Background: Rescue angioplasty (rPCI) for failed fibrinolysis is associated with a low mortality if successful, but a high mortality if it fails. The latter may reflect a high-risk group or harm in some patients. Predictors of success or failure of rPCI may aid selection of patients to be treated.
Methods: Unselected patients referred for rPCI from March 1994 to March 2005 were studied to determine the predictors of a failed procedure and 1-year mortality.
Results: Of 440 patients undergoing emergency coronary angiography for failed fibrinolysis (1-year mortality 18%), 101 had thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow grade (TFG) 3 in the infarct-related vessel. rPCI was attempted in 318 of 339 patients with <TFG 3 flow, but not in 21 patients (angiography-produced TFG 3 [n = 7] or unsuitable anatomy [n = 14]). Of the rPCI cohort, 77% had a successful procedure (no in-lab death or emergency coronary artery bypass grafting and TFG 3 in the infarct-related vessel); rPCI failed in 23%. One-year mortality rates for successful and failed rPCI were 14 and 43%, respectively. Patients with failed rPCI were older and more likely to be diabetic, have anterior MI, be interhospital transfers, be in cardiogenic shock, and less likely to be a current smoker. Shock was the only independent predictor of failed rPCI. Age group >75 years, shock, and final TFG < 3 were independent predictors of 1-year mortality.
Conclusions: Cardiogenic shock is an independent predictor of a failed rPCI. Age group >75 years and shock were the only independent clinical predictors of 1-year mortality. These clinical variables may help in selecting patients for either a strategy of rescue angioplasty after failed fibrinolysis, or in selecting specific patients who might do better with a policy of primary angioplasty.
Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.