Delivery of primary percutaneous coronary intervention for the management of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction: summary of the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario Consensus Report

Retrograde CTO-PCI Using an Internal Thoracic Bypass Graft Segment in a Patient with Acute Inferior ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Cardiogenic Shock

Background

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the “culprit” artery is the recommended mechanical reperfusion strategy in the setting of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). As PCI of bypass grafts may be associated with higher risks and lower procedural success rates, in patients with a history of previous coronary artery surgery, PCI directed at revascularization of the native vessels should be considered, but this may be difficult in the setting of a chronically occluded artery.

Case Presentation

A patient with a history of multivessel coronary artery disease and a chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the right coronary artery (RCA) requiring arterial bypass surgery, presented with an acute inferior STEMI and cardiogenic shock. It was felt that shock was caused by the acute thrombotic occlusion of a right internal thoracic artery (RITA) bypass graft that had been sequentially anastomosed to the left circumflex (LCx) and right coronary arteries. Despite initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), the patient remained in refractory shock and acute revascularization of the right coronary artery was performed through the RITA bypass segment using antegrade access to the graft through the LCx and then a retrograde approach to open a CTO of the RCA. After successful revascularization, the patient was successfully weaned from ECMO. Over 12 months of follow-up, the patient did well and was documented to have improved left ventricular systolic function.

Conclusion

This report is the first to document the successful use of a retrograde approach through an arterial graft segment to revascularize a chronic total occlusion in the setting of acute STEMI and cardiogenic shock.

Admissions to intensive cardiac care units in France in 2014: A cross-sectional, nationwide population-based study

Geographic variation in admission to the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU) might question about the efficiency and the equity of the healthcare system. The aim was to explain geographic variation in the rate of admission to ICCU for coronary artery disease (CAD) or heart failure (HF) in France.We conducted a retrospective study based on the French national hospital discharge database. All inpatient stays for CAD or HF with an admission to an ICCU in 2014 were included. We estimated population-based age and sex-standardized ICCU admission rates at the department level. We separately modeled the department-level admission rates for HF and CAD using generalized linear models.In all, 61,010 stays for CAD and 27,828 stays for HF had at least 1 ICCU admission. The ICCU admission rates were explained by the admission rate for CAD, by the diabetes prevalence, by the proportion of the population >75 years, and by the drive time to the ICCU.This work sheds light on the finding of substantial geographic variation in the ICCU admission rates for CAD and HF in France. This variation is explained by both the age and the health status of the population and also by the drive time to the closest ICCU for HF. Moreover, ICCU admission for HF might be more prone to unwarranted variations due to medical practice patterns.

Regional "Call 911" Emergency Department Protocol to Reduce Interfacility Transfer Delay for Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the first-medical-contact-to-balloon (FMC2B) time after implementation of a "Call 911" protocol for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) interfacility transfers in a regional system.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with STEMI requiring interfacility transfer from a STEMI referring hospital, to one of 35 percutaneous coronary intervention-capable STEMI receiving centers (SRCs). The Call 911 protocol allows the referring physician to activate 911 to transport a patient with STEMI to the nearest SRC for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients with interfacility transfers were identified over a 4-year period (2011-2014) from a registry to which SRCs report treatment and outcomes for all patients with STEMI transported via 911. The primary outcomes were median FMC2B time and the proportion of patients achieving the 120-minute goal. FMC2B for primary 911 transports were calculated to serve as a system reference. There were 2471 patients with STEMI transferred to SRCs by 911 transport during the study period, of whom 1942 (79%) had emergent coronary angiography and 1410 (73%) received percutaneous coronary intervention. The median age was 61 years (interquartile range [IQR] 52-71) and 73% were men. The median FMC2B time was 111 minutes (IQR 88-153) with 56% of patients meeting the 120-minute goal. The median STEMI referring hospital door-in-door-out time was 53 minutes (IQR 37-89), emergency medical services transport time was 9 minutes (IQR 7-12), and SRC door-to-balloon time was 44 minutes (IQR 32-60). For primary 911 patients (N=4827), the median FMC2B time was 81 minutes (IQR 67-97).

CONCLUSIONS

Using a Call 911 protocol in this regional cardiac care system, patients with STEMI requiring interfacility transfers had a median FMC2B time of 111 minutes, with 56% meeting the 120-minute goal.

Incidence and characteristics of inappropriate and false-positive cardiac catheterization laboratory activations in a regional primary percutaneous coronary intervention program

BACKGROUND

The implementation of regional primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) programs has been critical in achieving timely intervention in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, 1 consequence has been inappropriate and false-positive cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) activations where either angiography is cancelled or no culprit lesion is found, respectively.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of 1,391 patients referred for primary PCI to a single academic center from November 2007 to August 2013. Our purpose was to determine the incidence and characteristics of inappropriate and false-positive CCL activations by emergency departments (EDs) or emergency medical services (EMS), and the effect of a quality improvement (QI) initiative to reduce such events implemented during this period.

RESULTS

During the study period, there were 37 (2.7%) inappropriate and 206 (14.8%) false-positive CCL activations. There was no difference between the ED and EMS rates of inappropriate activation (2.1% vs 3.8%, P = .06). Among patients who proceeded to angiography, the false-positive rate for ED CCL activation was 16.9% compared to 11.5% for EMS (P = .01). Although there was no difference comparing inappropriate activation or false-positive rates before and after the QI initiative (P = .22), we observed an encouraging year-to-year trend.

CONCLUSIONS

Emergency department activation of the CCL is associated with a higher false-positive rate than activation by EMS. Further QI efforts are required to improve communication between interventional cardiologists, emergency physicians, and paramedics to improve the specificity of CCL activation while taking care not to sacrifice sensitivity and rapidity of diagnosis.

Prehospital triage and direct transport of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction to primary percutaneous coronary intervention centres: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) appears to be superior to in-hospital fibrinolysis for most patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, few hospitals have PCI capability. The optimal prehospital strategy for facilitating rapid coronary reperfusion in STEMI patients is unclear. We sought to determine whether direct transport of adult STEMI patients by emergency medical services to primary PCI centres improves 30-day all-cause mortality when compared with a strategy of transportation to the closest hospital.

Methods:

We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane “CENTRAL” database (1980-July 2007) and several other electronic databases. Two authors independently assessed citations for relevance. Two authors independently abstracted data from included studies. We included studies that, 1) transported patients directly to a PCI-capable centre for primary PCI, 2) had a control group that was transported to the closest hospital and 3) reported outcomes of treatment time intervals, all-cause mortality, reinfarction rate, stroke rate or the frequency of cardiogenic shock. We used a random effects model to provide pooled estimates of relative risk (RR) when data allowed.

Results:

We identified 2264 citations with the search. Five studies, including 980 STEMI patients, met inclusion criteria, and were clinically heterogeneous and of variable quality. Most studies were European (3/5) and involved physician out-of-hospital care providers. There was a trend toward increased survival with direct transport to primary PCI but this was not statistically significant (RR 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.24–1.10). One study reported nonsignificant reductions in reinfarction (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.11–1.60) and stroke (RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.01–8.06) with direct transport for primary PCI.

Conclusion:

There is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of direct transport of patients with STEMI for primary PCI when compared with transportation to the closest hospital.

Clinical Outcomes of Early Repatriation for Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Propensity-Matched Analysis

BACKGROUND

Because of limitations on hospital resources, patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who undergo successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are often repatriated to non-PCI centres. However, the safety of this practice is not clear. Our objective was to evaluate the safety of early repatriation of STEMI patients after PCI to a non-PCI centre, compared with ongoing treatment at the PCI centre.

METHODS

Consecutive STEMI patients, who received primary PCI at 1 of 4 PCI hospitals in Toronto, Canada between 2010 and 2012 were identified. Patients with shock or who died within 24 hours of presentation were excluded. Outcomes of interest were all-cause mortality and readmission for recurrent myocardial infarction (MI) at 1 year. To account for confounding because of the observational nature of our data, propensity score-matched pairs of patients who were repatriated vs nonrepatriated were identified.

RESULTS

Using the propensity score, 430 well matched pairs were identified, representing our cohort. There was no significant difference between repatriated and nonrepatriated groups in 1-year mortality (repatriated: 6.7%, nonrepatriated: 5.6%, hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 0.69-2.03; P = 0.545). The 1-year readmission rates for MI were significantly greater for the repatriated group compared with the nonrepatriated group (repatriated: 12.1%; nonrepatriated: 5.8%; hazard ratio, 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-3.36; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

A strategy of early repatriation of STEMI patients was associated with a greater rate of readmission for MI. Our study raises questions regarding the safety of an early repatriation strategy that merit further research.

Variable penetration of primary angioplasty in Europe--what determines the implementation rate?

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the recommended treatment for patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). A survey conducted in 2008 in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) countries reported that the annual incidence of hospital admissions for acute STEMI is around 800 patients per million inhabitants. The survey also showed that STEMI patients' access to reperfusion therapy and the use of PPCI or thrombolytic therapy (TT) vary considerably among countries. Northern, Western and Central Europe already had well-developed PPCI services, offering PPCI to 60-90% of all STEMI patients. Southern Europe and the Balkans were still predominantly using TT and had a higher proportion of patients who were left without any reperfusion treatment. The survey concluded that a nationwide PPCI strategy results in more patients being offered reperfusion therapy. To address the inequalities in STEMI patients' access to life-saving PPCI and to support the implementation of the ESC STEMI treatment guidelines in Europe, the Stent for Life (SFL) Initiative was launched jointly by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) and EuroPCR in 2008. The aim of the SFL Initiative is to improve the delivery of life-saving PPCI for STEMI patients. Currently, 10 national cardiac societies support the SFL Initiative in their respective countries. SFL national action programmes have been developed and are being implemented in several countries. The formation of regional PPCI networks involving emergency medical services, non-PPCI hospitals and PPCI centres is considered to be a critical factor in implementing PPCI services effectively. Better monitoring of STEMI incidence and prospective registration of PPCI in all countries is required to document improvements in health care and to identify areas where further effort is required. Furthermore, studies on potential factors or characteristics that explain the national penetration of PPCI are needed. Such knowledge will be necessary to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation, and will be the first step in ensuring equal access to PPCI treatment for STEMI patients in Europe. Establishing the delivery of PPCI in an effective, high-quality and timely manner is a great challenge.

Determinants and patterns of utilization of primary percutaneous coronary intervention across 12 European countries: 2003-2008

BACKGROUND

Important differences exist between European countries in the degree of implementation of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). To investigate whether health care-associated economic and demographic country-level characteristics were associated with differences in utilization of PPCI, we aimed to examine 5-year trends in the implementation of PPCI for STEMI across 12 EU countries.

METHODS

An ecological study of aggregated data from national and international registries. Main outcome was the number of PPCI per 1,000,000 population, collected annually for the years 2003 to 2008. Impact of year on PPCI implementation was modeled using linear regression and mixed effects models used to quantify associations between PPCI use and country-level parameters.

RESULTS

The annual growth in utilization of PPCI was 1.11 (1.03,1.20) per million. Country-level utilization rates varied from 0.82 (95% CI 0.52, 1.30) to 1.38 (95% CI 1.15, 1.64) per million per year. Number of physicians per 100,000 population, number of nurses and midwifes per 100,000 population, number of acute care beds per 100,000 population, population density per km(2), and proportion of population under 50 years old were associated with PPCI utilization.

CONCLUSIONS

All 12 EU countries demonstrated evidence of PPCI implementation from 2003 to 2008. However, there was substantial variation in the use and rate of uptake of PPCI between countries. Differences in utilization rates of PPCI are associated with supply factors, such as numbers of beds and physicians, rather than healthcare economic characteristics. Further studies are needed to explore the influence of patient-level factors.

Integrated Regional Networks for ST-Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction Care in Developing Countries

Background—

Regionalized integrated networks for ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care have been proposed as a step forward in overcoming real-world obstacles, but data are lacking on its performance in developing countries. We describe an integrated regional STEMI network in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

Methods and Results—

The network was created in 2009. It was coordinated by the prehospital emergency medical service and encompassed the public emergency system (prehospital mobile units, community-based emergency units, general hospitals, and cardiology reference centers). The 12-lead ECGs are interpreted via telemedicine. This network operates as follows: The Telemedicine Center sends each ECG suggestive of STEMI to a Regional STEMI Alert Team, which, together with emergency medical services, offers support for thrombolysis or immediate transfer for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. In 14 months, there were 433 suspected victims, of which in 287 (76.5%) the STEMI could be confirmed (age, 62.1±12.5 years; 63.4% men). Most of them were self-transported. The median pain-to-admission time was 180 minutes (interquartile range, 90–473 minutes), and the median admission-to-ECG time was 159.5 minutes (interquartile range, 83.5–340 minutes). The median interval time between the ECG and the telemedicine report was 31 minutes (interquartile range, 21–44 minutes). For those who sought medical attention and had an ECG performed within 12 hours after symptoms onset (n=119), the reperfusion rate was 75.6% (34.4% by thrombolysis and 65.6% by primary percutaneous coronary intervention).

Conclusions—

Regional STEMI networks may be feasible in developing countries. Preliminary results showed this network to be effective, achieving primary reperfusion rtes comparable with those reported internationally despite the obstacles faced.

Reduction in mortality as a result of direct transport from the field to a receiving center for primary percutaneous coronary intervention

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to determine whether mortality complicating ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was impacted by the design of transport systems.

BACKGROUND

It is recommended that regions develop systems to facilitate rapid transfer of STEMI patients to centers equipped to perform primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), yet the impact on mortality from the design of such systems remains unknown.

METHODS

Within the framework of a citywide system where all STEMI patients are referred for primary PCI, we compared patients referred directly from the field to a PCI center to patients transported beforehand from the field to a non-PCI-capable hospital. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 180 days.

RESULTS

A total of 1,389 consecutive patients with STEMI were assessed by the emergency medical services (EMS) and referred for primary PCI: 822 (59.2%) were referred directly from the field to a PCI center, and 567 (40.8%) were transported to a non-PCI-capable hospital first. Death at 180 days occurred in 5.0% of patients transferred directly from the field, and in 11.5% of patients transported from the field to a non-PCI-capable hospital (p < 0.0001. After adjusting for baseline characteristics in a multivariable logistic regression model, mortality remained lower among patients referred directly from the field to the PCI center (odds ratio: 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.31 to 0.88, p = 0.01). Similar results were obtained by using propensity score methods for adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

A STEMI system allowing EMS to transport patients directly to a primary PCI center was associated with a significant reduction in mortality. Our results support the concept of STEMI systems that include pre-hospital referral by EMS.

Status of Stent for Life Initiative across Europe

Early revascularization with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been shown to reduce mortality, rates of nonfatal reinfarction and stroke, as compared to previous standard of care with thrombolytic therapy. Despite substantial evidence of its effectiveness, the use of PPCI varies considerably across Europe. The Stent for Life Initiative supports implementation of local STEMI treatment guidelines, helps to identify specific barriers to implementation of guidelines and defines actions to make sure that the majority of STEMI patients have access to PPCI. Launching a successful programme for PPCI requires the commitment and collaboration of a broad variety of members of the healthcare system. This narrative review is intended to describe some of the progress already seen in the 10 countries currently included in the Stent for Life Initiative and to report and discuss the engagement of the various stakeholders involved.

Prehospital evaluation and economic analysis of different coronary syndrome treatment strategies--PREDICT--rationale, development and implementation

BACKGROUND

A standard of prehospital care for patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) includes prehospital 12-lead and advance Emergency Department notification or prehospital bypass to percutaneous coronary intervention centres. Implementation of either care strategies is variable across communities and neither may exist in some communities. The main objective is to compare prehospital care strategies for time to treatment and survival outcomes as well as cost effectiveness.

METHODS/DESIGN

PREDICT is a multicentre, prospective population-based cohort study of all chest pain patients 18 years or older presenting within 30 mins to 6 hours of symptom onset and treated with nitroglycerin, transported by paramedics in a number of different urban and rural regions in Ontario. The primary objective of this study is to compare the proportion of study subjects who receive reperfusion within the target door-to-reperfusion times in subjects obtained after four prehospital strategies: 12-lead ECG and advance emergency department (ED) notification or 3-lead ECG monitoring and alert to dispatch prior to hospital arrival; either with or without the opportunity to bypass to a PCI centre.

DISCUSSION

We anticipate four challenges to successful study implementation and have developed strategies for each: 1) diversity in the interpretation of the ethical and privacy issues across 47 research ethics boards/committees covering 71 hospitals, 2) remote oversight of data guardian abstraction, 3) timeliness of implementation, and 4) potential interference in the study by concurrent technological advances. Research ethics approvals from academic centres were obtained initially and submitted to non academic centre applications. Data guardians were trained by a single investigator and data entry is informed by a detailed data dictionary including variable definitions and abstraction instructions and subjected to error and logic checks. Quality oversight provided by a single investigator. The window of the trial in each community has been confirmed with the base-hospital medical director to correspond to the planned technological advances of the system of care. We hope this comparative analysis across treatment strategies for clinical outcomes and cost will provide sufficient evidence to implement the superior strategy across all communities and improve outcomes for all STEMI patients.

A citywide protocol for primary PCI in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

If primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is performed promptly, the procedure is superior to fibrinolysis in restoring flow to the infarct-related artery in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The benchmark for a timely PCI intervention has become a door-to-balloon time of less than 90 minutes. Whether regional strategies can be developed to achieve this goal is uncertain.

METHODS

We developed an integrated-metropolitan-area approach in which all patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were referred to a specialized center for primary PCI. We sought to determine whether there was a difference in door-to-balloon times between patients who were referred directly from the field by paramedics trained in the interpretation of electrocardiograms and patients who were referred by emergency department physicians.

RESULTS

Between May 1, 2005, and April 30, 2006, a total of 344 consecutive patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were referred for primary PCI: 135 directly from the field and 209 from emergency departments. Primary PCI was performed in 93.6% of patients. The median door-to-balloon time was shorter in patients referred from the field (69 minutes; interquartile range, 43 to 87) than in patients needing interhospital transfer (123 minutes; interquartile range, 101 to 153; P<0.001). Door-to-balloon times of less than 90 minutes were achieved in 79.7% of patients who were transferred from the field and in 11.9% of those transferred from emergency departments (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Guideline door-to-balloon-times were more often achieved when trained paramedics independently triaged and transported patients directly to a designated primary PCI center than when patients were referred from emergency departments.