Frequency and sequelae of ST elevation acute myocardial infarction caused by spontaneous distal embolization from unstable coronary lesions

Abstract

Patients with distal embolization on the angiogram before primary angioplasty constitute a distinct pathophysiologic subset of patients. They are younger and more often in Killip class > 1, and have more complications and a higher mortality compared with patients without distal embolization. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether pretreatment either with a mechanical strategy or a pharmacologic strategy reduces the incidence of distal embolization before and after angioplasty