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Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence, mechanisms, and in-hospital outcomes after failed percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Background: The most common causes of PCI failure are severe dissection, no-reflow, and uncrossable total occlusions., Methods: Demographic, clinical, procedural, and quality assurance data were recorded in a prospective database to determine the incidence and outcome of failed PCI. Data were analyzed according to the year of PCI: prestent era (PSE 1993-1995), first generation stent era (FGSE 1996-2000), and contemporary stent era (CSE 2000-2003)., Results: PCI (20,884) were performed over a 10-year-period from 1993 through 2003, including 4,344 (20.8%) in the PSE, 9,114 (43.6%) in the FGSE, and 7,426 (35.6%) in the CSE; 19,171 (91.8%) were successful and 1,704 (8.2%) were failures. Nearly 90% of PCI failures are due to no-reflow or uncrossable total occlusions. Among PCI failures, 7.5% were treated medically and 0.7% required emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (ECABG). PCI success was independently associated with PCI during CSE (OR 1.86, P < 0.0001). ECABG decreased sixfold from 1.2% in the PSE to 0.2% in the CSE., Conclusions: Contemporary PCI patients have better procedural outcomes and fewer in-hospital adverse events than patient treated before the availability of stents. However, recanalization of total occlusions and avoiding no-reflow will have the most impact on future PCI success., (Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Determinates of infarct size in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have been incompletely characterized, in part because of the limited sample size of previous studies. Databases therefore were pooled from 4 contemporary trials of primary or rescue PCI (EMERALD, COOL-MI, AMIHOT, and ICE-IT), in which the primary end point was infarct size assessed using technetium-99m sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomographic imaging, measured at the same core laboratory. Of 1,355 patients, infarct size was determined using technetium-99m sestamibi imaging in 1,199 patients (88.5%), at a mean time of 23 +/- 15 days. Median infarct size of the study population was 10% (interquartile range 0% to 23%; mean 14.9 +/- 16.1%). Using multiple linear regression analysis of 18 variables, left anterior descending infarct artery, baseline Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction grade 0/1 flow, male gender, and prolonged door-to-balloon time were powerful independent predictors of infarct size (all p <0.0001). Other independent correlates of infarct size were final Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction grade <3 flow (p = 0.0001), previous AMI (p = 0.005), symptom-onset-to-door time (p = 0.021), and rescue angioplasty (p = 0.026). In conclusion, anterior infarction, time to reperfusion, epicardial infarct artery patency before and after reperfusion, male gender, previous AMI, and failed thrombolytic therapy were important predictors of infarct size after angioplasty in patients with AMI assessed using technetium-99m sestamibi imaging and should be considered when planning future trials of investigational drugs or devices designed to enhance myocardial recovery.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a common cause of hospital-acquired renal failure. Gadolinium-based contrast agents have been proposed as alternatives to iodinated contrast in patients at high risk for CIN. The use of high-dose intraarterial gadolinium chelates in the catheterization laboratory has been investigated in only a small number of patients. We compared patients with a creatinine clearance <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 who received intravenous hydration (> or =1,500 ml) and oral n-acetylcysteine prophylaxis with those who received a gadodiamide-iodine mixture (n = 90) or iodinated contrast alone (n = 79) in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. CIN was defined as an increase of 0.5 mg/dl in serum creatine from baseline. The 2 groups were similar with respect to demographics and risk factors. Although less iodinated contrast was used in the gadolinium mixture group, there was no difference in the incidence of CIN between the 2 groups. However, the initiation of dialysis (n = 7) and death (n = 8) only occurred in the diluted gadolinium contrast group. A stepdown multivariate analysis found diabetes mellitus to be the only independent predictor of CIN (p = 0.02, odds ratio 3.35, 95% confidence interval 1.21 to 9.29, c-statistic 0.66). In conclusion, the incidence of CIN was not decreased in high-risk patients receiving a gadolinium-iodinated contrast mixture versus iodinated contrast alone.

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether hyperoxemic reperfusion with aqueous oxygen (AO) improves recovery of ventricular function after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI)., Background: Hyperbaric oxygen reduces myocardial injury and improves ventricular function when administered during ischemia-reperfusion., Methods: In a prospective, multicenter study, 269 patients with acute anterior or large inferior AMI undergoing primary or rescue PCI (<24 h from symptom onset) were randomly assigned after successful PCI to receive hyperoxemic reperfusion (treatment group) or normoxemic blood autoreperfusion (control group). Hyperoxemic reperfusion was performed for 90 min using intracoronary AO. The primary end points were final infarct size at 14 days, ST-segment resolution, and delta regional wall motion score index of the infarct zone at 3 months., Results: At 30 days, the incidence of major adverse cardiac events was similar between the control and AO groups (5.2% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.62). There was no significant difference in the incidence of the primary end points between the study groups. In post-hoc analysis, anterior AMI patients reperfused <6 h who were treated with AO had a greater improvement in regional wall motion (delta wall motion score index = 0.54 in control group vs. 0.75 in AO group, p = 0.03), smaller infarct size (23% of left ventricle in control group vs. 9% of left ventricle in AO group, p = 0.04), and improved ST-segment resolution compared with normoxemic controls., Conclusions: Intracoronary hyperoxemic reperfusion was safe and well tolerated after PCI for AMI, but did not improve regional wall motion, ST-segment resolution, or final infarct size. A possible treatment effect was observed in anterior AMI patients reperfused <6 h of symptom onset.

Objectives: To determine the clinical outcomes associated with use of AngioJet thrombectomy (AT) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)., Background: Embolization of thrombus and atherosclerotic plaque is thought to contribute to sub-optimal myocardial reperfusion and worse clinical outcomes in STEMI. However, in a recent randomized trial, a higher mortality and infarct size was observed in patients treated with AT., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent primary or rescue PCI for STEMI between January 2000 and December 2005. Angiographic, procedural and in-hospital outcomes were compared between patients treated with or without AT., Results: 1,260 STEMI patients underwent primary or rescue PCI at our hospital during the study period. Of these, 239 (19%) underwent adjunctive treatment with AT. Patients treated with AT were more likely to be female, smokers and have a right coronary artery culprit. A slightly lower incidence of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 3 grade flow was observed in the AT group after PCI (86% vs. 90%, p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in the incidence of in-lab ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation, vascular complications or transfusion between the study groups. The peak creatine kinase was higher in patients treated with AT. The incidence of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events was 7.5% in the AT group and 9.0% in the control group (p = NS)., Conclusions: In this large, single-center experience, use of AT during mechanical reperfusion for STEMI was not associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Our data suggest that AT may be performed safely in selected patients with STEMI.

We evaluated the prognostic effect of baseline left ventricular function and the determinants of its recovery after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated by primary angioplasty. Left ventriculography was performed during the index procedure in 1,620 of 2,082 patients (78%) who underwent primary angioplasty for AMI in the CADILLAC trial. One-year survival rate was significantly lower in patients whose baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was <40% than in those whose LVEF was > or =40% (89.0% vs 97.2%, respectively, p <0.0001). The effect of baseline left ventricular dysfunction on mortality was confined to the first 3 months after AMI; thereafter, survival was independent of baseline LVEF. By multivariate analysis, baseline LVEF (hazard ratio 0.93, 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 0.97, p <0.001) and infarct zone regional wall motion (hazard ratio 2.67, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 6.63, p = 0.03) were independent predictors of 1-year mortality. Seven-month convalescent LVEF was also directly related to baseline LVEF and inversely correlated with previous AMI, multivessel coronary disease, preprocedural Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction grade 0 to 2 flow, larger infarct artery diameter, and infarct artery restenosis at follow-up. In conclusion, baseline left ventricular function measured during the index procedure is a strong independent predictor of early and late survival after primary angioplasty. Simple clinical and angiographic features readily available at the time of primary angioplasty also predict convalescent LVEF and are thus of prognostic utility.

Despite advances in coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction (MI), the mortality rate for patients presenting with cardiogenic shock remains high. This case review describes the management of a patient with a non-ST segment elevation MI complicated by cardiogenic shock. The clinical and therapeutic utility of a percutaneous left atrial-to-femoral arterial ventricular assist device is discussed.

Intracoronary brachytherapy is an effective method for treating in-stent restenosis. We report a case of coronary artery pseudoaneurysm after balloon angioplasty and intracoronary beta-radiation. The pseudoaneurysm was treated successfully with implantation of two coronary stent grafts., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)