Low ejection fraction predisposes to contrast-Induced nephropathy after the second step of staged coronary revascularization for acute myocardial infarction : a retrospective observational study

Patients who develop contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) are at an increased short-term and long-term risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) events. Our aim was to search for patient characteristics associated with changes in serum creatinine and CIN incidence after each step of two-stage coronary revascularization in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and multivessel coronary artery disease undergoing staged coronary angioplasty during hospitalization for AMI. We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 138 patients with acute myocardial infarction without hemodynamic instability, in whom two-stage coronary angioplasty was performed during the initial hospital stay. In-hospital serum creatinine levels were recorded before the 1st intervention (at admission), within 72 h after the 1st intervention (before the 2nd intervention), and within 72 h after the 2nd intervention. The incidence of CIN was 2% after the 1st intervention (i.e., primary angioplasty) and 8% after the 2nd intervention. Patients with significant left ventricular systolic dysfunction after the 1st intervention (ejection fraction (EF) ≤35%) exhibited higher relative rises in creatinine levels after the 2nd intervention (18 ± 29% vs. 2 ± 16% for EF ≤35% and >35%, respectively, p = 0.03), while respective creatinine changes after the 1st revascularization procedure were comparable (−1 ± 14% vs. 2 ± 13%, p = 0.4). CIN after the 2nd intervention was over five-fold more frequent in subjects with low EF (28% vs. 5%, p = 0.007). The association between low EF and CIN incidence or relative creatinine changes after the 2nd intervention was maintained upon adjustment for baseline renal function, major CV risk factors, and the use of renin-angiotensin axis antagonists prior to admission. In conclusion, low EF predisposes to CIN after second contrast exposure in patients undergoing two-stage coronary angioplasty during the initial hospitalization for AMI. Our findings suggest a need of extended preventive measures against CIN or even postponement of second coronary intervention in patients with significant left ventricular dysfunction scheduled for the second step of staged angioplasty. View Full-Tex

Prognostic factors in patients with sudden cardiac arrest and acute myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous interventions with the LUCAS-2 system for mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is one of the most perilous complications of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). For years, the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) has had to be achieved before the patient could be treated at the catheterization laboratory, as simultaneous manual chest compression and angiography were mutually exclusive. Mechanical chest compression devices enabled simultaneous resuscitation and invasive percutaneous procedures. The aim was to characterize the poorer responders that would allow one to predict the positive outcome of such a treatment. We retrospectively analyzed the medical charts of 94 patients with SCA due to AMI, who underwent mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation during angiography. In total, 48 patients, 8 (17%) of which survived the event, were included in the final analysis, which revealed that 83% of the survivors had mild to moderate hyperkalemia (potassium 5.0–6.0 mmol/L), in comparison to 15% of non-survivors (p = 0.002). In the age- and sex-adjusted model, patients with serum potassium > 5.0 mmol/L had 4.61-times higher odds of survival until discharge from the hospital (95% CI: 1.41–15.05, p = 0.01). Using the highest Youden index, we identified the potassium concentration of 5.1 mmol/L to be the optimal cut-off value for prediction of survival until hospital discharge (83.3% sensitivity and 87.9% specificity). The practical implications of these findings are that patients with potassium levels between 5.0 and 6.0 mmol/L may actually benefit most from percutaneous coronary interventions with ongoing mechanical chest compressions and that they do not need immediate correction for this electrolyte abnormality