Kardiol Pol. 2022 Jun 20. doi: 10.33963/KP.a2022.0150. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The left circumflex (Cx) artery is the most challenging of coronary branches in terms of diagnostics because the clinical presentation and electrocardiography (ECG) results do not always suggest critical occlusion despite its presence. Therefore, it is important to determine the factors contributing to the clinical manifestation and outcome, such as culprit location.
AIMS: To determine the relation between the location of the culprit plaque and clinical outcomes in the LCx artery.
METHODS: Data from the Polish Registry of Invasive Cardiology Procedures (ORPKI) concerning percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures have been extracted and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests.
RESULTS: Patients with proximal occlusion received a worse grade using the Killip score. Patients with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) score 0 presented worse clinical presentation in each of the occlusion locations. Periprocedural cardiac arrest and death rate was the highest among patients with proximal Cx occlusion. Death rate among patients with proximal occlusion and non ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was greater than among patients with distal occlusion and ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with proximal occlusions of the Cx artery and TIMI 0 grade flow in initial angiogram, a STEMI-like approach should be undertaken apart from initial ECG findings. This is driven by a higher rate of critical and fatal complications such as cardiac arrest and periprocedural death. Fatal complications occur more often in patients with proximal occlusion of Cx than in medial or distal occlusion. Grade IV according to the Killip score can suggest proximal culprit location.
PMID:35724333 | DOI:10.33963/KP.a2022.0150
