Procedural results, in-hospital course and six-month follow-up after rescue compared to primary stenting in acute myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
Although many previous reports showed a worse outcome after rescue compared to primary coronary angioplasty, a direct comparison of these two strategies in the era of stenting is lacking.


METHODS
Fifty patients treated with rescue stenting were retrospectively compared to 61 patients treated with primary stenting during acute myocardial infarction over a 4-year period in our Laboratory.


RESULTS
Baseline demographic and angiographic parameters were not significantly different in the two groups. Despite a significantly longer time-to-reperfusion in rescue stenting (4.7 +/- 2.7 vs 2.8 +/- 2.1 hours, p < 0.0001), procedural success rate (98 vs 97%), in-hospital mortality (6 vs 11%) and target vessel revascularization at 6 months (8 vs 10%) were similar in rescue compared to primary stenting.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that stenting may help improve results of rescue angioplasty, and support the concept that aggressive treatment after failed thrombolysis can be pursued with satisfactory results.
La Vecchia
L
L
Department of Cardiology, San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy.
Martini
M
M
Bedogni
F
F
Righetti
T
T
Sartori
M
M
Vincenzi
P
P
Vincenzi
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D015607:Stents; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017211:Treatment Failure
D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator