Comprehensive analysis of the impact of primary percutaneous coronary intervention on patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

This comprehensive analysis by Saeed and Faeq investigates the impact of primary percutaneous coronary intervention(pPCI)on mortality among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)at the Erbil Cardiac Center.Analyzing data from 96 consecutive STEMI patients,the study identified significant predictors of in-hospital mortality,emphasizing the critical impact of time of hospital arrival post-symptom onset on overall prognosis.Findings indicate that factors such as atypical presentation,cardiogenic shock,chronic kidney disease,and specific coronary complications are associated with higher mortality rates.The study underscores the necessity of prompt medical intervention for improving survival outcomes in STEMI patients,especially in the high-risk subgroup.This research offers valuable insights into optimizing STEMI management and enhancing patient survival rates through effective and timely pPCI.

A comparative study on transradial vs transfemoral artery access for primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Objective Comparative study on the feasibility,safety and outcome of transradial artery and transfemoral artery access for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods Two hundred and eight patients with AMI episoded within 12 hours, male 159, female 49, age 58.9 ±11.9 (34～88)years, were randomly divided into transradial artery access for primary PCI (TRA pPCI) group of 106 cases and transfemoral artery access for PCI (TFA pPCI) group of 102 cases during Sept, 2000 to Aug, 2002. The protocols of the manipulation duration and the effect for TRA pPCI and TFA pPCI procedures were respectively compared, including the time of transradial artery puncture and the rate of puncture success at first time ; the time of guiding catheter engaging into target coronary ostium; the rate of patence in infarct related artery (IRA); total duration of manipulation and the successful rate.The incidence of complications such as bleeding, vessel injury,thrombi and embolism as well as the average stay of hospitalization between two groups was compared. The status and the incidance of vessel spasm were observed and the effect of medicine administration to prevent from and relieve the vascular spasm was evaluated. The time of Allen’s test before and after TRA pPCI , the inner diameter and the peak of blood velocity of the right and left radial artery were investigated with color Doppler vessel echography as well as the complications of radial artery were followed up 1 month after TRA pPCI procedure. Results Two cases in every TRA pPCI and TFA pPCI groups were crossed over each other because procedure of the transradial or transfemoral access was failure. One handred and six vessels (48 vessels in LAD,22 vessels in LCX and 36 vessels in RCA) associated with 28 vessels of total occlusion in TRA pPCI group and 102 vessels (51 vessels in LAD,18 veesles in LCX and 33 vessels in RCA) with 24 vessels in total occlusion in TFA pPCI group were angioplasticized . The successful rates of the first time puncture in access artery, the re patence IRA and pPCI were similar in TRA pPCI and TFA pPCI groups ( 93.4% vs 96.1% ;100% vs 100%; 96.2% vs 97.1% , P >0.05 ). There were no significant diffierence in the average time of puncture time of access artery ,engaging in target vessels of guiding catheters and the total procedure of PCI between the two groups ( 1.3 ±0.3s vs 1.2 ±0.3s ; 6.0 ±1.6min vs 5.8 ±0.9min ; 49.2 ±24.1min vs 46.5 ± 26.4min , P >0.05 ). The access artery complications such as bleeding ,hematoma and embolism as well the veneous thrombosis in TFA pPCI group were much more than those in TRA pPCI group(p< 0.01 ). Although slight artery spasm of 4.7% cases in TRA pPCI group was happened during the procedure of PCI , the procedure had being continued after administration of medicine to release the spasm. The time of Allen’s test ,diameter and the systolic velocity of blood in daul radial arteries were no significant change before and after pPCI.Conclusions The duration and effect by TRA pPCI for AMI with stable hemodynamics was similar to TFA pPCI. The complications such as of bleeding,vessel injury, thrombi and embolism by TRA pPCI were few, and it was unnecessary to discontinue the anticoagulation medicine. TRA pPCI might be selected as a access vessel for pPCI in AMI patients with stable hemodynamics.

A randomized trail comparing primary percutaneous coronary intervention with a strategy of short-acting thrombolysis and immediate planned primary percutaneous coronary intervention in acute myocardial infarction

Objective This study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a short acting reduced dose fibrinolytic regimen to promote early infarct related artery (IRA) patency for acyute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients referred for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods Following aspirin and heparin, 166 patients were randomized to a 50 mg bolus of recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator(rt PA) or to a same volume sodium chloride injection followed by immediate primary PCI. The end points included patency rates on catheterization laboratory (cath lab) arrival, revascularization results when PCI was performed, complication rates, left ventricular function and restored patency rate following PCI. Results Patency on cath lab arrival was 64% with rt PA (34% TIMI 3,30% TIMI 2), while 31% of placebo (13% TIMI 3, 18% TIMI 2). There was no difference in the restored TIMI 3 rates of IRA between the two groups (85% vs 87%). No difference were observed in stroke or major bleeding. Left ventricular function was similar in both groups (52±9% vs 50±8%), but left ventricular ejection fraction fraction (LVEF) was higher with patent IRA (TIMI 3) on cath lab arrival than that of others (56±12% vs 48±10%).Conclusions Strategy thrombolytic regimens were compatible with subsequent PCI lead to more frequenc early recanalization (before cath lab arrival), which facilitates greater left ventricular function preservation with no augmentation of adverse events.

Effects of nicorandil on myocardial infarct size in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention:study design and protocol for the randomized controlled trial

Previous studies have shown that nicorandil has a protective effect on cardiomyocytes.However,there is no study to investigate whether perioperative intravenous nicorandil can further reduce the myocardial infarct size in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)compared to the current standard of percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)regimen.The CHANGE(China-Administration of Nicorandil Group)study is a multicenter,prospective,randomized,double-blind and parallel-controlled clinical study of STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI in China,aiming to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous nicorandil in ameliorating the myocardial infarct size in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI and provide evidence-based support for myocardial protection strategies of STEMI patients.

Effectiveness and feasibility of transradial approaches for primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Objective： To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of the transradial approach for primary percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） in patients with acute myocardial infarction（AMI）. Methods： 195 patients with acute myocardial infarction were randomly divided into two groups according to the different PCI operation pathways. 105 cases were assigned to the transfemoral artery group and 90 cases to the transradial artery group. We analyzed the data from the two groups, including the achievement ratio of paracentesis, cannulation time, the time from local anesthesia to the first time balloon inflation, the time of the total procedure, achievement ratio of PCI, incidence rate of vascular complications, total duration of hospitalization, and the six-month follow-up results in both groups. Results： Our results showed that the achier ement ratio of arteriopuncture, cannulafion time and the time from local anesthesia to the first time balloon inflation in the transradial and transfemoral groups were 98.9% vs. 100%, 3.15 ± 1.56min vs. 2.86 ± 0.97 min, and 18.56 ± 4.37 min vs. 17.75 ± 3.21 min, respectively. These differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. The total operating time was 29.75 ± 4.38 rain for the transradial group and 27.89 ± 3.95 min（P 〈 0.05） for the transfemoral group. The operation achievement ratio in the transradial group was 96.7%, and 96.2% in the transfemoral group. The incidence of puncture point complications was 2.2% in the transradial group and 11.4% in the transfemoral group, and this difference was significant. The duration of hospitalization was 10.56 ± 2.85 days for the transradial group and 13.78 ± 3.15 days（P 〈 0.05） for the transfemoral group. At the six-month follow-up, the rate of survival without cardiac event was 86.1% vs. 86.4% respectively in the transradial and transfemoral groups（P 〉 0.05）. Conclusion： The transradial approach was as effective as the transfemoral approach, and there were fewer puncture point complications as well as a shorter span of hospitalization in the transradial group. PCI via the transradial approach is safe, effective and feasible in patients with AMI.

Development of Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention as a National Reperfusion Strategy for Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Assessment of Its Use in Egypt

Objective:Early treatment of acute ischemia of the heart by performing immediate percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)to restore blood fl ow in patients with the clinical presentation of an acute coronary syndrome and more specifi cally with ST-elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)can save lives.This study aims to identify the mean time(door to balloon time and fi rst contact to balloon time)to primary PCI for STEMI patients and to assess the percentage of primary PCI and its success rate in Egypt.Methods:A registry study of patients presenting to cardiac centers in Egypt was designed,where patients’basic characteristics,the treatment strategy,and the door to balloon time and the fi rst contact to balloon time were assessed.Results:One thousand six hundred fi fty STEMI patients with a mean age of 57 years were included in the study.Immediate transfer for primary PCI was the most used treatment strategy,representing 74.6%of all treatment strategies used.The door to balloon time and the fi rst contact to balloon time were 50 and 60 minutes,respectively,with a primary PCI success rate of 65.1%.Conclusion:The registry study results showed a marked improvement by implementation of the best treatment strategy with respect to the time factor to achieve a better outcome for STEMI patients in Egypt.

Staged Revascularization for Chronic Total Occlusion in the Non-IRA in Patients with ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention:An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objectives:Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of staged revascularization with concomitant chronic total occlusion(CTO)in the non-infarct-associated artery(non-IRA)in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention(p-PCI).Methods:Various electronic databases were searched for studies published from inception to June,2021.The primary endpoint was all-cause death,and the secondary endpoint was a composite of major adverse cardiac events(MACEs).Odds ratios(ORs)were pooled with 95%confidence intervals(CIs)for dichotomous data.Results:Seven studies involving 1540 participants were included in thefinal analysis.Pooled analyses revealed that patients with successful staged revascularization for CTO in non-IRA with STEMI treated with p-PCI had overall lower all-cause death compared with the occluded CTO group(OR,0.46;95%CI,0.23–0.95),cardiac death(OR,0.43;95%CI,0.20–0.91),MACEs(OR,0.47;95%CI,0.32–0.69)and heart failure(OR,0.57;95%CI,0.37–0.89)com-pared with the occluded CTO group.No significant differences were observed between groups regarding myocardial infarction and repeated revascularization.Conclusions:Successful revascularization of CTO in the non-IRA was associated with better outcomes in patients with STEMI treated with p-PCI.

Comparison of clinical outcomes between culprit vessel only and multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with multivessel coronary diseases

Background The clinical significance of complete revascularization for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI） pa- tients during admission is still debatable. Methods A total of 1406 STEMI patients from the Korean Myocardial Infarction Registry with multivessel diseases without cardiogenic shock who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention （PPCI） were analyzed. We used propensity score matching （PSM） to control differences of baseline characteristics between culprit only intervention （CP） and multivessel percutaneous coronary interventions （MP）, and between double vessel disease （DVD） and triple vessel disease （TVD）. The major adverse cardiac event （MACE） was analyzed for one year after discharge. Results TVD patients showed higher incidence of MACE （14.2% vs. 8.6%, P = 0.01）, any cause of revascularization （10.6% vs. 5.9%, P - 0.01）, and repeated PCI （9.5% vs. 5.7%, P = 0.02）, as compared to DVD patients during one year after discharge. MP reduced MACE effectively （7.3% vs. 13.8%, P = 0.03）, as compared to CP for one year, but all cause of death （1.6% vs. 3.2%, P= 0.38）, Ml （0.4% vs. 0.8%, P = 1.00）, and any cause ofrevascularization （5.3% vs. 9.7%, P = 0.09） were comparable in the two treatment groups. Conclusions STEMI patients with TVD showed higher rate of MACE, as compared to DVD MP performed during PPCI or ad hoc during admission for STEMI patients without cardiogenic shock showed lower rate of MACE in this large scaled database. Therefore, MP could be considered as an effective treatment option for STEMI patients without cardiogenic shock.

Coronary thrombus in patients undergoing primary PCI for STEMI:Prognostic significance and management

Acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI) usually results from coronary atherosclerotic plaque disruption with superimposed thrombus formation. Detection of coronary thrombi is a poor prognostic indicator,which is mostly proportional to their size and composition. Particularly,intracoronary thrombi impair both epicardial blood flow and myocardial perfusion,by occluding major coronary arteries and causing distal embolization,respectively. Thus,although primary percutaneous coronary intervention is the preferred treatement strategy in STEMI setting,the associated use of adjunctive antithrombotic drugs and/or percutaneous thrombectomy is crucial to optimize therapy of STEMI patients,by improving either angiographical and clinical outcomes. This review article will focus on the prognostic significance of intracoronary thrombi and on current antithrombotic pharmacological and interventional strategies used inthe setting of STEMI to manage thrombotic lesions.

Immediate in-hospital outcomes after percutaneous revascularization of acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock

BACKGROUND Cardiogenic shock(CS)is a life-threatening complication of acute myocardial infarction with high morbidity and mortality rates.Primary percutaneous coro-nary intervention(PCI)has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with CS.AIM To investigate the immediate mortality rates in patients with CS undergoing primary PCI and identify mortality predictors.METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of 305 patients with CS who underwent primary PCI at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases,Karachi,Pak-istan,between January 2018 and December 2022.The primary outcome was immediate mortality,defined as mortality within index hospitalization.Uni-variate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of immediate mortality.RESULTS In a sample of 305 patients with 72.8%male patients and a mean age of 58.1±11.8 years,the immediate mortality rate was found to be 54.8%(167).Multivariable analysis identified Killip class IV at presentation[odds ratio(OR):2.0;95%co-nfidence interval(CI):1.2-3.4;P=0.008],Multivessel disease(OR:3.5;95%CI:1.8-6.9;P<0.001),and high thrombus burden(OR:2.6;95%CI:1.4-4.9;P=0.003)as independent predictors of immediate mortality.CONCLUSION Immediate mortality rate in patients with CS undergoing primary PCI remains high despite advances in treatment strategies.Killip class IV at presentation,multivessel disease,and high thrombus burden(grade≥4)were identified as independent predictors of immediate mortality.These findings underscore the need for aggressive management and close monitoring of patients with CS undergoing primary PCI,particularly in those with these high-risk characteristics.

Delay Times and Clinical Outcomes in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Comparison of Periods before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Myocardial Infarction and the Pandemic

Introduction: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a drop in the number of patients treated for cardiac emergencies raised concern about cardiovascular mortality in that period. An increase in care delay for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) may have affected clinical outcomes. Objectives: To analyze delay times and clinical outcomes of patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Retrospective observational study that included patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI from December 2018 to July 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic cases were divided into two groups: pandemic I—from March to August 2020;and pandemic II—from September 2020 to July 2021. Patients were compared according to the period of hospitalization. Primary outcomes were delay times in assistance and clinical outcomes (acute kidney injury [AKI], post-procedural vascular complications and in-hospital mortality). Results: 108 patients were included, 39 (36.1%) in the pre-pandemic period, 13 (12.1%) in pandemic I and 56 (51.8%) in pandemic II. Time from onset of symptoms to arrival at the service and door-to-balloon time did not differ significantly among groups. Vascular complications were more frequent during the pandemic (I and II) than in the pre-pandemic period (2.5% pre-pandemic vs 15.4% pandemic vs 12.5% pandemic II;p = 0.03). AKI incidence was similar in all three periods. There was a non-significant increase in in-hospital mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: In patients with STEMI, there was an increase in vascular complications and a trend toward increased mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Delay times to admission and reperfusion did not differ significantly between before and during the pandemic.

Randomized comparison of intracoronary tirofiban versus urokinase as an adjunct to primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction： results of the ICTUS-AMI trial

Background No randomized trial has been performed to compare the efficacy of an intracoronary bolus of tirofiban versus urokinase during primary percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）.We investigated whether the effects of adjunctive therapy with an intracoronary bolus of urokinase was noninferior to the effects of an intracoronary bolus of tirofiban in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI） undergoing PCI.Methods A total of 490 patients with acute STEMI undergoing primary PCI were randomized to an intracoronary bolus of tirofiban （10 μg/kg; n=247） or urokinase （250 kU/20 ml; n=243）.Serum levels of P-selectin,von Willebrand factor （vWF）,CD40 ligand （CD40L）,and serum amyloid A （SAA） in the coronary sinus were measured before and after intracoronary drug administration.The primary endpoint was the rate of complete （＞70％） ST-segment resolution （STR） at 90 minutes after intervention,and the noninferiority margin was set to 15％.Results In the intention-to-treat analysis,complete STR was achieved in 54.4％ of patients treated with an intracoronary bolus of urokinase and in 60.6％ of those treated with an intracoronary bolus of tirofiban （adjusted difference：-7.0％;95％ confidence interval：-15.7％ to 1.8％）.The corrected TIMI frame count of the infarct-related artery was lower,left ventricular ejection fraction was higher,and the 6-month major adverse cardiac event-free survival tended to be better in the intracoronary tirofiban group.An intracoronary bolus of tirofiban resulted in lower levels of P-selectin,vWF,CD40L,and SAA in the coronary sinus compared with an intracoronary bolus of urokinase after primary PCI （P＜0.05）.Conclusions An intracoronary bolus of urokinase as an adjunct to primary PCI for acute STEMI is not equally effective to an intracoronary bolus of tirofiban with respect to improvement in myocardial reperfusion assessed by STR.This may be caused by less reduction in coronary circulatory platelet activation and inflammation.

Association of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio with long-term mortality after ST elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Background Primary percutaneous coronary interventions （PCI） have been proposed as a novel superior management strategy in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI）. This study tested the hypothesis that in the acute phase of myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation, the neutrophil/lymphocyte （N/L） ratio is a predictor of long-term prognosis.Methods We analyzed 551 consecutive STEMI patients treated with primary PCl at a single university center. Patients were stratified according to quartiles of the mean neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio.Results Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a cumulative eight-year survival of 94.2% in the first quartile, 92.0% in the second quartile, 91.3% in the third quartile, and 75.4% in the fourth quartile （P ＜0.001 by log rank）. Relative to patients in the other three lower N/L ratio quartiles, patients in the highest quartile were more than four times more likely to die during hospitalization （P ＜0.001） and during long-term follow-up （P ＜0.001）. By multivariate Cox regression analysis including baseline demographic, clinical, and angiographic covariables, the N/L ratio in the highest quartile remained an independent predictor of mortality （hazard ratio 2.38, 95% confidence interval （CI） 1.42 to 3.98; P=0.001）.Conclusion The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio is a strong independent predictor of long-term mortality after ST elevation myocardial infarction treated with very early revascularization.

Thorombolytic therapy with rescue percutaneous coronary intervention versus primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction： a multicenter randomized clinical trial

Background Although thrombolytic therapy with rescue percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） is a common treatment strategy for ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction （STEMI）, scant data are available on its efficacy relative to primary PCI, and comparison was therefore the aim of this study. Methods This multicenter, open-label, randomized, parallel trial was conducted in 12 hospitals on patients （age 〈70 years） with STEMI who presented within 12 hours of symptom onset （mean interval 〉3 hours）. Patients were randomized to three groups： primary PCI group （n=101）; recombinant staphylokinase （r-Sak） group （n=-104）; and recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator （rt-PA） group （n=-106）. For all patients allocated to the thrombolytic therapy arm, coronary angiography was performed at 90 minutes after drug therapy to confirm infarct-related artery （IRA） patency; rescue PCI was performed in cases with TIMI flow grade 〈2. Bare-metal stent implantation was planned for all patients. Results After randomization it required an average of 113.4 minutes to start thrombolytic therapy （door-to-needle time）and 141.2 minutes to perform first balloon inflation in the IRA （door to balloon time）. Rates of IRA patency （TIMI flow grade 2 or 3） and TIMI flow grade 3 were significantly lower in the thrombolysis group at 90 minutes after drug therapy than in the primary PCI group at the end of the procedure （70.5% vs. 98.0%, P 〈0.0001, and 53.0% vs. 85.9%, P 〈0.0001, respectively）. Rescue PCI with stenting was performed in 117 patients （55.7%） in the thrombolytic therapy arm. Rates of patency and TIMI flow grade 3 were still significantly lower in the rescue PCI than in the primary PCI group （88.9% vs. 97.9%, P=-0.0222, and 68.4% vs. 85.0%, P=0.0190, respectively）. At 30 days post-therapy, mortality rate was significantly higher in the thrombolysis combined with rescue PCI group than in primary PCI group （7.1% vs. 0, P=0.0034）. Rates of death/MI and bleeding complications were significantly higher in the thrombolysis with rescue PCI group than in the primary PCI group （10.0% vs. 1.0%, P=-0.0380, and 28.10% vs. 8.91%, P=-0.O001, respectively）. Conclusions Thrombolytic therapy with rescue PCI was associated with significantly lower rates of coronary patency and TIMI flow grade 3, but with significantly higher rates of mortality, death/MI and hemorrhagic complications at 30 days, as compared with primary PCI in this group of Chinese STEMI patients with late presentation and delayed treatments.

Long-term Outcomes of Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Second-generation Drug-eluting Stents in ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Caused by Very Late Stent Thrombosis

Background： The ST-segment elevation myocardial inthrction （STEMI） patients due to stent thrombosis （ST） remain a therapeutic challenge for a clinician. Till date, very few researches have been conducted regarding the safety and effectiveness of primary percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） with second-generation drug-eluting stents （DES） for STEMI caused by very late ST （VLST）. This retrospective study evaluated the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of primary PCI with second-generation DES for STEM1 due to VLST compared with primary PCI for STEM1 due to de novo lesion. Methods： Between January 2007 and December 2013, STEMI patients with primary PCI in Fuwai Hospital had only second-generation DES implanted for de novo lesion （558 patients） and VLST （50 patients） were included in this retrospective study. The primary end points included cardiac death and reinfarction. The secondary end points included cardiac death, reinfarction, and target lesion revascularization. Continuous variables were expressed as mean （standard deviation） or median （interquartile range） and compared by Student＇s t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test as appropriate. Categorical variables were expressed as counts and percentages, and comparison of these variables was performed with Chi-square or Fisher＇s exact test. A two-tailed value of P 〈 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all comparisons. Statistical analyses were performed by SAS software （version 9.4, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, USA） for Windows. Results： In-hospital primary end point and the secondary end point were no significant differences between two groups （P = 1.000 and P = 1.000, respectively）. No significant differences between two groups were observed according to the long-term primary end point and the secondary end point. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed no significant difference between the two groups in the primary end point and the secondary end point at 2 years （P- 0.340 and P = 0,243, respectively）. According to Cox analysis, female, intra-aortic balloon pump support, and postprocedural thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow 3 were found to be independent predictors fbr long-term follow-up. Conclusion： Primary PCI with second-generation DES is a reasonable choice for STEMI patients caused by VLST.

Direct intracoronary delivery of tirofiban during primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI） is usually caused by acute occlusion of an infarct-related coronary artery （IRA）, resulting from rupture or erosion of an atherosclerotic plaque and subsequent platelet aggregation and thrombosis.l3 Prompt reperfusion is the key aspect of the optimal management,.7 and timely expert primary percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） becomes the best reperfusion strategy with respect to improvement in survival and reduction of combined clinical endpoints in the treatment of STEMI.

Timely reperfusion for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction:Effect of direct transfer to primary angioplasty on time delays and clinical outcomes

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PPCI) is the preferred reperfusion therapy for patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI) when it can be performed expeditiously and by experienced operators. In spite of excellent clinical results this technique is associated with longer delays than thrombolysis and this fact may nullify the benefit of selecting this therapeutic option. Several strategies have been proposed to decrease the temporal delays to deliver PPCI. Among them,prehospital diagnosis and direct transfer to the cath lab,by-passing the emergency department of hospitals,has emerged as anattractive way of diminishing delays. The purpose of this review is to address the effect of direct transfer on time delays and clinical events of patients with STEMI treated by PPCI.

Impact of primary percutaneous coronary intervention on blood perfusion in nonculprit artery in patients with anterior ST elevation myocardial infarction

Background Recent studies have demonstrated that epicardial flow in nonculprit arteries, which has been assumed to be normal, was slowed in the setting of ST-elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI）. However, the impact of primary percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） on blood perfusion in nonculprit arteries in patients with STEMI has not been clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of primary PCI on blood perfusion in nonculprit arteries in patients with STEMI and correlated clinical factors. Methods A total of 117 patients with anterior wall STEMI, the culprit artery being the left anterior descending artery （LAD）, undergoing primary PCI （the study group） and 100 patients with normal coronary angiography （the control group） were enrolled. To observe the differences of corrected TIMI frame count （cTFC） and myocardial blush grade （MBG） before and after primary PCI in both culprit and nonculprit arteries, the left circumflex coronary artery （LCX）, cTFC and MBG in the LAD and LCX were measured in the study group and control group. The study group was divided into three groups; refiow in the culprit artery group （the R group）, no reflow in culprit artery group （the NR group）, and no reflow in both the culprit artery and nonculprit artery group （the NRB group） according to MBG grade. The level of serum C-reactive protein （CRP）, catecholamine, and fibroblast growth factor-21 （FGF21）were assayed. The clinical and angiographic characteristics were also analyzed. Results cTFC （28.1±24.3 vs. 20.3±19.3, P 〈0.05） and MBG in the LCX were different in the study group compared to the control group before primary PCI. cTFC （25.2±22.3 vs. 28.1±24.3, P 〈0.05） and the MBG level in the LCX were improved after successful primary PCI, but were not recovered to the normal level. Patients with no reflow in the culprit artery had a higher incidence of no-reflow in the nonculprit artery （78% vs. 19%, P 〈0.0001）, and the levels of CRP （（3.29±1.31） mg/dl vs. （2.51±1.14） mg/dl vs. （2.93±1.07） mg/dl, P 〈0.05, respectively）, catecholamine （（epinephrine （693.48±89.78） pg/ml vs. （398.12±93.28） pg/ml vs. （562.54±96.22） pg/ml, P 〈0.0001, respectively）, and norepinephrine （（7012.43±932.47） pg/ml vs. （4012.34±814.16） pg/ml vs. （5549.03＋912.65） pg/ml, P 〈0.0001, respectively））in the NRB group were higher than those in the R group and NR group. The level of FGF21 （（0.299±0.093） ng/ml vs. （0.612±0.071） ng/ml vs. （0.428±0.074） ng/ml, P 〈0.0001 respectively） in the NRB group was lower than that in the R group and NR group. Conclusions The blood perfusion in the nonculprit artery may be impaired in patients with STEMI. Although nonculprit artery perfusion may be improved after successful primary PCI, it is still lower than that in the control group, and may be involved in inflammation and spasms.

Comparison of tirofiban combined with dalteparin or unfractionated heparin in primary percutaneous coronary intervention of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients

Background Primary percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） is the best treatment of choice for acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI）. This study aimed to determine the clinical outcomes of tirofiban combined with the low molecular weight heparin （LMWH）, dalteparin, in primary PCI patients with acute STEMI. Methods From February 2006 to July 2006, a total of 120 patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI were randomised to 2 groups： unfractionated heparin （UFH） with tirofiban （group I： 60 patients, （61.2±9.5） years）, and dalteparin with tirofiban （group il： 60 patients, （60.5±10.1） years）. Major adverse cardiac events （MACE） during hospitalization and at 4 years after PCI were examined. Bleeding complications during hospitalization were also examined. Results There were no significant differences in sex, mean age, risk factors, past history, inflammatory marker, or echocardiography between the 2 groups. In terms of the target vessel and vascular complexity, there were no significant differences between the 2 groups. During the first 7 days, emergent revascularization occurred only in 1 patient （1.7%） in group I. Acute myocardial infarction （AMI） occurred in 1 （1.7%） patient in group I and in 1 （1.7%） in group II. Three （5.0%） patients in group I and 1 （1.7%） in group II died. Total in-hospital MACE during the first 7 days was 4 （6.7%） in group I and 2 （3.3%） in group Ⅱ. Bleeding complications were observed in 10 patients （16.7%） in group I and in 4 patients （6.7%） in group II, however, the difference was not statistically significant. No significant intracranial bleeding was observed in either group. Four years after PCI, death occurred in 5 （8.3%） patients in group I and in 4 （6.7%） in group Ⅱ. MACE occurred in 12 （20.0%） patients in group I and in 10 （16,7%） patients in group Ⅱ. Conclusions Dalteparin was effective and safe in primary PCI of STEMI patients and combined dalteparin with tirofiban was effective and safe without significant bleeding complications compared with UFH. Although there was no statistically significant difference, LMWH decreased the bleeding complications compared with UFH.

Off-hours admission does not impact outcomes in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention and with a first medical contact-to-device time within 90 min

Background:It remains unclear whether the outcomes of ST-elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PPCI)during off-hours are as favorable as those treated during on-hours,especially those with a first medical contact-to-device(FMC-to-device)time within 90 min.We aimed to determine whether off-hours admission impacted late outcomes in patients undergoing PPCI and with an FMC-to-device time<90 min.Methods:This multicenter retrospective study included 670 STEMI patients who underwent successful PPCI and had an FMC-to-device time<90 min from 19 chest pain centers in Beijing from January 2018 to December 2018.Patients were divided into on-hours group and off-hours group based on their arrival time.Baseline characteristics,clinical data,and key time intervals during treatment were collected from the Quality Control&Improvement Center of Cardiovascular Intervention of Beijing by the 4tHeart and Brain Green Channel”app.Results:Overall,the median age of the patients was 58.8 years and 19.9%(133/670)were female.Of these,296(44.2%)patients underwent PPCI during on-hours and 374(55.8%)patients underwent PPCI during off-hours.Compared with the on-hours group,the off-hours group had a longer FMC-to-device time and fewer patients with FMC-to-device time<60 min(P<0.05).During the mean follow-up period of 24 months,a total of 64(9.6%)participants experienced a major adverse cardiovascular event(MACE),with 28(9.1%)in the on-hours group and 36(9.6%)in the off-hours group(P>0.05).According to the Cox regression analyses,off-hours admission was not a predictor of 2-year MACEs(P=0.788).Similarly,the Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the risks of a MACE,all-cause death,reinfarction,and target vessel revascularization were not significantly different between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusions:This real-world,multicenter retrospective study demonstrated that for STEMI patients who underwent PPCI within 90 min,off-hours admission was safe,with no difference in the risk of 2-year MACEs compared with those with on-hours admission.