General practitioner\u27s knowledge regarding the diagnosis and drug therapy for acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE: To assess the general practitioners (GP) knowledge regarding the diagnosis and initial drug therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted in randomly selected GPs of Karachi. Doctors working in community as GPs who were registered medical practitioners having a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery degree were included in the study. Doctors working at tertiary care facilities or having a post graduate degree or post graduate training in a specialty other than family medicine were excluded from the study. RESULTS: A total of 186 GPs participated in our study. GPs who studied research journals were 2.33 times more likely to investigate serum cardiac troponins levels for the diagnosis of AMI compared to those who did not study research journals (P = 0.02). Twenty six percent of the GPs said that they would refer a patient with suspected AMI without treatment, while 76% said that they would consider some treatment prior to referral. Fifty eight percent of the GPs identified ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) of \u3c 12 hours duration as an indication of thrombolysis while 28% identified posterior wall AMI as a thrombolytic indication. CONCLUSION: GPs, although adequately aware of the presenting features of AMI, were lacking in knowledge regarding the means for confirmation of diagnosis, initial drug therapy and were less likely to carry management steps in their practice

Angiographic Features and Clinical Outcomes of Balloon Uncrossable Lesions during Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: Balloon uncrossable lesions are defined as lesions that cannot be crossed with a balloon after successful guidewire crossing. Methods: We analyzed the association between balloon uncrossable lesions and procedural outcomes of 8671 chronic total occlusions (CTOs) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) performed between 2012 and 2022 at 41 centers. Results: The prevalence of balloon uncrossable lesions was 9.2%. The mean patient age was 64.2 ± 10 years and 80% were men. Patients with balloon uncrossable lesions were older (67.3 ± 9 vs. 63.9 ± 10, p < 0.001) and more likely to have prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (40% vs. 25%, p < 0.001) and diabetes mellitus (50% vs. 42%, p < 0.001) compared with patients who had balloon crossable lesions. In-stent restenosis (23% vs. 16%. p < 0.001), moderate/severe calcification (68% vs. 40%, p < 0.001), and moderate/severe proximal vessel tortuosity (36% vs. 25%, p < 0.001) were more common in balloon uncrossable lesions. Procedure time (132 (90, 197) vs. 109 (71, 160) min, p < 0.001) was longer and the air kerma radiation dose (2.55 (1.41, 4.23) vs. 1.97 (1.10, 3.40) min, p < 0.001) was higher in balloon uncrossable lesions, while these lesions displayed lower technical (91% vs. 99%, p < 0.001) and procedural (88% vs. 96%, p < 0.001) success rates and higher major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates (3.14% vs. 1.49%, p < 0.001). Several techniques were required for balloon uncrossable lesions. Conclusion: In a contemporary, multicenter registry, 9.2% of the successfully crossed CTOs were initially balloon uncrossable. Balloon uncrossable lesions exhibited lower technical and procedural success rates and a higher risk of complications compared with balloon crossable lesions

TCT-170 Development and Validation of a Scoring System for Predicting Clinical Coronary Artery Perforation During Percutaneous Coronary Interventions of Chronic Total Occlusions: The PROGRESS-CTO Perforation Score

Background: Coronary artery perforation is a feared complication of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and often leads to serious adverse clinical events. Methods: We analyzed clinical and angiographic parameters from 9,618 CTO PCIs in the PROGRESS-CTO (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention). Logistic regression prediction modeling was used to identify independently associated variables, and models were internally validated with bootstrapping. Clinical coronary artery perforation was defined as any perforation requiring treatment. Results: The incidence of clinical coronary perforation was 3.8% (n = 367). Five factors were independently associated with perforation and were included in the score: patient age ≥ 65 years, +1 point (OR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.37-2.33); moderate or severe calcification, +1 point (OR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.41-2.42); blunt or no stump, +1 point (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.10-1.92); use of antegrade dissection and re-entry strategy, +1 point (OR: 2.43; 95% CI: 1.61-3.69); and use of the retrograde approach, +2 points (OR: 4.02; 95% CI: 2.95-5.46). The resulting score showed acceptable performance on receiver-operating characteristic curve (area under the curve: 0.741; 95% CI: 0.712-0.773). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated good fitness (P = 0.991), and internal validation with bootstrapping demonstrated a good agreement with the model (observed area under the curve: 0.736; 95% bias-corrected CI: 0.706-0.767). Conclusions: The PROGRESS-CTO perforation score is a useful tool for prediction of clinical coronary perforation in CTO PCI. Categories: CORONARY: Complex and Higher Risk Procedures for Indicated Patients (CHIP

TCT-117 Impact of Proximal Cap Ambiguity on the Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention: Insights From the PROGRESS-CTO Registry

Background: The impact of proximal cap ambiguity on procedural techniques and outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has received limited study. Methods: We examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 11,169 CTO PCIs performed in 10,932 patients at 42 US and non-US centers between 2012 and 2022. Results: Proximal cap ambiguity was present in 35% of CTO lesions. Patients whose lesions had proximal cap ambiguity were more likely to have had prior PCI (65% vs 59%; P \u3c 0.01) and prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (37% vs 24%; P \u3c 0.01). Lesions with proximal cap ambiguity were more complex with higher J-CTO score (3.1 ± 1.0 vs 2.0 ± 1.2; P \u3c 0.01) and lower technical (79% vs 90%; P \u3c 0.01) and procedural success (77% vs 89%; P \u3c 0.01) rates compared with non-ambiguous CTO lesions. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was higher in cases with proximal cap ambiguity (2.5% vs 1.7%; P \u3c 0.01). The retrograde approach was more commonly used among cases with ambiguous proximal cap (51% vs 21%; P \u3c 0.01) and was more likely to be the final successful crossing strategy (29% vs 13%; P \u3c 0.01). PCIs of CTOs with ambiguous proximal cap required longer procedure time (140 [95-195] vs 105 [70-150] min; P \u3c 0.01) and more contrast volume (225 [160-305] vs 200 [150-280] mL; P \u3c 0.01). Conclusion: Proximal cap ambiguity in CTO lesions is associated with higher utilization of the retrograde approach, lower technical and procedural success rates, and higher incidence of in-hospital MACE. Categories: CORONARY: Complex and Higher Risk Procedures for Indicated Patients (CHIP

TCT-171 Predicting the Risk of Perforation Requiring Pericardiocentesis in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The PROGRESS-CTO Pericardiocentesis Score

Background: Estimating the risk for complications facilitates risk-benefit assessment and procedural planning in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: We analyzed the PROGRESS-CTO (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention; NCT02061436) and created a risk score for pericardiocentesis. Patients with histories of coronary artery bypass graft surgery were excluded. Logistic regression prediction modeling was used to identify independently associated variables, and the model was internally validated with bootstrapping. Results: Of the 7,672 CTO PCI cases performed between 2012 and 2022 at 40 centers, 83 (1.1%) required pericardiocentesis. The final prediction model identified predictors of pericardiocentesis: age ≥ 65 years (OR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.27-3.46), 1 point; female sex (OR: 2.25; 95% CI: 1.39-3.63), 1 point; moderate to severe calcification (OR: 3.28; 95% CI: 1.96-5.49), 1 point; antegrade dissection re-entry (OR: 2.83, 95% CI: 1.45-5.51), 1 point; and retrograde strategy (OR: 3.50; 95% CI: 2.08-5.87), 2 points; with a bootstrap corrected C statistic of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.72-0.83). The calculated risk percentages for pericardiocentesis on the basis of the PROGRESS-CTO mortality score ranged from 0.18% to 8.74% for pericardiocentesis, and 55% of patients had PROGRESS-CTO pericardiocentesis scores of 1 or 2, corresponding to a pericardiocentesis risk of 0.4% to 1.6%. Conclusions: The PROGRESS-CTO pericardiocentesis risk score can facilitate risk-benefit assessment and procedural planning in patients undergoing CTO PCI. Categories: CORONARY: Complex and Higher Risk Procedures for Indicated Patients (CHIP

TCT-109 Use of Subintimal Tracking and Reentry Technique in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: There are limited data on the use of the subintimal tracking and reentry (STAR) technique for chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: We analyzed 2,353 CTO PCIs performed using antegrade dissection re-entry (ADR) in the PROGRESS-CTO Registry, between 2012 and June 2022 at 41 centers. Results: STAR was used in 450 cases (19.1%), primary STAR in 325 (13.8%) and secondary STAR (STAR after other ADR approaches) in 125 (5.3%). The Stingray system was used in 1,048 (44.5%), limited antegrade subintimal tracking (LAST) in 177 (7.5%), and contrast-guided STAR in 31 (1.3%) of re-entry cases. The mean patient age was 65.3 ± 10 years and 86.0% were men. STAR cases were more complex with higher Japan-CTO (3.05 ± 1.08 vs 2.87 ± 1.14, P = 0.002) and PROGRESS (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention) CTO (1.58 ± 1.14 vs 1.20 ± 1.04, P \u3c 0.001) scores compared to non-STAR cases. The cases where STAR was used had lower technical (69.3% vs 79.1%, P \u3c 0.001) and procedural (67.7% vs 76.3%, P \u3c 0.001) success compared with cases where STAR was not used. The incidence of major cardiac adverse events was similar (3.70% vs 3.52%, P = 0.858) between STAR and non-STAR cases. Primary STAR was associated with higher technical and procedural success and similar MACE compared with secondary STAR (Figure). Conclusion: STAR is used in 19.1% of antegrade re-entry CTO PCI cases and is associated with higher angiographic complexity, lower technical and procedural success rates and similar major complication rates compared to antegrade re-entry cases that did not use STAR. Categories: CORONARY: Complex and Higher Risk Procedures for Indicated Patients (CHIP

TCT-113 Predicting the Risk of In-Hospital Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The PROGRESS-CTO MACE Score

Background: Estimating the risk of complications in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) facilitates risk-benefit assessment and procedural planning. Methods: We analyzed the Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention (PROGRESS-CTO; NCT02061436) and created a risk score for in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Logistic regression prediction modeling was used to identify independently associated variables and the model was internally validated with bootstrapping. Results: Of the 10,480 CTO PCI cases performed between 2012-2022 at 40 US and non-US centers, in-hospital MACE occurred in 215 (2.05%). The final prediction model identified 5 independent predictors of MACE: age ≥65 years, odds ratio (OR) 1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-2.26, 1 point; female sex, OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.72-3.53, 2 points; moderate to severe calcification, OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.20-2.44, 1 point; Blunt stump, OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.14-2.33, 1 point; and Antegrade dissection re-entry, OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.32-3.72, 1 point; and retrograde strategy, OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.94-4.22, 2 points; with a bootstrap corrected c-statistic of 0.72, 95% CI 0.68-0.76. The calculated risk percentages for MACE based on the PROGRESS-CTO MACE score ranged from 0.4% to 9.4% for MACE; 42% of patients had PROGRESS-CTO MACE score of 2-3, corresponding to a MACE risk of 1.1%-2.0%. Conclusion: The PROGRESS-CTO in-hospital MACE risk score can facilitate risk-benefit assessment and procedural planning in patients undergoing CTO PCI. Categories: CORONARY: Complex and Higher Risk Procedures for Indicated Patients (CHIP

Angiographic Features and Clinical Outcomes of Balloon Uncrossable Lesions during Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: Balloon uncrossable lesions are defined as lesions that cannot be crossed with a balloon after successful guidewire crossing. Methods: We analyzed the association between balloon uncrossable lesions and procedural outcomes of 8671 chronic total occlusions (CTOs) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) performed between 2012 and 2022 at 41 centers. Results: The prevalence of balloon uncrossable lesions was 9.2%. The mean patient age was 64.2 ± 10 years and 80% were men. Patients with balloon uncrossable lesions were older (67.3 ± 9 vs. 63.9 ± 10, p \u3c 0.001) and more likely to have prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (40% vs. 25%, p \u3c 0.001) and diabetes mellitus (50% vs. 42%, p \u3c 0.001) compared with patients who had balloon crossable lesions. In-stent restenosis (23% vs. 16%. p \u3c 0.001), moderate/severe calcification (68% vs. 40%, p \u3c 0.001), and moderate/severe proximal vessel tortuosity (36% vs. 25%, p \u3c 0.001) were more common in balloon uncrossable lesions. Procedure time (132 (90, 197) vs. 109 (71, 160) min, p \u3c 0.001) was longer and the air kerma radiation dose (2.55 (1.41, 4.23) vs. 1.97 (1.10, 3.40) min, p \u3c 0.001) was higher in balloon uncrossable lesions, while these lesions displayed lower technical (91% vs. 99%, p \u3c 0.001) and procedural (88% vs. 96%, p \u3c 0.001) success rates and higher major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates (3.14% vs. 1.49%, p \u3c 0.001). Several techniques were required for balloon uncrossable lesions. Conclusion: In a contemporary, multicenter registry, 9.2% of the successfully crossed CTOs were initially balloon uncrossable. Balloon uncrossable lesions exhibited lower technical and procedural success rates and a higher risk of complications compared with balloon crossable lesions

Clinical features and outcome of cerebral abscess in congenital heart disease

Background: Cerebral abscess is a serious life threatening complication of several diseases. The objective of this study was to look at the clinical profile, microbiology and outcome of children with cerebral abscess having an underlying congenital heart disease as compared to other predisposing conditions.Methods: Thirty children aged less than 15 years were reviewed. There were 15 males and 15 females. The mean age of presentation was 5.6 +/- 4.4 years.Results: The duration of illness at the time of admission was 17.6 +/- 24.6 days. Typically patients presented with fever, vomiting, headache and seizures. The predisposing conditions found were cyanotic congenital heart disease in 11 (37%) of children, meningitis in 6 (20%), septicemia in 7 (23%) and no underlying cause was found in 5 (17%) children. The most common microbe in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease was of the Streptococcus milleri group (52%). Computerized tomography confirmed the diagnosis and the most common location of the abscess was the parietal lobe of the cerebral hemisphere. All abscesses were large, more than 2 cm in diameter and were aspirated surgically. Excision was performed in 6 children. Five children expired, one due to a intracranial bleeding and the others due to severe cerebral edema and tentorial herniation. Complications were seen in 20 children and 16 had sequelae, hemiparesis in 11 and seizure disorder in 5.CONCLUSION: Brain abscess is a serious infection with poor outcome if diagnosed late. Delayed surgical drainage has high morbidity and mortality. The threshold for diagnosis should be low particularly in children with a predisposing condition like cyanotic congenital heart disease