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Verghese Mathew

Publications and source records attributed to Verghese Mathew.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Current management of non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome: reconciling the results of randomized controlled trials.

AIMS: Patients presenting with non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome represent a heterogeneous group with regard to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis and prognosis. The conventional approach to their treatment has involved admission to the hospital for pharmacologic stabilization, subsequent mobilization, and management by either a conservative or an invasive strategy. The choice of one approach over another is guided largely by local practice patterns and the availability of invasive facilities. METHODS AND RESULTS: However, recent randomized trials comparing the strategies have demonstrated a superiority of the invasive strategy, particularly in patients at higher risk. Furthermore, randomized trials have provided information on refining risk stratification. On the basis of these data, we outline criteria for assessing risk and recommend that stratification be conducted at presentation using clinical features, the electrocardiogram, and biomarkers. CONCLUSION: Higher-risk patients should be admitted for pharmacologic stabilization and assessed by coronary angiography within 48h with the aim of early revascularization, provided the risk of periprocedural complications is not prohibitive. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors are indicated, particularly in patients requiring percutaneous coronary intervention. The conservative strategy remains appropriate for patients admitted to hospitals without invasive facilities. Patients not at highrisk may be observed in a facility with cardiac monitoring such as a chest pain unit and undergo subsequent stress testing. The adoption of such an early risk stratification and revascularization-based approach is likely to result in a reduction in recurrent myocardial infarction and ischaemia, duration of hospitalization, repeat hospitalization, and mortality.

Anticoagulants↗

Incidence and prognostic importance of acute renal failure after percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: In patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the modern era, the incidence and prognostic implications of acute renal failure (ARF) are unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: With a retrospective analysis of the Mayo Clinic PCI registry, we determined the incidence of, risk factors for, and prognostic implications of ARF (defined as an increase in serum creatinine [Cr] >0.5 mg/dL from baseline) after PCI. Of 7586 patients, 254 (3.3%) experienced ARF. Among patients with baseline Cr <2.0, the risk of ARF was higher among diabetic than nondiabetic patients, whereas among those with a baseline Cr >2.0, all had a significant risk of ARF. In multivariate analysis, ARF was associated with baseline serum Cr, acute myocardial infarction, shock, and volume of contrast medium administered. Twenty-two percent of patients with ARF died during the index hospitalization compared with only 1.4% of patients without ARF (P<0.0001). After adjustment, ARF remained strongly associated with death. Among hospital survivors with ARF, 1- and 5-year estimated mortality rates were 12.1% and 44.6%, respectively, much greater than the 3.7% and 14.5% mortality rates in patients without ARF (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of ARF after PCI is low. Diabetic patients with baseline Cr values <2.0 mg/dL are at higher risk than nondiabetic patients, whereas all patients with a serum Cr >2.0 are at high risk for ARF. ARF was highly correlated with death during the index hospitalization and after dismissal.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

Rheolytic thrombectomy with Angiojet in thrombus-containing lesions.

The AngioJet thrombectomy device removes thrombus by creating a negative pressure and causing fragmentation of the thrombus. The objective was to study the safety and efficacy of this thrombectomy device during coronary interventions and to report the results of our experience. We studied 72 patients (mean age, 64.9 +/- 12.6 years; 79% males) who had an AngioJet procedure during coronary intervention; 33 (46%) had vein graft intervention. All patients had angiographic thrombus. Most patients presented either with unstable angina (54%) or acute myocardial infarction (32%) within 24 hr. The procedural success was high with AngioJet (93%). TIMI grade 3 flow was achieved in 79% of lesions treated with AngioJet. In-hospital mortality was 1.4%, death/Q-wave myocardial infarction was 4.2%, and the composite endpoint of death and Q-wave myocardial infarction/revascularization was 5.6% for patients undergoing AngioJet. Subgroup analysis of patients with vein graft intervention demonstrated high procedural success in those undergoing AngioJet (91%). At 1-year follow-up of the successful percutaneous interventions with AngioJet, the mortality, death/Q-myocardial infarction, and composite endpoint rates were 10%, 13.3%, and 35.5%, respectively. Long-term event-free survival was worse in vein graft interventions. The incidence of death, death/myocardial infarction, or composite endpoints at 1 year was 16%, 19%, and 46%, respectively. High procedural success can be achieved with the AngioJet thrombectomy device in lesions containing thrombus. It is effective in both native coronary arteries and vein graft interventions. However, the long-term outcome of patients with vein graft intervention was worse.

Aged↗

Inhospital outcome of acute myocardial infarction in patients with prior coronary artery bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Our goals were to compare the characteristics of patients with and without prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) presenting with acute myocardial infarction (MI) with or without ST elevation/left bundle branch block (LBBB), and to evaluate the effect of ST shift on inhospital mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction-3 Registry, we identified 112,697 patients with acute MI without exclusion criteria. Of these, 15,936 (14.1%) had prior CABG. Patients with prior CABG had more adverse characteristics and were less likely to have ST elevation/LBBB than patients without prior CABG. The unadjusted mortality for ST elevation/LBBB patients was higher in patients with prior CABG versus without (16.2% vs 14.1%, P =.0001), whereas in patients without ST elevation/LBBB, prior CABG conferred a lower unadjusted mortality versus without (10.1% vs 12.4%, P =.0001). Adjusting for baseline differences, prior CABG was weakly associated with inhospital mortality in ST elevation/LBBB patients (odds ratio [OR], 1.11, 95% CI 1.00-1.23), but not in patients without ST elevation/LBBB (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.92-1.07). CONCLUSION: Acute MI patients with prior CABG are more likely to present without ST elevation/LBBB than patients without prior CABG. Prior CABG was weakly associated with inhospital mortality in patients with ST elevation/LBBB, but not in patients without these electrocardiographic findings. This suggests the differences in absolute mortality rates between patients presenting with MI with and without a history of prior CABG are largely caused by differences in baseline characteristics and presentation.

Acute Disease↗

Optimizing the use of abciximab and intracoronary stents in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease. Reperfusion therapy, either with thrombolytic agents or primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is the mainstay of therapy. Worldwide, systemic thrombolysis is the more commonly utilized reperfusion strategy, although an increasing number undergo primary PCI. PCI techniques and adjuvant therapies are evolving. Stents appear to be more useful than thrombolytic therapy or PTCA in acute AMI, especially in decreasing the need for subsequent target lesion revascularization. In patients with STEMI, administration of abciximab with stent placement decreased the primary endpoint [composite of major adverse cardiac events (death, reinfarction, urgent TVR)] by over 50% at 30 days in the Abciximab before Direct angioplasty and stenting in acute Myocardial Infarction Regarding Acute and Long-term follow-up (ADMIRAL) trial, and the benefit appeared to be maintained at 6 months. Despite these promising results, administration of abciximab with a stent did not afford greater benefit over stent alone in the Controlled Abciximab and Device Investigation to Lower Late Angioplasty Complications (CADILLAC) trial. The apparent lack of benefit with abciximab in the CADILLAC trial may be explained by the fact that this trial was not powered to detect differences in mortality and enrolled patients were selected after angiography, and were thus at lower risk. The adjuvant therapies of intracoronary stents and abciximab are becoming the standard of care, based on multiple studies. Stent placement during STEMI decreases the risk of restenosis and TVR. Treatment with abciximab may reduce the risk of acute adverse events in the short term.

Abciximab↗