Impact of the transradial approach in the occurrence of major bleeding in elderly patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe occurrence of major bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated to higher morbidity and mortality, and advanced age is one of its main predictors. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the impact of the use of the transradial approach in the incidence of bleeding complications in elderly patients undergoing PCI.MethodsConsecutive and controlled registry including patients over 60 years of age undergoing PCI by transradial approach. Angiographic procedure success, technical failure, and the incidence of ischemic adverse events and major bleeding were evaluated.ResultsBetween May 2008 and December 2010, 707 elderly patients underwent PCI, of whom 635 (89.8%) used the transradial approach. Mean age was 69.9±7.2 years, 11.5% were>80 years of age, 39.7% were female and 30.9% had diabetes mellitus. Acute ischemic syndrome accounted for 72% of clinical indications. The angiographic success rate was 96.8% with a crossover rate of 2.8%. The in-hospital mortality rate was 2.4%, myocardial infarction occurred in 0.9%, stroke in 0.3% and stent thrombosis in 0.9%. Hematomas were reported in 1.6% of procedures, with a major bleeding rate of 0.8%.ConclusionsIn elderly patients undergoing PCI, representing the real-world practice and at a high risk for bleeding, the use of the transradial approach was associated with a low major bleeding rate

Fondaparinux in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for the Treatment of Acute Coronary Syndrome

ABSTRACTBackgroundFondaparinux is an agent that has a well-established safety and efficacy profile in the treatment of non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes. When used alone, however, it is associated with a higher incidence of thrombotic complications during invasive coronary procedures, requiring the supplementation of an anti-IIa agent. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes that were previously treated with fondaparinux.MethodsThis was a prospective, controlled registry, enrolling 127 consecutive patients submitted to an early invasive stratification during treatment with fondaparinux with the supplementation of intravenous unfractionated heparin at a dose of 85 U/kg at the time of PCI.ResultsThe composite primary endpoint rate, including death, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, or emergency myocardial revascularisation was 3.2%. The cumulative incidence of major bleeding and vascular complications was 3.2%. There were no cases of guide catheter thrombosis or abrupt vessel closure.ConclusionsPCI in patients with acute coronary syndromes receiving fondaparinux was associated with a low rate of major adverse cardiovascular ischaemic events and severe haemorrhagic complications. Supplementation with unfractionated heparin during the invasive procedures eliminated the risk of catheter-related thrombosis

In-hospital and late outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in a center with intermediate volume of structural procedures

ABSTRACTBackgroundPercutaneous mitral valvuloplasty is the treatment of choice for rheumatic mitral stenosis with favorable anatomy, for its ability to prevent complications inherent to a surgical procedure, while maintaining effectiveness. It is necessary to promote comparisons between the results obtained by the procedure performed at referral centers with high patient inflow and at institutions with lower volume and fewer patients, which represents the main objective of this study.MethodsThirty-one consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty were analyzed from September 2006 to January 2015. Immediate procedural success and late event-free survival rates were evaluated, defined as cardiovascular death or need for a new mitral valve intervention.ResultsThe mean age was 40.9 ± 14.2 years, with a predominance of females (96.8%). The mean Wilkins and Block score was 8.1 ± 1.2. All procedures were performed using the Inoue technique, with an immediate success rate of 90.3%. At mean follow-up of 6.8 ± 2.5 years, seven events (22.6%) were observed: two cardiovascular deaths, four surgeries for mitral valve replacement, and one mitral commissurotomy.ConclusionsIn a hospital with intermediate procedure volume, the results of percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in the treatment of rheumatic mitral stenosis with favorable anatomy were comparable to those achieved by high-volume centers

Perfil clínico e angiográfico de pacientes jovens submetidos à intervenção coronária percutânea primária

ResumoIntroduçãoO atual declínio observado na taxa de mortalidade entre pacientes com infarto do miocárdio com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST pode ser atribuído não apenas a maior utilização de estratégias de reperfusão, mas também a uma mudança no perfil demográfico dessa população, notadamente à redução em sua média de idade.MétodosForam analisados retrospectivamente todos os pacientes submetidos à intervenção coronária percutânea primária no período de abril de 2010 a dezembro de 2014. O objetivo primário foi a caracterização dos fatores de risco mais prevalentes, a natureza angiográfica das lesões, os aspectos técnicos do procedimento e a evolução clínica hospitalar de pacientes jovens, com idade ≤ 45 anos, comparando‐os àqueles com idade > 45 anos.ResultadosDentre 489 pacientes com diagnóstico de infarto agudo do miocárdio, 54 tinham idade ≤ 45 anos e 435, idade > 45 anos. Pacientes jovens exibiram maior prevalência de tabagismo e obesidade, enquanto pacientes > 45 anos eram mais propensos a apresentar hipertensão arterial sistêmica, diabetes melito, dislipidemia e infarto do miocárdio antigo. Intervenção coronária percutânea primária em jovens associou‐se ao uso de menor quantidade de cateteres‐guia, menor tempo de fluoroscopia e maior porcentual de implante direto de stent. Pacientes jovens exibiram boa evolução hospitalar, com reduzida taxa de eventos cardíacos adversos (3,7% vs. 9,2%; p = 0,30).ConclusõesPacientes com idade ≤ 45 anos representaram aproximadamente 10% dos casos de infarto do miocárdio com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST e exibiram elevada prevalência de fatores de risco modificáveis.AbstractBackgroundThe current decline observed in mortality rate among patients with ST‐segment elevation acute myocardial infarction can be attributed not only to the increased use of reperfusion strategies, but also to a change in the demographic profile of this population, notably the reduction in mean age.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention in the period from April 2010 to December 2014. The primary objective was the characterization of the most prevalent risk factors, the angiographic nature of the lesions, the technical aspects of the procedure, and in‐hospital clinical outcomes in patients aged ≤ 45 years, comparing them to those aged > 45 years.ResultsAmong 489 patients with acute myocardial infarction, 54 were ≤ 45 years, and 435 were > 45 years. Young patients exhibited a higher prevalence of smoking and obesity, while patients > 45 years were more likely to have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and previous myocardial infarction. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention in young patients was associated with the use of fewer guide catheters, shorter fluoroscopy time, and higher percentage of direct stent implantation. Young patients exhibited good in‐hospital outcomes, with lower rate of adverse cardiac events (3.7% vs. 9.2%; p = 0.30).ConclusionsPatients aged ≤ 45 years accounted for approximately 10% of cases of ST‐segment elevation acute myocardial infarction and exhibited high prevalence of modifiable risk factors