Clopidogrel resistance is common in patients undergoing vascular and coronary interventions

Objectives “Clopidogrel resistance,” also defined as heightened platelet reactivity (HPR) while on clopidogrel therapy, may lead to a sub-optimal antiplatelet effect and a potential thrombotic event. There is limited literature addressing the prevalence of HPR in a large cohort of patients receiving either coronary or endovascular interventions. Methods In a large integrated healthcare system, patients with a P2Y12 reaction units (PRU) test were identified. HPR was defined as a PRU ≥ 200 during clopidogrel therapy. Vascular and coronary interventions were identified utilizing CPT codes, HPR prevalence was calculated, and Fischer’s exact test was used to determine significance. Results From an initial cohort of 2,405,957 patients (October 2014 to January 2020), we identified 3301 patients with PRU tests administered. Of these, 1789 tests had a PRU ≥ 200 (HPR overall prevalence, 54%). We then identified 1195 patients who underwent either an endovascular or coronary procedure and had a PRU measurement. This corresponded to 935 coronary and 260 endovascular interventions. In the coronary cohort, the HPR prevalence was 54% (503/935). In the vascular cohort, the HPR prevalence was 53% (137/260); there was no difference between cohorts in HPR prevalence ( p = 0.78). Conclusion “Clopidogrel resistance” or HPR was found to be present in nearly half of patients with cardiovascular disease undergoing intervention. Our data suggest HPR is more common in the cardiovascular patient population than previously appreciated. Evaluating patients for HPR is both inexpensive ($25) and rapid (< 10 min). Future randomized studies are warranted to determine whether HPR has a clinically detectable effect on revascularization outcomes.

Complications Associated with Transulnar Approach in Patients undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

Aim: To examine the prevalence of complications related with transulnar approach in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary interventions. Study Design: Cross-sectional/observational study. Place & Duration: The study was conducted at cardiology department of Cat A Hospital Batkhela and Fauji Foundation Hospital Peshawar for six months duration from January 2020 to December 2020. Methods: One hundred and eighteen patients of both genders with ages 20 to 75 years who underwent percutaneous coronary interventions were included. Patients’ detailed demographics including age, sex, BMI and com-morbidities were recorded after taking informed written consent from all the patients. All the patients had percutaneous coronary procedure through transulnar approach and periprocedural complications were examined. Data was analyzed using SPSS 24.0. Results: Out of 118 patients 85 (72.03%) were males and 33 (27.97%) were females with mean age of 55.74±11.71 years. Mean BMI was 28.09±7.33 kg/m2. Hypertension was the most common morbidity found in 63 (53.4%) patients followed by diabetes mellitus and smoking. Minor bleeding was the commonest complication found in 28 (23.7%) patients followed by ulnar artery occlusion, excessive bleeding, ulnar nerve injury and hematoma in 10 (8.5%), 8 (6.8%), 6 (5.08%) and 2 (2.5%) patients respectively. Conclusion: It is concluded that transulnar approach for coronary interventions is safe and effective with fewer rate of complications. Keywords: Coronary Intervention, Angiography, Transulnar Approach, Complications.

Preventive Effect of Pretreatment with Pitavastatin on Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients with Renal Dysfunction Undergoing Coronary Procedure: PRINCIPLE-II Randomized Clinical Trial

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pitavastatin pretreatment on contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) after a coronary procedure. This was a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial. All consecutive 70 patients with CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) were enrolled and randomized into two groups. Group I consisted of patients who were treated with statins (pitavastatin 4 mg/day) for seven days before and three days after the procedure (n = 37, 52.9%), and group II consisted of patients who were treated with a placebo (n = 33, 47.1%). The primary endpoint was the incidence of CIN, and the secondary endpoints were the change in serum creatinine (∆sCr) level and estimated glomerular filtration rate (∆eGFR) after the procedure. The mean age of the patients (males, 74%) was 70.4 ± 9.0 years. After the coronary procedure, the incidence of CIN was lower in group I than in group II, but the difference was not significant (5.4% vs. 9.1%, p = 0.661). The maximal ∆sCr was lower and the maximal ∆eGFR was higher in group I than in group II, but the difference was not significant (−0.11 ± 0.53 mg/dL and −0.04 ± 0.33 mg/dL, p = 0.678; 4.3 ± 11.2 mL/min/1.73 m2 and −2.9 ± 20.4 mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.161, respectively). This study showed the possibility of a clinical benefit of pretreatment with a high dose of pitavastatin for the prevention of CIN in patients with CKD after coronary procedure (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01871792).

Minimizing Guidewire Unwilling Passage and Related Perforation: Prevention is Better Than Cure

Background: Current guidewires for transradial coronary angiography had defects of passage difficulty or branch injury. This study sought to investigate the safety and efficiency of a novel method of active knuckle angle 0.035-inch hydrophilic guidewire in transradial coronary angiography.Methods: Patients who underwent a transradial coronary procedure from August 2015 to June 2020 were consecutively noted. Of them, 1457 patients were allocated into the Traditional group, while the following 1322 patients were allocated into the Knuckle group to investigate the safety. In addition, 239 patients were randomly divided to evaluate its efficiency. Results: Unwilling passage of guidewire into branches occurred more in Traditional group than in Knuckle group (9.5% vs. 0.08%, p<0.001). Of them, 2 patients experienced guidewire associated perforation in Traditional group. Covered stent was used for 1 patient with internal mammarian artery perforation, and the other was treated with compression for brachial branch perforation. Furthermore, duration of guidewire advancement from the sheath to aortic root significantly decreased in the Knuckle group (22.6±8.0s vs. 33.4±16.9s, p<0.001). Conclusions: Active knuckle angle guidewire was a novel method to prevent unwilling passage and associated perforation, which also improved the efficiency and reduced radiation exposure.

Hospital management of patients with acute coronary syndrome: influence of age and gender

Background Although the improvement of therapeutic strategies is leading to a dramatic decline of in-hospital acute coronary syndrome (ACS) death rates, differences in care and prognosis of ACS patients exist when age, gender and admission department are considered. Methods The national administrative hospital discharge record (HDR) system was used. Only data recorded from January 1, 2017 to Dicember 31, 2018 were analyzed. This approach allowed to identify 205775 patients reporting ACS as primary or secondary diagnosis: 122812 with non-ST-elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS) and 82963 with ST-elevation ACS (STEMI). The ACS cohort was stratified by age (&lt;75 and ≥75 years) and gender. The proportion of STEMI patients treated in general medicine or cardiology departments requiring a coronary procedure or extensive investigations were analyzed. Results Among the 205775 patients hospitalized for ACS, 6% of STEMI and 8.3% of NSTE-ACS patients have been treated only in a general medicine ward and have never passed through a specific cardiology ward. For STEMI patients, the proportion becomes 4% when males are considered, increases up to 10% for females and up to 13% for elderly patients (≥75 years). During the index hospitalization, about 25% of female and more than 30% of elderly patients with STEMI do not undergo a coronary procedure or other extensive investigations; the same happens only in about 10% of male and 6% of younger patients. The proportion of improperly managed patients reaches 35% for women aged ≥75 years. Conclusions In-hospital management of women and elderly patients with ST-elevation ACS does not completely comply with the recommended guidelines and exposes them to unfavourable prognosis. Key messages Women and elderly STEMI patients are markedly less intensively investigated and treated in cardiologic departments. This medical policy could lead to unfavourable prognosis.

Conservative Treatment of Iatrogenic Ascending Aortic Hematoma Post-Rotablator Coronary Procedure

Background Aortic intramural hematoma due to coronary artery dissection is a rare and serious complication during percutaneous coronary intervention. Case Presentation A 78-year-old female patient was admitted for diagnostic coronarography in the context of stable angina. The coronarography showed an asymmetric and significate calcification in the ostium of the right coronary requiring Rotablator (Boston Scientific) procedure complicated by iatrogenic ascending aortic hematoma. After surgical advice, a conservative approach was decided with total hematoma resorption and recovery 1 week later. Conclusion With stable patient, conservative treatment may be suitable after aortic hematoma due to coronary dissection.

Frequency and Predictors of Radial Artery Occlusion after Coronary Procedure through Transradial Approach: A Vascular Doppler-guided Study

Background: Although transradial approach (TRA) has better outcome and reduced vascular complications, radial artery occlusion (RAO) is now a major concern as it limits future radial artery use for further TRA, for use as a conduit during CABG, for invasive hemodynamic monitoring and for creation of arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis in CKD patients. Vascular doppler study is the most accurate method for evaluation of RAO and yet this is not practiced in our population. Objectives: To detect the frequency and identify the predictors of RAO after coronary procedure through TRA. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was done in the department of cardiology, NICVD from July-2015 to June- 2016 by including a total 125 patients undergoing coronary procedures (CAG and/or PCI) through TRA. Vascular doppler study of the radial artery were performed before and one day after the procedure. RAO was defined as an absence of antegrade flow and monophasic flow on doppler study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were done to evaluate the predictors of RAO. Results: On the day after the procedure, radial artery vascular doppler examination revealed RAO in 12 (09.6%) patients. On univariate analysis female gender (p= 0.038), diabetes mellitus (p= 0.024), prolonged hemostatic compression for more than 02 hours after sheath removal (p= 0.003) were identified as predictors of RAO. Interestingly hypertension, low BMI, smaller radial artery diameter and use of reprocessed sheath were not identified as predictors of RAO. On multivariate analysis diabetes mellitus (p= 0.016), prolonged hemostatic compression for more than 02 hours after sheath removal (p= 0.004) were found as independent predictors for RAO. Conclusion: Frequency of RAO was 09.6% after coronary procedure through TRA. Diabetes mellitus and hemostatic compression after sheath removal for more than two hours were identified as independent predictors of RAO. Strategies should be taken from patient selection for TRA to end of hemostatic compression removal to prevent RAO. Bangladesh Heart Journal 2019; 34(2) : 111-117

Nationwide trends in acute coronary syndrome by subtype in New Zealand 2006–2016

ObjectivesRecent studies in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have reported mixed results for trends in ACS subtypes. The All New Zealand Acute Coronary Syndrome Quality Improvement (ANZACS-QI) 31 study evaluated trends in ACS event rates, invasive management and mortality of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-STEMI (NSTEMI) and unstable angina (UA) in New Zealand.MethodsAll ACS hospitalisations between 2006 and 2016 were identified from routinely collected national data and categorised into STEMI, NSTEMI, UA and MI unspecified (MIU). Annual hospitalisation, coronary procedure, 28-day and 1-year mortality rates were calculated and trends tested using Poisson regression adjusting for age and sex.ResultsOver the 11-year study period, there were 188 264 ACS admissions, of which 16.0% were STEMI, 54.5% NSTEMI, 25.7% UA and 3.8% MIU. Event rates of all ACS subtypes fell: STEMI by 3.4%/year, NSTEMI by 5.9%/year and UA by 8.5%/year, while the proportion of patients with ACS receiving angiography and revascularisation increased by 5.6% per year. Rates of percutaneous coronary intervention rose for STEMI, NSTEMI and UA, but coronary artery bypass grafting increased only for NSTEMI and UA. Mortality at 28 days and 1 year was higher for STEMI than NSTEMI and lowest for UA. There was a relative 1.6%/year decline in 1 year mortality for NSTEMI (p<0.001), but no significant change for STEMI and UA.ConclusionsWe observed declines in the event rates of all ACS subtypes and increases in revascularisation rates. The finding that mortality declined in patients with NSTEMI, but not in patients with STEMI and UA, despite increases in invasive procedures, requires further investigation.