Association between angiographic complications and clinical outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: an EARLY ACS (Early Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibition in Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome) angiographic substudy.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this analysis was to determine the association between intraprocedural complications and clinical outcomes among patients with high-risk non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

BACKGROUND: Among patients undergoing PCI for NSTEACS, the relationship between intraprocedural complications and clinical outcomes, independent of epicardial and myocardial perfusion, has not been well characterized.

METHODS: The EARLY ACS (Early Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibition in Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome) trial enrolled 9,406 patients with high-risk NSTEACS undergoing an early invasive strategy. Of these, 1,452 underwent angiographic assessment in an independent core laboratory and did not have a myocardial infarction (MI) between enrollment and angiography. We assessed the relationship between abrupt closure, loss of side branch(es), distal embolization, and no-reflow phenomenon and 30-day clinical outcomes in these patients.

RESULTS: Of the patients, 166 (11.4%) experienced an intraprocedural complication. Baseline clinical characteristics were similar between patients who did and did not have complications. The 30-day composite of death or MI was significantly higher among patients with an intraprocedural complication (28.3% vs. 7.8%, odds ratio [OR]: 4.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.2 to 7.0, p < 0.001). Individually, both mortality (3.0% vs. 0.9%, OR: 3.60, 95% CI: 1.2 to 10.5, p = 0.019) and MI (27.1% vs. 7.4%, OR: 4.66, 95% CI: 3.1 to 7.0, p < 0.001) were significantly increased. After adjusting for differences in post-PCI epicardial and myocardial perfusion, the association with 30-day death or MI remained significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Among high-risk NSTEACS patients undergoing an invasive strategy, the incidence of intraprocedural complications is high, and the occurrence of these complications is associated with worse clinical outcomes independent of epicardial and myocardial perfusion. (Early Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibition in Patients With Non-ST-segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome [EARLY ACS]; NCT00089895).