Angiographic and clinical outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndromes presenting with isolated anterior ST-segment depression: a TRITON-TIMI 38 (Trial to Assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by Optimizing Platelet Inhibition With Prasugrel-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 38) substudy.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine angiographic and clinical outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presenting with isolated anterior ST-segment depression on 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG).

BACKGROUND: In patients with ACS, anterior ST-segment depression on 12-lead ECG may represent plaque rupture with: 1) acute thrombotic occlusion with elevation of cardiac biomarkers (+Tn); 2) a patent artery with +Tn; or 3) a patent artery with -Tn.

METHODS: The TRITON-TIMI 38 (Trial to Assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by Optimizing Platelet Inhibition with Prasugrel-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 38) enrolled 13,608 ACS patients. Those with isolated anterior (leads V(1) to V(4)) ST-segment depression were analyzed. Angiograms and ECGs were interpreted by local investigators.

RESULTS: There were 1,198 (8.8%) patients with isolated anterior ST-segment depression. Of those, 314 (26.2%) had an occluded culprit artery (TIMI flow grade 0/1) and +Tn, 641 (53.5%) had a patent culprit artery (TIMI flow grade 2/3) and +Tn, and 243 (20.3%) had TIMI flow grade 2/3 and -Tn. Among patients with an occluded artery, the culprit artery was most often the left circumflex artery (48.4%). The 30-day incidence of the composite of death and MI was significantly higher among patients with an occluded artery (8.6%) than among those with a patent culprit artery and either +Tn (6.3%) or -Tn (2.9%) (3-way p = 0.006). Among patients with an occluded artery, the median time from ECG to percutaneous coronary intervention was 29.4 h (interquartile range 26.1 to 44.1 h).

CONCLUSIONS: Among ACS patients presenting with isolated anterior ST-segment depression, over one-quarter had an occluded culprit artery and elevated cardiac biomarkers. These patients had significantly worse clinical outcomes, and few underwent urgent angiography.