title: Free wall rupture (FWR) in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) receiving fibrinolytic therapy (FT): a 7-year prospective study.
abstract: Previous studies have shown a paradoxical increase in early mortality in older patients (>70 years) with acute STEMI treated with fibrinolytic therapy (FT), which has been attributed to the development of free wall rupture (FWR). Our aim was to assess occurrence of FWR in STEMI patients receiving FT. In this 7-year prospective study, data from 1701 consecutive patients were obtained. We analyzed predictors of the in-hospital mortality in patients>70 years old. The independent contribution of several variables to overall mortality and FWR development was assessed using multiple logistic regression analyses. The mortality of entire cohort was 18% (306/1701). Diabetes mellitus, anterior infarction, smoking, female gender and hypercholesterolemia were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. FT was given to 18% of all patients (304/1701) of which 13% died (39/304). FWR was 18.4-times more often in patients who received FT. Among patients younger than 70 years who received FT there was no FWR, while in patients ≥ 70 years of age FWR was found in almost half of the deceased (30/68; 44%). Application of FT in STEMI patients is not associated with higher mortality, but significantly increases number of FWR, especially in patients over 70 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Split, Spinciceva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia. katarinanovak33@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: Stojan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polic
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Capkun
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fabijanic
authors.forename: Ajvor
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lukin
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dujic
authors.forename: Zvonko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rumboldt
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D017523:Croatia; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents