The timing of death in acute pulmonary embolism patients regarding the mortality risk stratification at admission to the hospital

Background: The management of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (aPE) depends on the severity of aPE. The timing of death in various aPE risk subgroups is only partially known. Methods: 1618 patients with an objectively established aPE diagnosis with computed tomography pulmonary angiography enrolled in the regional PE registry were included in the study. According to ESC criteria, patients were stratified at admission to the hospital in four risk strata. The timing of PE-related and non-PE-related deaths was analyzed regarding mortality risk. Results: PE-related, and non-PE-related hospital death rates were 1.1 % and 1.5 % in low, 1.1 % and 4.8 % in intermediate-low, 8.1 % and 5.9 % in intermediate-high, and 27.7 % and 6.9 % in high-risk groups, respectively. The median time of PE-related and non-PE-related death across the PE mortality risk were: 4 (1.7–7.5) and 7.0 (4–14.7) days in low, 1.5 (1.0–9.5) and 11.5 (2.0–21.0) days in intermediate-low, 4.0 (2.0–9.0) and 9.0 (5.7–18.2) days in intermediate-high, 2.0 (1.0–4.75) and 7.0 (3.0–21.2) days in high-risk subgroups. 48.2 % and 17.1 % of patients who died in the high and intermediate-high risks died during the first hospital day. After the 6th hospitalization day, PE-related deaths were recorded in 43.9 % of deaths from intermediate-high and 17.9 % from high-risk subgroups. Conclusion: PE-related mortality is prominent on the first hospitalization day in high and intermediate-high-risk PE. A substantial proportion of intermediate-high and high-risk patient's PE deaths occurred after the first 6 days of hospitalization

COOL AMI EU pilot trial: a multicentre, prospective, randomised controlled trial to assess cooling as an adjunctive therapy to percutaneous intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Aims: We aimed to investigate the rapid induction of therapeutic hypothermia using the ZOLL Proteus Intravascular Temperature Management System in patients with anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) without cardiac arrest. Methods and results: A total of 50 patients were randomised; 22 patients (88%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 69-97%) in the hypothermia group and 23 patients (92%; 95% CI: 74-99) in the control group completed cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at four to six days and 30-day follow-up. Intravascular temperature at coronary guidewire crossing after 20.5 minutes of endovascular cooling decreased to 33.6°C (range 31.9-35.5°C). There was a 17-minute (95% CI: 4.6-29.8 min) cooling-related delay to reperfusion. In “per protocol” analysis, median infarct size/left ventricular mass was 16.7% in the hypothermia group versus 23.8% in the control group (absolute reduction 7.1%, relative reduction 30%; p=0.31) and median left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 42% in the hypothermia group and 40% in the control group (absolute reduction 2.4%, relative reduction 6%; p=0.36). Except for self-terminating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (32% versus 8%; p=0.074), there was no excess of adverse events in the hypothermia group. Conclusions: We rapidly and safely cooled patients with anterior STEMI to 33.6°C at the time of coronary guidewire crossing. This is ≥1.1°C lower than in previous cooling studies. Except for self-terminating atrial fibrillation, there was no excess of adverse events and no clinically important cooling-related delay to reperfusion. A statistically non-significant numerical 7.1% absolute and 30% relative reduction in infarct size warrants a pivotal trial powered for efficacy. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0250983