A primary stenting strategy as an alternative to fibrinolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction. An analysis of results in hospital and at 6 weeks and 6 months.
OBJECTIVE
To report the feasibility and results to 6 months of a primary stenting strategy in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).


METHODS
Prospective, single-centre, observational study.


METHODS
A tertiary referral teaching hospital (Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney), July 1997 to November 1998.


METHODS
102 (of 194) consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with AMI who were eligible for fibrinolytic therapy, and for a primary stenting strategy. The first 50 patients were under 70 years of age, and had not had previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The following 52 patients included patients up to 80 years and with previous CABG.


METHODS
Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events: death, reinfarction, cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and repeat target lesion revascularisation, in hospital, and at 6 weeks and 6 months. Minor in-hospital adverse events: bleeding requiring blood transfusion, vascular complications and new-onset heart failure. Time delays to treatment, and duration of hospital stay.


RESULTS
Normal flow was established in the infarct-related artery in 97/102 patients (95%). Stenting, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), CABG or medical therapy was performed in 74, 11, 9 and 8 patients, respectively. Minor in-hospital events, time delays and hospital stay were similar to those reported previously. At 6 weeks, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events had occurred in 5% of patients (four repeat target lesion revascularisation and one reinfarction). By 6 months, repeat target lesion revascularisation had been performed in an additional 10% of patients. No deaths had occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
A primary stenting strategy can be performed safely, without significant delays and with excellent short and intermediate term outcomes.
Department of Cardiology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW.
P S
PS
Hansen
H H
HH
Rasmussen
J
J
Vinen
G I
GI
Nelson
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents