of general co-morbidity burden in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Charlson co-morbidity index (CCI) is a measure of co-morbidity burden providing a means of quantifying the prognostic impact of 22 co-morbid conditions on the basis of their number and prognostic impact. The study evaluated the impact of the CCI on cardiac mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after PCI through analysis of the Nobori-2 study. The prognostic impact of CCI was studied in 3,067 patients who underwent PCI in 4,479 lesions across 125 centers worldwide on 30-day and 1- and 5-year cardiac mortality and MACE. Data were adjusted for potential confounders using stepwise logistic regression; 2,280 of 3,067 patients (74.4%) had ≥1 co-morbid conditions. CCI (per unit increase) was independently associated with an increase in both cardiac death (odds ratio [OR] 1.47 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20 to 1.80, p = 0.0002) and MACE (OR 1.29 95% CI 1.14 to 1.47, p ≤0.0011) at 30 days, with similar observations recorded at 1 and 5 years. CCI score ≥2 was independently associated with increased 30-day cardiac death (OR 4.25, 95% CI 1.24 to 14.56, p = 0.02) at 1 month, and this increased risk was also observed at 1 and 5 years. In conclusion, co-morbid burden, as measured using CCI, is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in the short, medium, and long term. Co-morbidity should be considered in the decision-making process when counseling patients regarding the periprocedural risks associated with PCI, in conjunction with traditional risk factors., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasingly being performed at centers with offsite surgical support. Strong guideline endorsement of this practice has been lacking, in part because outcome data are limited to modest-size populations with short-term follow-up., Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of PCI performed at centers with and without surgical support in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2012., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of centrally tracked outcomes from index PCI procedures entered in the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database between 2006 and 2012, stratified according to whether procedures were performed at centers with onsite or offsite surgical support. The primary endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality, with secondary endpoints of mortality at 1 and 5 years., Results: Outcomes at a median of 3.4 years follow-up were available for 384,013 patients, of whom 31% (n = 119,096) were treated at offsite surgical centers. In an unadjusted analysis, crude mortality rates were lower in patients treated at centers with offsite versus onsite surgical coverage (2.0% vs. 2.2%; p < 0.001). On multivariate adjustment, there were no between-group differences in survival between the naive and imputed populations at 30 days (naive population hazard ratio [HR]: 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71 to 1.06; p = 0.16; imputed population HR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.09; p = 0.82), 1 year (naive population HR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.79 to 1.07; p = 0.26; imputed population HR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.06; p = 0.78), or 5 years (naive population HR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.01; p = 0.10; imputed population HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.03; p = 0.29). Results were consistent irrespective of procedural indication. No differences in mortality were seen in sensitivity analyses performed using a propensity-matched population of 74,001 patients., Conclusions: PCI performed at centers without onsite surgical backup is not associated with any mortality hazard., (Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Gender is a strong predictor of periprocedural major bleeding complications after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The access site represents an important site of such bleeding complications, which has driven adoption of the transradial access (TRA) use during PCI, although female gender is an independent predictor of transradial PCI failure. This study sought to define gender differences in access site practice and study associations between access site choice and clinical outcomes for PCI over a 6-year period, through the analysis of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society observational database., Methods and Results: In-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (a composite of in-hospital mortality and in-hospital myocardial reinfarction and target vessel revascularization), in-hospital bleeding complications, and 30-day mortality were studied based on gender and access site choice (transfemoral access, TRA) in 412,122 patients who underwent PCI between 2007 and 2012 in the United Kingdom. Use of TRA increased in both genders over time, although this lagged behind in women (21% in 2007 to 58% in 2012) compared with men (24% in 2007 to 64% in 2012). In both men and women, TRA was independently associated with a lower in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular event (odds ratio [OR] 0.82, 95% CI 0.76-0.90; OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.66-0.84), in-hospital major bleeding (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.44-0.66; OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.20-0.33), and 30-day mortality (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.73-0.89; OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71-0.94), respectively., Conclusions: Where possible, TRA should be considered as the preferred access site choice for PCI, particularly in women in whom the greatest reductions bleeding end points were observed across all indications., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: This study aims to evaluate temporal changes in stroke complications and their association with mortality and MACE outcomes in a national cohort of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in England and Wales., Methods and Results: A total of 426 046 patients who underwent PCI in England and Wales between 2007 and 2012 in the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) database were analysed. Statistical analyses were performed evaluating the rates of stroke complications according to the year of PCI and multiple logistic regressions were used to evaluate the odds of 30-day mortality and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; a composite of in-hospital mortality, myocardial infarction or re-infarction, and revascularization) with stroke complications. Four hundred and thirty-six patients (0.1%) sustained an ischaemic stroke/TIA complication and 107 patients (0.03%) sustained a haemorrhagic stroke complication. Ischaemic stroke/TIA complications increased non-linearly from 0.67 (95% CI 0.47-0.87) to 1.14 (0.94-1.34) per 1000 patients between 2007 and 2012 (P = 0.006), whilst haemorrhagic stroke rates decreased non-linearly from 0.29 (0.19-0.39) to 0.15 (0.05-0.25) per 1000 patients in 2012 (P = 0.009). Following adjustment for baseline clinical and procedural demographics, ischaemic stroke was independently associated with both 30-day mortality (OR 4.92, 3.06-7.92) and in-hospital MACE (OR 3.11, 1.83-5.27). An even greater impact on prognosis was observed with haemorrhagic complications (30-day mortality: OR 13.87, 6.37-30.21), in-hospital MACE (OR 13.50, 6.30-28.92)., Conclusions: Incident ischaemic stroke complications have increased over time, whilst haemorrhagic stroke complications have decreased, driven through changes in clinical, procedural, drug-treatment, and demographic factors. Both ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes are rare but devastating complications with high 30-day mortality and in-hospital MACE rates., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Assessment of the feasibility and outcomes of the 2.5 L and 3.8 L Impella cardiac pump in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and left ventricular impairment undergoing percutaneous revascularization (PCI) with or without balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV)., Methods: We reviewed the clinical and procedural findings from a consecutive series of unselected patients with severe AS who underwent PCI during Impella support. In addition, we describe novel "balloon-assist" techniques that allowed implantation of Impella into the left ventricle (LV) when initial unassisted attempts failed., Results: Five patients with severe AS were identified (four males, age 78.2 years, aortic valve area (AVA) 0.6 cm(2) , left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 24 ± 5%, mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) mortality 11% (range 3-17%)). The Impella catheter traversed the aortic valve (AV) unassisted in only one patient, with four cases requiring balloon-assist techniques. All patients underwent planned revascularisation; mean procedure time 177 min (range 135-252 min), mean number of stents 3.4 (range 1-8), with three patients requiring rotational atherectomy. All procedures were well tolerated, with absence of arrhythmia, hypotension, pulmonary edema, stroke, or myocardial infarction. One patient died 48 hr post-PCI of multi-organ failure. The four remaining patients were well at 30 days., Conclusion: Implantation of the 2.5 and 3.8 L Impella appears feasible in patients with severe AS and left ventricle (LV) impairment. A balloon-assist technique may be used to facilitate device implantation when initial unassisted attempts fail. Improved hemodynamic stability may enhance the tolerability of lengthy and complex procedures., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: The prognostic impact of site-specific major bleeding complications after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has yielded conflicting data. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of site-specific major bleeding events in contemporary PCI and study their impact on mortality and major adverse cardiovascular event outcomes., Methods and Results: We conducted a meta-analysis of PCI studies that evaluated site-specific periprocedural bleeding complications and their impact on major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality outcomes. A systematic search of MEDLINE and Embase was conducted to identify relevant studies and random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the risk of adverse outcomes with site-specific bleeding complications. Twenty-five relevant studies including 2,400,645 patients that underwent PCI were identified. Both non-access site (risk ratio [RR], 4.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.21-5.14) and access site (RR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.37-2.13) related bleeding complications were independently associated with an increased risk of periprocedural mortality. The prognostic impact of non-access site-related bleeding events on mortality related to the source of anatomic bleeding, for example, gastrointestinal RR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.25 to 6.18; retroperitoneal RR, 5.87; 95% CI, 1.63 to 21.12; and intracranial RR, 22.71; 95% CI, 12.53 to 41.15., Conclusions: The prognostic impact of bleeding complications after PCI varies according to anatomic source and severity. Non-access site-related bleeding complications have a similar prevalence to those from the access site but are associated with a significantly worse prognosis partly related to the severity of the bleed. Clinicians should minimize the risk of major bleeding complications during PCI through judicious use of bleeding avoidance strategies irrespective of the access site used., (© 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Objectives: This study sought to define the prevalence and prognostic impact of blood transfusions in contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) practice., Background: Although the presence of anemia is associated with adverse outcomes in patients undergoing PCI, the optimal use of blood products in patients undergoing PCI remains controversial., Methods: A search of EMBASE and MEDLINE was conducted to identify PCI studies that evaluated blood transfusions and their association with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and mortality. Two independent reviewers screened the studies for inclusion, and data were extracted from relevant studies. Random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the risk of adverse outcomes with blood transfusions. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed by considering the I(2) statistic., Results: Nineteen studies that included 2,258,711 patients with more than 54,000 transfusion events were identified (prevalence of blood transfusion 2.3%). Crude mortality rate was 6,435 of 50,979 (12.6%, 8 studies) in patients who received a blood transfusion and 27,061 of 2,266,111 (1.2%, 8 studies) in the remaining patients. Crude MACE rates were 17.4% (8,439 of 48,518) in patients who had a blood transfusion and 3.1% (68,062 of 2,212,730) in the remaining cohort. Meta-analysis demonstrated that blood transfusion was independently associated with an increase in mortality (odds ratio: 3.02, 95% confidence interval: 2.16 to 4.21, I(2) = 91%) and MACE (odds ratio: 3.15, 95% confidence interval: 2.59 to 3.82, I(2) = 81%). Similar observations were recorded in studies that adjusted for baseline hematocrit, anemia, and bleeding., Conclusions: Blood transfusion is independently associated with increased risk of mortality and MACE events. Clinicians should minimize the risk for periprocedural transfusion by using available bleeding-avoidance strategies and avoiding liberal transfusion practices., (Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study sought to determine the relationships among access site practice, clinical presentation, and procedural outcomes in a large patient population., Background: Transradial access (TRA) has been associated with improved patient outcomes in selected populations in randomized trials. It is unclear whether these outcomes are achievable in clinical practice., Methods: Using the BCIS (British Cardiovascular Intervention Society) database, we investigated outcomes for percutaneous coronary intervention procedures undertaken between 2007 and 2012 according to access site practice. Patients were categorized as stable, non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) and ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (STEACS). The impact of access site on 30-day mortality, major adverse cardiac events, bleeding, and arterial access site complications was studied., Results: Data from 210,260 TRA and 229,687 transfemoral access procedures were analyzed. Following multivariate analysis, TRA was independently associated with a reduction in bleeding in all presenting syndromes (stable odds ratio [OR]: 0.24, p < 0.001; NSTEACS OR: 0.35, p < 0.001; STEACS OR: 0.47, p < 0.001) as well as access site complications (stable OR: 0.21, p < 0.001; NSTEACS OR: 0.19; STEACS OR: 0.16, p < 0.001). TRA was associated with reduced major adverse cardiac events only in patients with unstable syndromes (stable OR: 1.08, p = 0.25; NSTEACS OR: 0.72, p < 0.001; STEACS OR: 0.70, p < 0.001). TRA was associated with improved outcomes compared with a transfemoral access (TFA) with a vascular closure device in a propensity matched cohort., Conclusions: In this large study, TRA is associated with reduced percutaneous coronary intervention-related complications in all patient groups and may reduce major adverse cardiac events and mortality in ACS patients. TRA is superior to transfemoral access with closure devices. Use of TRA may lead to important patient benefits in routine practice. TRA should be considered the preferred access site for percutaneous coronary intervention., (Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Between 10 and 30% of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We investigate the association between LV function on early and late mortality outcomes in a national 'real-world' cohort undergoing PCI in the elective and acute coronary syndrome setting through analysis of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) data set., Methods and Results: The relationship between LV function and 30-day mortality in patients undergoing PCI for elective, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) indications was studied in 230 464 patients in the UK between 2006 and 2011. Abnormal LV function was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality outcomes: 30-day mortality risk for patients with moderate LV function (EF: 30-49%) (HR: 2.91; 95% CI: 2.43-3.49, P < 0.0001) and poor LV function (EF <30%) (HR: 7.25; 95% CI: 5.87-8.96, P < 0.0001) was compared with patients with good LV function (EF >50%). The independent prognostic impact of poor LV function on 30-day mortality increased from elective PCI (HR: 3.72: 95% CI: 2.21-6.25, P < 0.0001) through to the NSTEMI (HR: 5.03: 95% CI: 3.64-6.93, P < 0.0001) and STEMI (HR: 8.18: 95% CI: 5.62-11.92, P < 0.0001)., Conclusions: Our data suggest a strong relationship between LV function and mortality outcomes following PCI, with worsening LV function independently predicting 30-day and longer-term mortality outcomes across all indications for PCI. We report a differential impact of LV function on mortality outcomes across different indications for PCI, with the greatest adverse prognostic association between worsening LV function and mortality outcomes observed in patients undergoing PCI in the STEMI setting., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Transradial access (TRA) has been associated with reduced access site-related bleeding complications and mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is unclear, however, whether these observed benefits are influenced by baseline bleeding risk., Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between baseline bleeding risk, TRA utilization, and procedure-related outcomes in patients undergoing PCI enrolled in the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database., Methods: Baseline bleeding risk was calculated by using modified Mehran bleeding risk scores in 348,689 PCI procedures performed between 2006 and 2011. Four categories for bleeding risk were defined for the modified Mehran risk score (MMRS): low (<10), moderate (10 to 14), high (15 to 19), and very high (≥20). The impact of baseline bleeding risk on 30-day mortality and its relationship with access site were studied., Results: TRA was independently associated with a 35% reduction in 30-day mortality risk (odds ratio [OR]: 0.65 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59 to 0.72]; p < 0.0001), with the magnitude of mortality reduction related to baseline bleeding risk (MMRS <10, OR: 0.73 [95% CI: 0.62 to 0.86]; MMRS ≥20, OR: 0.53 [95% CI: 0.47 to 0.61]). In patients with an MMRS <10, TRA was used in 71,771 (43.2%) of 166,083 PCI procedures; TRA was used in 8,655 (40.1%) of 21,559 PCI procedures in patients with an MMRS ≥20, illustrating that TRA was used less in those at highest risk from bleeding complications (p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: TRA was independently associated with reduced 30-day mortality, and the magnitude of this effect was related to baseline bleeding risk; those at highest risk of bleeding complications gained the greatest benefit from adoption of TRA during PCI., (Copyright © 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the preferred reperfusion therapy in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We conducted this study to evaluate the contemporary status on the use and type of reperfusion therapy in patients admitted with STEMI in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) member countries., Methods and Results: A cross-sectional descriptive study based on aggregated country-level data on the use of reperfusion therapy in patients admitted with STEMI during 2010 or 2011. Thirty-seven ESC countries were able to provide data from existing national or regional registries. In countries where no such registries exist, data were based on best expert estimates. Data were collected on the use of STEMI reperfusion treatment and mortality, the numbers of cardiologists, and the availability of PPCI facilities in each country. Our survey provides a brief data summary of the degree of variation in reperfusion therapy across Europe. The number of PPCI procedures varied between countries, ranging from 23 to 884 per million inhabitants. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention and thrombolysis were the dominant reperfusion strategy in 33 and 4 countries, respectively. The mean population served by a single PPCI centre with a 24-h service 7 days a week ranged from 31 300 inhabitants per centre to 6 533 000 inhabitants per centre. Twenty-seven of the total 37 countries participated in a former survey from 2007, and major increases in PPCI utilization were observed in 13 of these countries., Conclusion: Large variations in reperfusion treatment are still present across Europe. Countries in Eastern and Southern Europe reported that a substantial number of STEMI patients are not receiving any reperfusion therapy. Implementation of the best reperfusion therapy as recommended in the guidelines should be encouraged., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The UK had previously established a comprehensive strategy for in-hospital nurse-led thrombolysis for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, with a growing use of pre-hospital thrombolysis by paramedical staff in the ambulance services. The National Infarct Angioplasty Project was sponsored by the government and examined the introduction of primary percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PPCI) in a variety of urban, rural and mixed communities. The project found that PPCI could be delivered within acceptable timelines, would be cost-effective, and could be delivered to the majority of the population. A project was therefore undertaken in England to transform services. There has been a rapid change and by 2012/13 over 95% of eligible patients received PPCI. Survival of patients with STEMI has improved over time and length of stay in hospital halved. However, nearly a quarter of STEMI patients do not receive reperfusion therapy (often because of late presentation) and additional work is needed to minimise delays to treatment. There are unexplained differences between regions in numbers of PPCI procedures per million population, and there is also variance between centres in the proportion of patients who are in shock or on a ventilator. Additional research is needed to ensure a consistent approach for these sick patients, who might have the most to gain from early treatment. The national audit programmes have been instrumental in measuring the changes in strategies, monitoring performance and highlighting the associated improvements in outcomes. A new risk model is being developed to allow a more comprehensive comparison of outcomes in different hospitals.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to report outcomes from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to an unprotected left main stem (UPLMS) stenosis according to presenting syndrome, including ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS), and chronic stable angina (CSA)., Background: There are no published whole-country data concerning patient outcomes following PCI to UPLMS., Methods: This study is a prospective national cohort study using data from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) registry from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2010., Results: Of 5,065 patients having PCI to an UPLMS, 784 (15.5%) presented with STEMI, 2,381 (47.0%) with NSTEACS, and 1,900 (37.5%) with CSA. Crude 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were STEMI: 28.3% and 37.6%, NSTEACS: 8.9% and 19.5%, and CSA: 1.4% and 7.0%, respectively. Unadjusted in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event rates were STEMI: 26.6%, NSTEACS: 6.6%, and CSA: 3.3%. Risk of 30-day mortality was much greater for STEMI and NSTEACS patients than CSA (STEMI adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 29.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 19.37 to 44.80, NSTEACS aOR: 6.45, 95% CI: 4.27 to 9.76). More than 40% of patients presenting with STEMI had cardiogenic shock, in whom mortality was higher than in STEMI cases without shock (30 days: 52.0% vs. 11.7%, 1 year: 61.1% vs. 20.9%). Radial access, compared with the femoral approach, was associated with a lower risk of 30-day mortality (STEMI aOR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.21 to 0.62; NSTEACS aOR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.97)., Conclusions: More than one-half of the patients who received UPLMS PCI were acute where outcomes were much worse than elective cases. Cardiogenic shock is common in STEMI patients, of whom more than one-half die at 30 days. The radial approach was associated with reduced early mortality in acute cases., (Copyright © 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare baseline characteristics and medium-term prognosis in South Asian and Caucasian patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Background: It is unclear whether South Asians undergoing PCI have worse outcomes than Caucasians., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 279,256 patients undergoing PCI from 2004 to 2011 from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society national database, of whom 259,318 (92.9%) were Caucasian and 19,938 (7.1%) were South Asian (South Asian includes patients of Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, or Sri Lankan ethnic origin). The main outcome measures were in-hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events and all-cause mortality during a median follow-up of 2.8 years (interquartile range: 1.5 to 4.5 years)., Results: South Asians were younger (59.69 ± 0.27 years vs. 64.69 ± 0.13 years, p > 0.0001); more burdened by cardiovascular risk factors, particularly diabetes mellitus (42.1 ± 1.2% vs. 15.4 ± 0.4%, p > 0.0001); and more likely to have multivessel coronary disease than Caucasians. In-hospital rates of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were similar for South Asians and Caucasians (3.5% vs. 2.8%, p = 0.40). Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier estimates of all-cause mortality showed better survival for South Asians compared with Caucasians, after PCI for either acute myocardial infarction or angina. Age-adjusted analysis revealed increased mortality (hazard ratio: 1.24; 95% confidence interval: 1.18 to 1.30), but after adjustment for the substantial variation in baseline risk factors including diabetes, there was no significant difference between South Asians and Caucasians (hazard ratio: 0.99; 95% confidence interval: 0.94 to 1.05)., Conclusions: In this large, contemporary cohort of patients treated by PCI, South Asians were younger but had more extensive disease and major risk factors, particularly diabetes. However, after correcting for these differences, in-hospital and medium-term mortality of South Asians was no worse than that of Caucasians. This suggests that in South Asians, the high prevalence of diabetes exerts an adverse influence on mortality, but ethnicity itself is not an independent predictor of outcome., (Copyright © 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the influence of access site utilization on mortality, major adverse cardiac and cardiovascular events (MACCE), bleeding, and vascular complications in a large number of patients treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in the United Kingdom over a 5-year period, through analysis of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database., Background: Despite advances in antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapy, bleeding complications remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing PPCI. A significant proportion of such bleeding complications are related to the access site, and adoption of radial access may reduce these complications. These benefits have not previously been studied in a large unselected national population of PPCI patients., Methods: Mortality (30-day), MACCE (a composite of 30-day mortality and in-hospital myocardial re-infarction, target vessel revascularization, and cerebrovascular events), and bleeding and access site complications were studied based on transfemoral access (TFA) and transradial access (TRA) site utilization in PPCI STEMI patients. The influence of access site selection was studied in 46,128 PPCI patients; TFA was used in 28,091 patients and TRA in 18,037. Data were adjusted for potential confounders using Cox regression that accounted for the propensity to undergo radial or femoral approach., Results: TRA was independently associated with a lower 30-day mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52 to 0.97; p < 0.05), in-hospital MACCE (HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57 to 0.93; p < 0.05), major bleeding (HR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.74; p < 0.01), and access site complications (HR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.75; p < 0.01)., Conclusions: This analysis of a large number of PPCI procedures demonstrates that utilization of TRA is independently associated with major reductions in mortality, MACCE, major bleeding, and vascular complication rates., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Neurologic complications (NCs) are a rare but potentially devastating complication that may follow percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In recent years, there has been an increase in use of transradial access, driven by a developing body of evidence that favors its use over femoral access. Concerns have been raised, however, that transradial access may increase the risk of NC compared with transfemoral access. We aimed to investigate the influence of access site selection on the occurrence of NCs through a period of transition during which transradial access became the dominant route for PCI procedures performed in the United Kingdom., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database between January 2006 and December 2010. The data were split into 2 cohorts based on access site. An NC was defined as a periprocedural ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, or transient ischemic attack occurring before hospital discharge. Binary logistic multivariate analysis was used to investigate the influence of access site utilization on NCs and adjust for measured confounding factors., Results: Between 2006 and 2010, the use of radial access increased from 17.2% to 50.8% of all PCI procedures. A total of 124,616 radial procedures and 223,476 femoral procedures were studied with a NC rate of 0.11% in each cohort. In univariate (odds ratio 1.01, 95% CI 0.82-1.24, P = .93) and multivariate analysis (odds ratio 0.99, 95% CI 0.79-1.23, P = .91), there was no significant association between the use of radial access and the occurrence of NCs., Conclusion: These results suggest that radial access is not associated with an increased risk of clinically detected NCs, even during a period when there was a rapid evolution in the preferred access site for PCI in the United Kingdom. These are reassuring results, particularly for operators embarking on a change to radial access for PCI., (Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

In 2004 in the United Kingdom (UK), the infrastructural and organisational changes required for implementation of primary PCI for treatment of STEMI were unclear, and the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of a changed reperfusion strategy had not been tested. In addition, any proposed change was to be made against the background of a previously successful in-hospital thrombolysis strategy, with plans for greater use of pre-hospital administration. A prospective study (the "National Infarct Angioplasty Project - NIAP") was set up to collect information on all patients presenting with STEMI in selected regions in the UK over a one year period (April 2005 - March 2006). The key findings from the NIAP project included that PPCI could be delivered within acceptable treatment times in a variety of geographical settings and that the shortest treatment times were achieved with direct admission to a PPCI-capable cardiac catheter laboratory. The transformation from a dominant lytic strategy to one of PPCI across the UK was achieved both swiftly and consistently with the help of 28 cardiac networks. By the second quarter of 2011, 94% of those STEMI patients in England who received reperfusion treatment were being treated by PPCI compared with 46% during the third quarter of 2008.

Background: Concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an adverse prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, it remains unclear whether this is due to a causal effect of AF or whether AF acts as a surrogate marker for comorbidities in this population. Furthermore, there are limited data on whether coronary artery disease distribution impacts the risk of developing AF. Methods: Consecutive patients admitted with acute MI and treated using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at a single centre were retrospectively identified. Associations between AF and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) over a median of five years of follow-up were assessed using Cox regression, with adjustment for confounding factors performed using both multivariable modelling and a propensity-score-matched analysis. Results: AF was identified in N = 65/1000 (6.5%) of cases; these patients were significantly older (mean: 73 vs. 65 years, p < 0.001), with lower creatinine clearance (p < 0.001), and were more likely to have a history of cerebrovascular disease (p = 0.011) than those without AF. In addition, patients with AF had a greater propensity for left main stem (p = 0.001) or left circumflex artery (p = 0.004) involvement. Long-term MACCE rates were significantly higher in the AF group than in the non-AF group (50.8% vs. 34.2% at five years), yielding an unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.86 (95% CI: 1.32–2.64, p < 0.001). However, after adjustment for confounding factors, AF was no longer independently associated with MACCEs, either on multivariable (adjusted HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.81–1.92, p = 0.319) or propensity-score-matched (HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.59–1.82, p = 0.886) analyses. Conclusions: AF is observed in 6.5% of patients admitted with acute MI, and those with AF are more likely to have significant diseases involving left main or circumflex arteries. Although unadjusted MACCE rates were significantly higher in patients with AF, this effect was not found to remain significant after adjustment for comorbidities. As such, this study provided no evidence to suggest that AF is independently associated with MACCEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Studies reporting an association between treatment delay and outcome for patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have generally not included patients treated by a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) service that systematically delivers reperfusion therapy to all eligible patients. We set out to determine the association of call-to-balloon (CTB) time with 30-day mortality after PPCI in a contemporary series of patients treated within a national reperfusion service.Methods: We analysed data on 16 907 consecutive patients with STEMI treated by PPCI in England and Wales in 2011 with CTB time of ≤6 hours.Results: The median CTB and door-to-balloon times were 111 and 41 min, respectively, with 80.9% of patients treated within 150 min of the call for help. An out-of-hours call time (58.2% of patients) was associated with a 10 min increase in CTB time, whereas inter-hospital transfer for PPCI (18.5% of patients) was associated with a 49 min increase in CTB time. CTB time was independently associated with 30-day mortality (p<0.0001) with a HR of 1.95 (95% CI 1.54 to 2.47) for a CTB time of >180-240 min compared with ≤90 min. The relationship between CTB time and 30-day mortality was influenced by patient risk profile with a greater absolute impact of increasing CTB time on mortality in high-risk patients.Conclusion: CTB time is a useful metric to assess the overall performance of a PPCI service. Delays to reperfusion remain important even in the era of organised national PPCI services with rapid treatment times and efforts should continue to minimise treatment delays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is common following myocardial infarction (MI). However, the subsequent trajectory of MR, and its impact on long-term outcomes are not well understood. This study aimed to examine the change in MR severity and associated clinical outcomes following MI. Methods: Records of patients admitted to a single centre between 2016 and 2017 with acute MI treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were retrospectively examined. Results: 294/1000 consecutive patients had MR on baseline (pre-discharge) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), of whom 126 (mean age: 70.9 ± 11.4 years) had at least one follow-up TTE. At baseline, most patients had mild MR (n = 94; 75%), with n = 30 (24%) moderate and n = 2 (2%) severe MR. Significant improvement in MR was observed at the first follow-up TTE (median 9 months from baseline; interquartile range: 3–23), with 36% having reduced severity, compared to 10% having increased MR severity (p < 0.001). Predictors of worsening MR included older age (mean: 75.2 vs. 66.7 years; p = 0.003) and lower creatinine clearance (mean: 60 vs. 81 mL/min, p = 0.015). Change in MR severity was significantly associated with prognosis: 16% with improving MR reached the composite endpoint of death or heart failure hospitalisation at 5 years, versus 44% (p = 0.004) with no change, and 59% (p < 0.001) with worsening MR. Conclusions: Of patients with follow-up TTE after MI, MR severity improved from baseline in approximately one-third, was stable in around half, with the remainder having worsening MR. Patients with persistent or worsening MR had worse clinical outcomes than those with improving MR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]