BACKGROUNDCurrent guidelines support primary percutaneous coronary intervention (primary PCI) as the first treatment of choice (as opposed to thrombolytic therapy) for patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) especially when delivered within 12 hours of symptom onset. We aimed to evaluate the impact of different clinical pathways on reduction of reperfusion delay and subsequent improvement in outcomes in patients with STEMI.

METHODSFrom November 2005 to November 2007, 546 consecutive patients with definite STEMI, who upon arrival at the emergency room were triaged to undergo primary PCI, were included. Of them, 271 patients were brought directly to catheterization laboratory (rapid group), and 275 patients were admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU) or cardiac ward first, and then transferred to the catheterization laboratory (non-rapid group). Primary endpoint was door-to-balloon (D2B) time, and secondary endpoints included infarct size assessed by peak CK-MB level and rates of major cardiac adverse events (MACE) including death, reinfarction, or target-vessel revascularization during hospitalization and at 30-day clinical follow-up.

RESULTSBaseline clinical characteristics, angiographic features and procedural success rates were comparable between the two groups, except that more patients received glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors before angiography (84.0% and 77.1, P = 0.042) and had TIMI 3 flow in the culprit vessel at initial angiogram (17.1% and 9.2%, P = 0.007) in the non-rapid group. The D2B time was shortened ((108 +/- 44) minutes and (138 +/- 31) minutes, P < 0.0001), and number of patients with D2B time < 90 minutes was greater (22.6% and 10.9%, P < 0.0001) in the rapid group. The advantages associated with rapid intra-hospital transfer were enhanced if the patients presented to the hospital at regular hours. Peak CK-MB level was significantly reduced in the rapid group. In-hospital mortality (4.1% and 5.8%) and cumulative MACE rate (7.0% and 9.8%) did not significantly differ between rapid and non-rapid groups. At 30 days, cumulative death- and MACE-free survival rates were improved in the rapid group (94.5% and 89.5%, P = 0.035; 90.1% and 84.0%, P = 0.034, respectively).

CONCLUSIONSClinical pathway with bypass of CCU/cardiac ward admission was associated with rapid reperfusion, smaller infarct size, and improved short-term survival for patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. In the future, it is essential to reduce the time delay for patients presenting at off-hours.

Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; methods ; Critical Pathways ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Survival Analysis ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Female ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; administration & dosage ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stem Cell Factor ; administration & dosage ; Ventricular Remodeling ; physiology

The aim of this study was to compare safety and efficacy of 4 homogenous overlapping drug-eluting stents (DES) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. We selected 1,349 consecutive patients (62.1 +/- 14.9 yr, 69.4% male) who received homogenous overlapping DESs in diffuse de novo coronary lesions from Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry from April 2006 through September 2010. They were divided into 4 groups based on type of DES implanted - Paclitaxel (PES), Sirolimus (SES), Zotarolimus (ZES) and Everolimus (EES)-eluting stents. Primary endpoint was 12-month MACE. We also studied EES versus other DESs (PES + SES + ZES). Mean stent length was 26.2 +/- 7.5 mm and mean stent diameter was 3.1 +/- 0.4 mm. Average number of stents used per vessel was 2.2 +/- 0.5. Incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in PES, SES, ZES, and EES groups were 9.5%, 9.2%, 7.5%, and 3.8%, respectively (P = 0.013). In EES group, overall MACE and repeat revascularization were lowest, and no incidence of stent thrombosis was observed. Non-fatal MI was highest in PES, almost similar in SES and EES with no incidence in ZES group (P = 0.044). Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed no differences in the incidence of primary endpoint (P = 0.409). This study shows no significant differences in 12-month MACE among 4 groups.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Coronary Angiography ; Drug-Eluting Stents/*adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/*drug therapy/mortality/pathology ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Paclitaxel/adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Registries ; Republic of Korea ; Sirolimus/adverse effects/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Survival Analysis

The aim of this study was to compare safety and efficacy of 4 homogenous overlapping drug-eluting stents (DES) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. We selected 1,349 consecutive patients (62.1 +/- 14.9 yr, 69.4% male) who received homogenous overlapping DESs in diffuse de novo coronary lesions from Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry from April 2006 through September 2010. They were divided into 4 groups based on type of DES implanted - Paclitaxel (PES), Sirolimus (SES), Zotarolimus (ZES) and Everolimus (EES)-eluting stents. Primary endpoint was 12-month MACE. We also studied EES versus other DESs (PES + SES + ZES). Mean stent length was 26.2 +/- 7.5 mm and mean stent diameter was 3.1 +/- 0.4 mm. Average number of stents used per vessel was 2.2 +/- 0.5. Incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in PES, SES, ZES, and EES groups were 9.5%, 9.2%, 7.5%, and 3.8%, respectively (P = 0.013). In EES group, overall MACE and repeat revascularization were lowest, and no incidence of stent thrombosis was observed. Non-fatal MI was highest in PES, almost similar in SES and EES with no incidence in ZES group (P = 0.044). Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed no differences in the incidence of primary endpoint (P = 0.409). This study shows no significant differences in 12-month MACE among 4 groups.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Coronary Angiography ; Drug-Eluting Stents/*adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/*drug therapy/mortality/pathology ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Paclitaxel/adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Registries ; Republic of Korea ; Sirolimus/adverse effects/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Survival Analysis

This study compared clinical outcomes of drug-eluting stents (DES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) in large coronary arteries in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). A total of 985 patients who underwent single-vessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in large coronary arteries (> or = 3.5 mm) in lesions < 25 mm were divided into DES group (n = 841) and BMS group (n = 144). Clinical outcomes during 12 months were compared. In-hospital outcome was similar between the groups. At six months, death/MI rate was not different. However, DES group had significantly lower rates of target-lesion revascularization (TLR) (1.7% vs 5.6%, P = 0.021), target-vessel revascularization (TVR) (2.2% vs 5.6%, P = 0.032), and total major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (3.4% vs 11.9%, P = 0.025). At 12 months, the rates of TLR and TVR remained lower in the DES group (2.5% vs 5.9%, P = 0.032 and 5.9% vs 3.1%, P = 0.041), but the rates of death/MI and total MACE were not statistically different. The use of DES in large vessels in the setting of acute MI is associated with lower need for repeat revascularization compared to BMS without compromising the overall safety over the course of one-year follow-up.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; *Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary/adverse effects/instrumentation ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels/pathology ; *Drug-Eluting Stents/adverse effects ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/mortality/radiography/*therapy ; *Stents/adverse effects ; Survival Rate ; Time Factors