Applicability of the Zwolle risk score for safe early discharge after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Short- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with cardiovascular diseases: A mini-review

The COVID-19 pandemic had profound implications for patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), both in the short- and long-term. In this article, we provide an overview of the effects of the pandemic on individuals with preexisting cardiovascular conditions. In the short term, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection increased the risk of many cardiovascular events. Furthermore, the pandemic has disrupted health-care systems worldwide, leading to constraints in routine care, and limited access to specialized cardiovascular services and procedure. This has resulted in increased morbidity and mortality rates among patients with CVD (coronary artery disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, heart failure (HF), heart transplant recipients, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, previous stroke, or previous peripheral artery disease). In the long term, the COVID-19 impact on patients with CVD extends beyond the acute phase of the disease. Studies have highlighted the development of long-term cardiovascular complications in COVID-19 survivors, such as acute coronary syndrome myocarditis, HF, stroke, venous thromboembolism, and arrhythmias, which may lead to a surge of new cases associated with CVD in the postpandemic era. Health-care systems must prioritize cardiovascular care, developing strategies to identify the patients at higher risk and provide the care to minimize the impact of the pandemic on patients with CVD.

Predicting 30-Day Mortality Using ST-Segment Elevation Resolution in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: An Indian Scenario

BACKGROUND

The relationship between ST-segment elevation (STE) resolution and 30-day mortality has been evaluated, although limitedly, in non-Indian patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). We aimed to evaluate the prognostic utility of STE resolution in predicting 30-day mortality in Indian patients undergoing pPCI for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective, single-center, observational study investigated the correlation between 30-day mortality rate and extent of STE resolution in real-world Indian patients undergoing pPCI for STEMI. A total of 64 patients underwent pPCI for STEMI at a tertiary care center in India. The patients were classified into three groups based on the extent of STE resolution: complete resolution (≥70%), partial resolution (30-70%), and no resolution (<30%). The primary endpoint of the study was occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events consisting of all-cause death, reinfarction, disabling stroke, and ischemia-induced target vessel revascularization at 30 days follow-up.

RESULTS

The study enrolled 56 patients. The mean age of patients was 59.7±6.8 years and there were 46 (82.1%) males. Complete STE resolution (≥70%) occurred in 7.1%, partial resolution (<70-30%) in 82.1% and no resolution (<30%) in 10.7%. The mortality rate was 2.1% and 33.3% in patients with partial and no STE resolution. No mortality was seen in patients with complete STE resolution. The 30-day survival analysis revealed significant differences between the three groups (P<0.01). STE resolution served as an independent predictor of 30-day mortality across all clinical variables, including patients with post-PCI thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 3 flow.

CONCLUSIONS

Persistent STE after PCI is a reliable indicator of 30-day mortality in real-world STEMI patients. The extent of STE resolution can be used as a simple and affordable tool to stratify patients by the risk of mortality soon after the acute event. Due to their higher mortality at 30 days follow-up, individuals with persistent STE should be the focus for further treatment interventions.

Creatinine variation improves Zwolle score in selecting low-risk patients after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

The Zwolle score is recommended to identify ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with low-risk eligible for early discharge. Our aim was to ascertain if creatinine variation (Δ-sCr) would improve Zwolle score in the decision-making of early discharge after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 3296 patients with STEMI that underwent primary PCI were gathered from the Portuguese Registry on Acute Coronary Syndromes. A Modified-Zwolle score, including Δ-sCr, was created and compared with the original Zwolle score. Δ-sCr was also compared between low (Zwolle score ≤3) and non-low-risk patients (Zwolle score >3). The primary endpoint is 30-day mortality and the secondary endpoints are in-hospital mortality and complications. Thirty-day mortality was 1.5% in low-risk patients (35 patients) and 9.2% in non-low-risk patients (92 patients). The Modified-Zwolle score had a better performance than the original Zwolle score in all endpoints: 30-day mortality (area under curve 0.853 versus 0.810, P < 0.001), in-hospital mortality (0.889 versus 0.845, P < 0.001) and complications (0.728 versus 0.719, P = 0.037). Reclassification of patients lead to a net reclassification improvement of 6.8%. Additionally, both original Zwolle score low-risk patients and non-low-risk patients who had a Δ-sCr ≥0.3 mg/dl had higher 30-day mortality (low-risk: 1% versus 6.6%, P < 0.001; non-low-risk 4.4% versus 20.7%, P < 0.001), in-hospital mortality and complications.

CONCLUSION

Δ-sCr enhanced the performance of Zwolle score and was associated with higher 30-day mortality, in-hospital mortality and complications in low and non-low-risk patients. This data may assist the selection of low-risk patients who will safely benefit from early discharge after STEMI.

Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Deviations from Guidelines and Pragmatic Considerations for Patients and Healthcare Workers

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is forcing cardiology departments to rapidly adapt existing clinical guidelines to a new reality and this is especially the case for acute coronary syndrome pathways. In this focused review, the authors discuss how COVID-19 is affecting acute cardiology care and propose pragmatic guideline modifications for the diagnosis and management of acute coronary syndrome patients, particularly around the appropriateness of invasive strategies as well as length of hospital stay. The authors also discuss the use of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers in cardiology. Based on shared global experiences and growing peer-reviewed literature, it is possible to put in place modified acute coronary syndrome treatment pathways to offer safe pragmatic decisions to patients and staff.

Utility of Zwolle Risk Score in Guiding Low-Risk STEMI Discharge

BACKGROUND

Despite emerging evidence suggesting that selected patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated successfully with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) may be considered for early discharge, STEMI patients are typically hospitalised longer to monitor for serious complications.

METHODS

We assessed the feasibility of identifying low-risk STEMI patients in our institution for early discharge using the Zwolle risk score (ZRS). We evaluated consecutive STEMI patients who underwent successful PPCI within the period 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017. Low-risk was defined as ZRS≤3. Demographic, angiographic characteristics, length of stay (LOS), and 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) defined as cardiac death, stroke, congestive cardiac failure, and non-fatal myocardial infarction, were recorded.

RESULTS

There were 183 STEMI patients in our study cohort (mean age 62.0±12.2 years, 77.0% male). The median ZRS was 2 (interquartile range 1-4) with 132 (72.1%) patients classified as low-risk. The overall 30-day MACE and mortality rates were 10.4% and 3.3% respectively. None of the 35 (26.5%) low-risk patients who were discharged within 72 hours experienced MACE at 30 days. Low-risk STEMI patients had significantly shorter median LOS (86.3 vs. 93.2 hours, p=0.002), lower 30-day MACE (4.5% vs. 25.5%, p<0.0001) and mortality (0% vs. 11.8%, p<0.0001) compared to high-risk group (ZRS>3). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses for ZRS in predicting 30-day MACE and mortality yielded C-statistics of 0.79 (95%CI 0.68-0.90, p<0.0001) and 0.98 (95%CI 0.95-1.00, p<0.0001) respectively.

CONCLUSION

Low-risk STEMI patients stratified by Zwolle risk score, who were treated successfully with PPCI, experienced low 30-day MACE and mortality rates, indicating that early discharge may be safe in these patients. Larger studies are warranted to evaluate the safety of ZRS-guided early discharge of STEMI patients, as well as the economic and psychological impacts.

Value-Based ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Care Using Risk-Guided Triage and Early Discharge

BACKGROUND

Prior studies suggest that low-risk ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention can be considered for early discharge. We describe the implementation of an STEMI risk score to decrease cost while maintaining optimal patient outcomes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We determined the impact of risk-guided STEMI care on healthcare value through the retrospective application of the Zwolle Risk Score to 967 patients receiving primary percutaneous coronary intervention between 2009 and 2011. Of these patients, 540 (56%) were categorized as low risk, indicating they may be safely triaged directly to a telemetry unit rather than the intensive care unit and targeted for early discharge. We subsequently developed and implemented a modified Zwolle Risk Calculator into the electronic medical record to support application of the fast-track protocol for low-risk STEMI patients. Among 549 prospective patients with STEMI, 62% were low risk, and the fast-track protocol was followed in 75% of cases. Prospective results confirmed lower rates of complications (low risk 8.3% versus high risk 38.7%; P<0.001) and in-hospital mortality (low risk 0.4% versus High risk 12.5%; P<0.001) in the low-risk cohort. Low-risk patients had a shorter median length of stay (median and [25th, 75th percentiles]: low risk 2 [2, 3] versus high risk: 3 [2, 6]; P<0.001) and lower overall costs (low risk $6720 [$5280-$9030] versus high risk $11 783 [$7953-$25 359]; P<0.001). Low-risk patients treated on-protocol had shorter median length of stay (on-protocol 2 [1, 2] versus off-protocol 2 [2, 3]; P<0.001) and hospital costs (on-protocol $6090 [$4730, $7356] versus off-protocol $11 783 [$7953, $25 359]; P<0.001) than those treated off-protocol. On-protocol low-risk patients in the prospective cohort also had lower costs and shorter length of stay than low-risk patients in the retrospective cohort (P<0.001 for both).

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, risk-guided triage and discharge after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI improved healthcare value by reducing costs of care without compromising quality of care or patient outcomes.

Current perspectives on location of monitoring and length of stay following PPCI for ST elevation myocardial infarction

IMPORTANCE

There is marked variability in location of care and hospital length of stay after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

OBSERVATIONS

We performed a literature review on non-critical care monitoring and early discharge following primary percutaneous coronary intervention and describe a framework for implementation in the real world. The medical literature was searched from 1 January 1988 to 31 April 2019 using PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Randomized clinical trials, observational studies and guideline statements were included. Available data suggest that carefully selected low-risk STEMI patients identified using Zwolle or CADILLAC risk stratification scores after primary percutaneous coronary intervention may be considered for discharge after 48 hours of hospital care. There was no increase in major adverse cardiac events, medication non-compliance or hospital readmission with this treatment strategy. There are limited data on non-critical monitoring of uncomplicated STEMI patients; however, given the low adverse events rate, this strategy is likely to be safe in selected patients and may facilitate reduced length of stay and reduce resource utilization.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Available evidence supports the safety of early discharge after 48 hours of care and omission of critical care monitoring in carefully selected patients following primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Early risk stratification and structured discharge planning are imperative. Adoption of this treatment strategy could reduce hospital costs, resource utilization and enhance patient satisfaction without affecting outcomes.

Safety of early discharge after primary angioplasty in low-risk patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Background Early discharge after successful primary angioplasty is common, but the evidence supporting the practice is still lacking. We therefore performed a meta-analysis assessing the safety of early discharge after primary angioplasty in low-risk patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods Randomised controlled trials were identified and extracted from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library databases and reference lists of relevant papers. Heterogeneity was analysed using the I² test. If there was a lack of heterogeneity, fixed effects models would be used for the meta-analysis, otherwise random effects models were used. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.3. Results Five randomised controlled trials involving 1575 STEMI patients met the criteria. Meta-analysis showed that the early discharge strategy group had a significantly shortened length of hospital stay compared to the conventional discharge strategy group (standardised mean difference -1.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) -2.04 to -0.88; P < 0.0001), and there was no difference in mortality and readmission rates between the two groups (risk ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.22; P = 0.41). Conclusions The findings of this meta-analysis suggested that the early discharge strategy after successful primary angioplasty is safe among selected low-risk STEMI patients. A shorter hospital stay could benefit both the patients and the healthcare systems.

Natriuretic peptides in addition to Zwolle score to enhance safe and early discharge after acute myocardial infarction: A prospective observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

The Zwolle score is recommended to identify low-risk patients eligible for early hospital discharge after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but since only one third of STEMI has low Zwolle score, hospital discharge is frequently delayed. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) also provides prognostic information after STEMI. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that patients with high Zwolle score associated with low BNP share similar outcomes than those with low Zwolle score.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The study population consisted of 1032 consecutive STEMI patients in whom BNP was measured 24h after chest pain onset. The area under the curve of Zwolle score and plasma BNP for 30-day mortality were 0.82 and 0.87, p=0.39. A BNP threshold of 200pg/ml had sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 34% for predicting 30-day mortality. Patients with high Zwolle score and BNP≤200pg/ml (n=183) had similar mortality and hospital stay to those with low Zwolle score (0% vs. 0.5% and 5 vs. 5days, both p=1.0). By contrast, patients with high Zwolle score and BNP>200pg/ml had the highest mortality (6.7%) and the longest hospital stay (6days), both p<0.01.

CONCLUSION

STEMI patients with high Zwolle score but low BNP share similar outcomes with those with low Zwolle score and should be eligible for early discharge. Hence, using the rule of "low-Zwolle or low-BNP" might increase the number of STEMI patients that might be eligible for early discharge.