Helen Routledge

Influence of access site selection on PCI-related adverse events in patients with STEMI: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Objective A meta-analysis of all randomised controlled studies that compare outcomes of transradial versus the transfemoral route to better define best practice in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Design A Medline and Embase search was conducted using the search terms ‘transradial,’ ‘radial’, ‘STEMI’, ‘myocardial’ and ‘infarction’. Setting Randomised controlled studies that compare outcomes of transradial versus the transfemoral route. Patients A total of nine studies were identified that consisted of 2977 patients with STEMI. Interventions Studies that compare outcomes of transradial versus the transfemoral route. Main outcome measures The primary clinical outcomes of interest were (1) mortality; (2) major adverse cardiac events (MACE); (3) major bleeding and (4) access site complications. Results Transradial PCI was associated with a reduction in mortality (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.84; p=0.008), MACE (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.90; p=0.012), major bleeding events (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.35-1.12; p=0.12) and access site complications (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.48; p<0.0001) compared with procedures performed through the femoral route. Conclusions This meta-analysis demonstrates a significant reduction in mortality, MACE and major access site complications associated with the transradial access site in STEMI. The meta-analysis supports the preferential use of radial access for STEMI PCI.

Unprotected left main stenting in the real world: two-year outcomes of the French left main taxus registry.

Background— Cardiac surgery is the reference treatment for patients with left main (LM) disease, although percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents is emerging as a possible alternative. The objective of this registry was to evaluate the 2-year outcome of elective percutaneous coronary intervention for unprotected LM disease with paclitaxel-eluting stents. Methods and Results— A total of 291 patients were prospectively included from 4 centers. Acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock were the only exclusion criteria. Patients were 69±11 years old, 29% were diabetic, and 25% had 3-vessel disease. For distal LM lesions (78%), the provisional side-branch T-stenting approach was used in 92% of cases and final kissing balloon inflation in 97%. Angiographic success was obtained in 99.7% of cases. At 2-year follow-up, the total cardiac death rate was 5.4% (1 EuroSCORE point was associated with a 15% [95% confidence interval 2.9% to 28.2%, P=0.013] higher risk of cardiac death), target-lesion revascularization was 8.7%, and incidence of Q-wave or non–Q-wave myocardial infarction was 0.9% and 3.1%, respectively. The combined end point occurred in 15.8% of cases and stroke in 0.7%. The incidence of definite and probable LM stent thrombosis was 0.7%, whereas the incidence of any stent thrombosis was 3.8%, with a higher risk in patients with side-branch stenting in the presence of LM bifurcation lesions (hazard ratio 9.6, 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 77.7, P=0.035). Conclusions— Unprotected LM stenting with paclitaxel-eluting stents, with a strategy of provisional side-branch T-stenting for distal lesions, provides excellent acute angiographic results and good mid-term clinical outcomes, with a 15.8% rate of major adverse cardiac events at 2-year follow-up.

Influence of Arterial Access Site Selection on Outcomes in Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention : Are the Results of Randomized Trials Achievable in Clinical Practice?

OBJECTIVES This study sought to investigate the influence of access site utilization on mortality, major adverse cardiac and cardiovascular events (MACCE), bleeding, and vascular complications in a large number of patients treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in the United Kingdom over a 5-year period, through analysis of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database. BACKGROUND Despite advances in antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapy, bleeding complications remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing PPCI. A significant proportion of such bleeding complications are related to the access site, and adoption of radial access may reduce these complications. These benefits have not previously been studied in a large unselected national population of PPCI patients. METHODS Mortality (30-day), MACCE (a composite of 30-day mortality and in-hospital myocardial re-infarction, target vessel revascularization, and cerebrovascular events), and bleeding and access site complications were studied based on transfemoral access (TFA) and transradial access (TRA) site utilization in PPCI STEMI patients. The influence of access site selection was studied in 46,128 PPCI patients; TFA was used in 28,091 patients and TRA in 18,037. Data were adjusted for potential confounders using Cox regression that accounted for the propensity to undergo radial or femoral approach. RESULTS TRA was independently associated with a lower 30-day mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52 to 0.97; p < 0.05), in-hospital MACCE (HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57 to 0.93; p < 0.05), major bleeding (HR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.74; p < 0.01), and access site complications (HR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.75; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS This analysis of a large number of PPCI procedures demonstrates that utilization of TRA is independently associated with major reductions in mortality, MACCE, major bleeding, and vascular complication rates.

Access Site Practice And Procedural Outcomes In Relation To Clinical Presentation In 439,947 Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention In The United Kingdom

OBJECTIVES This study sought to determine the relationships among access site practice, clinical presentation, and procedural outcomes in a large patient population. BACKGROUND Transradial access (TRA) has been associated with improved patient outcomes in selected populations in randomized trials. It is unclear whether these outcomes are achievable in clinical practice. METHODS Using the BCIS (British Cardiovascular Intervention Society) database, we investigated outcomes for percutaneous coronary intervention procedures undertaken between 2007 and 2012 according to access site practice. Patients were categorized as stable, non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) and ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (STEACS). The impact of access site on 30-day mortality, major adverse cardiac events, bleeding, and arterial access site complications was studied. RESULTS Data from 210,260 TRA and 229,687 transfemoral access procedures were analyzed. Following multivariate analysis, TRA was independently associated with a reduction in bleeding in all presenting syndromes (stable odds ratio [OR]: 0.24, p < 0.001; NSTEACS OR: 0.35, p < 0.001; STEACS OR: 0.47, p < 0.001) as well as access site complications (stable OR: 0.21, p < 0.001; NSTEACS OR: 0.19; STEACS OR: 0.16, p < 0.001). TRA was associated with reduced major adverse cardiac events only in patients with unstable syndromes (stable OR: 1.08, p = 0.25; NSTEACS OR: 0.72, p < 0.001; STEACS OR: 0.70, p < 0.001). TRA was associated with improved outcomes compared with a transfemoral access (TFA) with a vascular closure device in a propensity matched cohort. CONCLUSIONS In this large study, TRA is associated with reduced percutaneous coronary intervention-related complications in all patient groups and may reduce major adverse cardiac events and mortality in ACS patients. TRA is superior to transfemoral access with closure devices. Use of TRA may lead to important patient benefits in routine practice. TRA should be considered the preferred access site for percutaneous coronary intervention.

2-Year Outcome of Patients Treated for Bifurcation Coronary Disease With Provisional Side Branch T-Stenting Using Drug-Eluting Stents

OBJECTIVES Our goal was to determine whether the deployment of drug-eluting stents (DES) in bifurcation lesions, according to a uniform provisional side-branch T-stenting strategy (PTS), is a safe and effective treatment in the immediate and long term. BACKGROUND In comparison with simple stenoses, successful percutaneous intervention for coronary bifurcation lesions is limited by a higher incidence of procedural complications and need for repeat revascularization. The ideal strategy to overcome these limitations remains to be demonstrated while recent controversy surrounds the long-term safety of DES in bifurcations. METHODS Consecutive patients treated for bifurcation lesions using DES were studied in a prospective single-center registry. Between 2003 to 2005, 477 procedures were performed. The PTS strategy was used in 92%, with a side-branch stent in 28% and final kissing balloon inflation in 95%. RESULTS Angiographic success was achieved in 99% with 2.5% in-hospital major adverse cardiac events. The cumulative rate of major adverse cardiac events was 10.7% at 1 year and 13.6% at 2 years, including 6.9% and 8.9% target vessel revascularization. Deviation from the PTS strategy independently predicted 2-year mortality (odds ratio: 5.5 [95% confidence interval: 1.63 to 18.3], p < 0.01). The rate of definite or probable stent thrombosis at 2 years was 2.5% with half of all events occurring before hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS The PTS strategy for the treatment of bifurcation lesions is applicable to over 90% of patients in the real world. With DES, both safety and efficacy have been demonstrated in the long-term with <10% need for repeat revascularization in the first 2 years and a low incidence of late stent thrombosis.

Influence of access site choice on incidence of neurologic complications after percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND Neurologic complications (NCs) are a rare but potentially devastating complication that may follow percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In recent years, there has been an increase in use of transradial access, driven by a developing body of evidence that favors its use over femoral access. Concerns have been raised, however, that transradial access may increase the risk of NC compared with transfemoral access. We aimed to investigate the influence of access site selection on the occurrence of NCs through a period of transition during which transradial access became the dominant route for PCI procedures performed in the United Kingdom. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database between January 2006 and December 2010. The data were split into 2 cohorts based on access site. An NC was defined as a periprocedural ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, or transient ischemic attack occurring before hospital discharge. Binary logistic multivariate analysis was used to investigate the influence of access site utilization on NCs and adjust for measured confounding factors. RESULTS Between 2006 and 2010, the use of radial access increased from 17.2% to 50.8% of all PCI procedures. A total of 124,616 radial procedures and 223,476 femoral procedures were studied with a NC rate of 0.11% in each cohort. In univariate (odds ratio 1.01, 95% CI 0.82-1.24, P = .93) and multivariate analysis (odds ratio 0.99, 95% CI 0.79-1.23, P = .91), there was no significant association between the use of radial access and the occurrence of NCs. CONCLUSION These results suggest that radial access is not associated with an increased risk of clinically detected NCs, even during a period when there was a rapid evolution in the preferred access site for PCI in the United Kingdom. These are reassuring results, particularly for operators embarking on a change to radial access for PCI.

Procedural factors associated with percutaneous coronary intervention-related ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVES This study sought to determine whether procedural factors during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (PCI-stroke). BACKGROUND Stroke is a devastating complication of PCI. Demographic predictors are nonmodifiable. Whether PCI-stroke is associated with procedural factors, which may be modifiable, is unknown. METHODS We performed a single-center retrospective study of 21,497 PCI hospitalizations between 1994 and 2008. We compared procedural factors from patients who suffered an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack related to PCI (n=79) and a control group (n=158), and matched them 2:1 based on a predicted probability of stroke developed from a logistic regression model. RESULTS PCI-stroke procedures involved the use of more catheters (median: 3 [quarter (Q) 1, Q3: 3, 4] vs. 3 [Q1, Q3: 2, 3], p<0.001), greater contrast volumes (250 ml vs. 218 ml, p=0.006), and larger guide caliber (median: 7-F [Q1, Q3: 6, 8] vs. 6-F [Q1, Q3: 6, 8], p<0.001). The number of lesions attempted (1.7±0.8 vs. 1.5±0.8, p=0.14) and stents placed (1.4±1.2 vs. 1.2±1.1, p=0.35) were similar between groups, but PCI-stroke patients were more likely to have undergone rotational atherectomy (10% vs. 3%, p=0.029). Overall procedural success was lower in the PCI-stroke group compared with controls (71% vs. 85%, p=0.017). Evaluation of the entire PCI population revealed no difference in the rate of PCI-stroke between radial and femoral approaches (0.4% vs. 0.4%, p=0.78). CONCLUSIONS Ischemic stroke related to PCI is associated with potentially modifiable technical parameters. Careful procedural planning is warranted, particularly in patients at increased risk.

T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to assess myocardial oedema in ischaemic heart disease

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is an established clinical tool for the identification of irreversible myocardial injury. More recently, experience with stress-perfusion CMR has increased sufficiently so that this now provides an accurate and reliable aid to clinical decision-making in patients with ischaemic heart disease. T2-weighted or “black blood” imaging is a technique used less frequently to examine the myocardium but one that is growing in stature. This article explains the rationale behind the technique and reviews recent data illustrating clinical and research scenarios in which the addition of T2-weighted sequences to standard cardiac scanning protocols might be warranted.

Arterial access site utilization in cardiogenic shock in the United Kingdom: Is radial access feasible?

BACKGROUND Cardiogenic shock (CS) remains the leading cause of mortality in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The transradial access site (TRA) has become increasingly adopted as a default access site for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, even in experienced centers that favor the radial artery as the primary access site during PCI, patients presenting in CS are often treated via the transfemoral access site (TFA); and commentators have suggested that CS remains the final frontier that has given even experienced radial operators pause. We studied the use of TRA in patients presenting in CS in a nonselected high-risk cohort from the British Cardiovascular Intervention database over a 7-year period (2006-2012). METHODS Mortality (30-day) and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (a composite of in-hospital mortality, in-hospital myocardial reinfarction, target vessel revascularization, and cerebrovascular events) were studied based on TFA and TRA utilization in CS patients. The influence of access site selection was studied in 7,231 CS patients; TFA was used in 5,354 and TRA in 1,877 patients. RESULTS Transradial access site was independently associated with a lower 30-day mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.56, 95% CI 0.46-0.69, P = 0 < .001), in-hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.53-0.76, P < .0001) and major bleeding (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.18-0.73, P = .004). CONCLUSIONS Although the majority of PCI cases performed in patients with cardiogenic shock in the United Kingdom are performed through the TFA, the radial artery represents an alternative viable access site in this high-risk cohort of patients in experienced centers.

Provisional side branch-stenting for coronary bifurcation lesions: evidence of improving procedural and clinical outcomes with contemporary techniques.

To determine whether recent technical modifications have improved clinical outcomes for patients undergoing contemporary bifurcation lesion percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).