Catheter-based Coronary Intervention Research Articles

Coronary Events Following Dobutamine Stress Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pediatric Patients.

Dobutamine stress cardiac magnetic resonance (dsCMR) has demonstrated value in identifying patients at risk for adverse cardiovascular events in adults with coronary artery disease, but its prognostic value in younger patients is unknown. This study sought to evaluate the relationship between dsCMR results and the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events in children. Patients age < 23years who underwent dsCMR at Boston Children's Hospital were eligible for inclusion. Patients were excluded if no follow-up data were available after dsCMR or the dsCMR protocol was not completed. Data regarding the presence of inducible regional wall motion abnormalities and subsequent cardiovascular events during follow-up were analyzed. Cardiovascular events included myocardial infarction, surgical or catheter-based coronary artery intervention, and ischemic symptoms. Among 80 dsCMR studies in 64 patients with median age 5.3years (range 0.5-22.4years), 3 patients had a positive dsCMR with inducible regional wall motion abnormalities. Over a median follow-up of 7.4years (IQR 4.0-11.2), 2 of these patients underwent surgical intervention (coronary artery bypass grafting and unroofing of a myocardial bridge) and the third remained asymptomatic with no interventions. Among 61 patients with a negative dsCMR, none experienced myocardial infarction, death, or aborted sudden death. Four underwent cardiac interventions (cardiac transplantation, coronary artery bypass grafting, and unroofing) due to symptoms or catheterization findings. In pediatric patients undergoing dsCMR, wall motion abnormalities indicating inducible ischemia were uncommon. Those with a negative dsCMR were unlikely to experience an adverse cardiac event or undergo a cardiac intervention on medium-term follow-up.

Hybrid coronary revascularization: position paper of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Cardiovascular Surgery and European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions.

Myocardial revascularization in coronary artery disease via percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery effectively relieves symptoms, significantly improves prognosis and quality of life when combined with guideline-directed medical therapy. Hybrid coronary revascularization is a promising alternative to percutaneous coronary intervention or CABG in selected patients and is defined as a planned and/or intended combination of consecutive CABG surgery using at least 1 internal mammary artery to the left anterior descending (LAD), and catheter-based coronary intervention to the non-LAD vessels for the treatment of multivessel disease. The main indications for hybrid coronary revascularization are (i) to achieve complete revascularization in patients who cannot undergo conventional CABG, (ii) to treat patients with acute coronary syndromes and multivessel disease with a non-LAD vessel as the culprit lesion that needs revascularization and (iii) in highly select patients with multivessel disease with complex LAD lesions and simple percutaneous coronary intervention targets for all other vessels. Hybrid coronary revascularization patients receive a left internal mammary artery graft to the LAD artery through a minimal incision along with percutaneous coronary intervention to the remaining diseased coronary vessels using latest generation drug-eluting stents. A collaborative environment with a dedicated heart team is the optimal platform to perform such interventions, which aim to improve the quality and outcome of myocardial revascularization. This position paper analyses the rationale of hybrid coronary revascularization and the currently available evidence on the various techniques and delves into the sequence of the interventions and pharmacological management during and after the procedure.

Is Coronary Brachytherapy Staging a Comeback for the Treatment of In-Stent Restenosis?

The catheter-based coronary intervention has become a well-established therapeutic modality for obstructive coronary artery disease. However, in-stent restenosis remains a significant limitation of coronary intervention despite the use of newer devices. Intravascular brachytherapy was introduced to treat recurrent in-stent restenosis but only modestly adopted. This review will discuss the mechanism of intracoronary brachytherapy, available clinical evidence of brachytherapy in recurrent in-stent restenosis treatment, and the future of coronary brachytherapy in coronary intervention. Drug-eluting stents have an inherent limitation as they leave a permanent metal layer inside an artery when deployed. Recently, drug-coated balloon technology has emerged to treat coronary artery disease as a combination of balloon angioplasty and local drug delivery without leaving a metal layer behind. Recent European guidelines recommended using drug-coated balloons when treating in-stent restenosis treatment, while the US guidelines have not yet addressed the use of drug-coated balloons in such cases. Coronary brachytherapy is a valuable addition to treat these challenging diseases despite several logistic issues. If there are newer technologies with easier setup, such as drug-coated balloons, coronary brachytherapy resurgence is improbable in the contemporary era, although it may not become obsolete.

SWEDEHEART Annual Report 2012

The Swedish Web-system for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-based care in Heart disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies (SWEDEHEART) supports continuous monitoring and improvement of care for coronary artery disease, catheter-based and surgical coronary interventions, secondary prevention as well as catheter based and surgical valve intervention, by providing extensive data on base-line, diagnostic, procedural and outcome variables.Design. This national quality registry collects information from all Swedish hospitals treating patients with acute coronary artery disease and all patients undergoing coronary angiography, catheter-based interventions or heart surgery. Combination with other national mandatory official registries enables complete follow-up of all individuals regarding myocardial infarction, new interventional procedures, death and all-cause hospitalizations. The registry is governed by an independent steering committee and funded by the Swedish National Health care provider. The software is developed by Uppsala Clinical Research Center.Results. The SWEDEHEART Quality Index reflects overall quality of care for coronary artery disease including secondary prevention. In comparison with 2011, an improvement of the index occurred in 2012 overall. There was however, still a wide range in performance between individual centers, emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring of quality of care at a national as well as on a center level.

The need for stent–lesion matching to optimize outcomes of intracoronary stent implantation

Intracoronary stents have markedly improved the outcomes of catheter-based coronary interventions. Intracoronary stent implantation rates of over 90% during coronary angioplasty are common. Stent implantations are associated with a small but statistically significant number of adverse outcomes including restenosis, thrombosis, strut malapposition, incomplete strut endothelialization, and various types of stenting failure. Better matching of biomechanical properties of stents and lesions could further improve the clinical outcome of intracoronary stenting. Thus, in this article, we assess the need for advanced intracoronary stent-lesion matching. We reviewed the data on biomechanics of coronary stents and lesions to develop knowledge-based rationale for optimum intracoronary stent selection. The available technical information on marketed intracoronary stents and the current understanding of the biomechanical properties of coronary lesions at rest and under stress are limited, preventing the development of knowledge-based rationale for optimum intracoronary stent selection at present. Development of knowledge-based selection of intracoronary stents requires standardization of mechanical stent testing, communication of the nonproprietary technical data on stents by the industry and dedicated research into procedural stent-lesion interactions.

Evaluating the use of robotically assisted percutaneous coronary intervention: a matter of being precise

Since the advent of catheter-based coronary intervention three decades ago, steady technological progress has led to the development and refinement of intracoronary devices [1]. Despite technological advances, the fundamental workflow of coronary procedures remains unchanged. Interventionalists still wear heavy protective lead aprons, stand at the bedside for long hours and manually manipulate catheters and intra vascular devices under direct fluoroscopic guidance. As the field has matured, greater attention has been paid to the long-term occupational hazards of this antiquated interventional approach [2]. A striking prevalence of orthopedic injuries and spinal disc disease has been reported following hours of standing under heavy lead aprons [3,4]. Although radiation badges worn by inter ventional personnel can help track and limit exposure, any radiation exposure may be harmful, and risks of solid or hematologic malignancy continue to be a significant concern [5,6]. A high prevalence of posterior lens radiation injuries leads to earlier cataracts among interventionalists and provides additional incentive to minimize ionizing radiation exposure [7]. Given the clear risks of modern practice, remotecontrol robotic catheter-based systems were first proposed to mitigate occupational hazards in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). Beyar et al. developed the first-generation ‘Remote Navigation System’ for PCI (Remote Navigation System, NaviCath, Haifa, Israel), consisting of a joystick controlled operator module and motorized drive to advance and retrieve intravascular devices mounted on the procedure table. A small clinical pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and safety of this robotic system for single-vessel PCI [8,9]. Following this early study, the Robotic Navigation System was redesigned as the CorPath System (Corindus Vascular Robotics, MA, USA).

Hybrid coronary revascularization – techniques and outcome

BACKGROUND: Hybrid coronary revascularization combines minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and catheter-based coronary intervention for the treatment of multivessel coronary artery disease. This concept represents an alternative to open multivessel bypass surgery through sternotomy and to multivessel percutaneous intervention (PCI). The former is highly invasive but very effective in the long term; the latter is less invasive but results in more repeat revascularization procedures. METHODS: The surgical part of hybrid coronary intervention can be performed through thoracic mini-incisions and in completely endoscopic fashion. Robotic technology such as the daVinci ® surgical telemanipulation system is increasingly used. Percutaneous interventions in hybrid procedures include implantation of bare metal stents and drug eluting stents. RESULTS: After 15 years of development, the literature reports mortality rates in the one percent range which may be lower than in open bypass surgery. Several studies demonstrate significantly earlier recovery and return to normal activities after hybrid intervention than after heart bypass surgery through sternotomy. Long-term follow-up studies show similar survival compared to survival after multivessel CABG and multivessel PCI. The rate of reinterventions and major adverse events, however, may be lower than after multivessel PCI, and closer to rates after open CABG. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid revascularization represents a promising concept for treatment of coronary multivessel disease.

SHA 11. Pulmonary hypertension before transcatheter aortic valve implantation is reversible and lacks prognostic significance

Objectives: The TRA approach is commonly performed worldwide for both diagnostic cardiac catheterization and catheter-based coronary intervention. However, to our knowledge, the safety and feasibility of left and right VA angiographic study and stenting, in the same procedure, using the TRA approach for patients with brain ischemia have not been reported. Methods: The study included 24 consecutive patients (22 male, two female; age, 63–78 years). Indications for VA angiographic study and stenting were (1) prior stroke or symptoms related to vertebrobasilar ischemia and (2) an asymptomatic but vertebral angiographic finding of severe stenosis (>70%). A combination of the ipsilateral and retrograde-engagement technique, which involved a looping 6-F Kimny guiding catheter, was utilized for VA angiographic study. For VA stenting, an ipsilateral TRA approach with either a Kimny guiding catheter or a left internal mammary artery guiding catheter was utilized in 22 patients and retrograde-engagement technique in two patients. Results: A technically successful procedure was achieved in all patients, including left VA stenting in 15 patients and right VA stenting in nine patients. The mean time for stenting (from engagement to stent deployment) was 12.7 min. There were no vascular complications or mortality. However, one patient suffered from a transient ischemic attack that resolved within 3 h. Conclusion: We conclude that TRA access for both VA angiographic study and VA stenting is safe and effective, and provides a simple and useful clinical tool for patients unsuited for femoral arterial access.

S6-2 BOTH SIDES CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY AND INTERVENTION USING A SINGLE TRANSRADIAL GUIDING CATHETER

Objectives: The TRA approach is commonly performed worldwide for both diagnostic cardiac catheterization and catheter-based coronary intervention. However, to our knowledge, the safety and feasibility of left and right VA angiographic study and stenting, in the same procedure, using the TRA approach for patients with brain ischemia have not been reported. Methods: The study included 24 consecutive patients (22 male, two female; age, 63–78 years). Indications for VA angiographic study and stenting were (1) prior stroke or symptoms related to vertebrobasilar ischemia and (2) an asymptomatic but vertebral angiographic finding of severe stenosis (>70%). A combination of the ipsilateral and retrograde-engagement technique, which involved a looping 6-F Kimny guiding catheter, was utilized for VA angiographic study. For VA stenting, an ipsilateral TRA approach with either a Kimny guiding catheter or a left internal mammary artery guiding catheter was utilized in 22 patients and retrograde-engagement technique in two patients. Results: A technically successful procedure was achieved in all patients, including left VA stenting in 15 patients and right VA stenting in nine patients. The mean time for stenting (from engagement to stent deployment) was 12.7 min. There were no vascular complications or mortality. However, one patient suffered from a transient ischemic attack that resolved within 3 h. Conclusion: We conclude that TRA access for both VA angiographic study and VA stenting is safe and effective, and provides a simple and useful clinical tool for patients unsuited for femoral arterial access.

Feasibility and Safety of Transradial Arterial Approach for Simultaneous Right and Left Vertebral Artery Angiographic Studies and Stenting

This study investigated whether the transradial artery (TRA) approach using a 6-French (F) Kimny guiding catheter for right vertebral artery (VA) angiographic study and stenting is safe and effective for patients with significant VA stenosis. The TRA approach is commonly performed worldwide for both diagnostic cardiac catheterization and catheter-based coronary intervention. However, to our knowledge, the safety and feasibility of left and right VA angiographic study and stenting, in the same procedure, using the TRA approach for patients with brain ischemia have not been reported. The study included 24 consecutive patients (22 male,2 female; age, 63-78 years). Indications for VA angiographic study and stenting were (1) prior stroke or symptoms related to vertebrobasilar ischemia and (2) an asymptomatic but vertebral angiographic finding of severe stenosis (>70%). A combination of the ipsilateral and retrograde-engagement technique, which involved a looping 6-F Kimny guiding catheter, was utilized for VA angiographic study. For VA stenting, an ipsilateral TRA approach with either a Kimny guiding catheter or a left internal mammary artery guiding catheter was utilized in 22 patients and retrograde-engagement technique in 2 patients. A technically successful procedure was achieved in all patients, including left VA stenting in 15 patients and right VA stenting in 9 patients. The mean time for stenting (from engagement to stent deployment) was 12.7 min. There were no vascular complications or mortality. However, one patient suffered from a transient ischemic attack that resolved within 3 h. We conclude that TRA access for both VA angiographic study and VA stenting is safe and effective, and provides a simple and useful clinical tool for patients unsuited for femoral arterial access.

Stent‐assisted detachable coil embolization of pseudoaneurysms in the coronary circulation

Pseudoaneurysms in the coronary circulation are an uncommon occurrence that can develop spontaneously in the setting of atherosclerosis or can develop after catheter-based coronary interventions. The natural history, clinical outcome, and optimal therapy for pseudoaneurysms in the coronary circulation are not clearly established. Recent advances in the techniques and technologies used for endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms may be applicable to the management of coronary aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms. We present a case of spontaneous coronary pseudoaneurysm formation after paclitaxel drug-eluting stent implantation and a case of pseudoaneurysm formation in a saphenous vein graft that were both successfully treated with stent-assisted detachable coil embolization.

Feasibility and safety of transradial artery approach for selective cerebral angiography

The transradial artery (TRA) approach is a conventional means of diagnostic cardiac catheterization and catheter-based coronary intervention. However, to our knowledge, the safety and feasibility of cerebrovascular angiographic studies using the TRA approach for patients with brain ischemia has not been reported. This study investigated whether the TRA approach using 6 Fr Kimny guiding catheter for both extracranial and intracranial angiographies is safe and effective for patients with a history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, or significant carotid stenosis. From February 2003 to June 2004, a total of 46 consecutive patients with an age range from 50 to 83 years were enrolled into the study. The retrograde engagement technique that involved lopping the guiding catheter was utilized. Outpatient carotid angiography was performed in 40% of the study patients. The overall procedural success (defined as completely evaluating both carotid and vertebral arteries and intracranial vessels) was 93.5% (n = 43) using the Kimny guiding catheter. Significant cerebrovascular stenosis (> 50%), including carotid artery in 52.2% (n = 24), vertebral artery in 15.2% (n = 7), and intracranial major artery in 15.2% (n = 7), was found in 82.6% of the patients. Notably, 17 (37.0%) of these patients with severe carotid stenosis (> or = 70%) required staged carotid stenting. Concomitant vertebral artery stenting was performed in four (8.7%) patients because of severe stenosis (> or = 70%) of these vessels. Two patients experienced transient dizziness (duration < 30 min) following the procedure. TRA approach for selective cerebral angiography is safe and feasible in patients with a history of brain ischemia.

Treatment of Double Vessel Coronary Artery Disease by Totally Endoscopic Bypass Surgery and Drug-Eluting Stent Placement in One Simultaneous Hybrid Session

Hybrid coronary artery revascularization is a combination of minimally invasive coronary artery surgery and catheter-based coronary intervention. Hybrid procedures enable adequate revascularization of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease without complete opening of the chest and with the advantage of the most durable option, a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft is placed to the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. The hybrid concept is gaining renewed interest because totally endoscopic LIMA to LAD placement has become feasible and because drug-eluting stents in non-LAD targets may be competitive even for arterial bypass grafts. Simultaneous hybrid procedures would be desirable. We report on a case in which robotic totally endoscopic LIMA to LAD grafting using the da Vinci telemanipulation system was combined with placement of a rapamycin coated stent to the right coronary artery in one single procedure.

Modulating thrombotic potential in catheter-based percutaneous coronary and peripheral vascular interventions.

Thrombosis is an obligatory consequence of all percutaneous vascular interventions. Balloon angioplasty, intravascular stents and other devices routinely used to facilitate dilatation of critical vascular stenoses result in fracture of the intima and exposure of the thrombogenic subendothelium with initiation and perpetuation of platelet activation and aggregation. This not uncommonly results in thrombus formation that may lead to abrupt vessel closure, distal ischemia and tissue infarction, and target organ dysfunction. Fortunately, advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie vascular thrombosis have led to advances in the use of adjunctive pharmacological agents that modulate this pathophysiological response and have led to important reductions in the incidence and severity of thrombotic complications of percutaneous transluminal interventions.

Atherectomy plus stenting: what do we gain?

Coronary stents have improved the short and long-term outcomes of selected patients undergoing catheter-based coronary interventions. However, the use of these devices in complex coronary lesions has also created an incessant form of in-stent restenosis that still defies treatment. Plaque burden has been recognized as an important factor that may incite neo-intimal proliferation after stent implantation. Prospective non-randomized experience has shown that plaque removal prior to stent implantation using directional atherectomy is a promising approach to reduce restenosis in selected patients. However, the proof of concept awaits the results of the randomized trials. Ultimately, the clinical utility of this approach will depend upon: (1) further improvements on the current directional atherectomy device; (2) minimizing the incidence of non-Q-wave myocardial infarction with selective use of IIb-IIIa platelet receptor antagonists or distal protection devices; (3) targeting patients at high risk for restenosis in whom efficient debulking is feasible such as non-calcified lesions in vessels >2.75 mm and <3.5 mm in diameter that require long stents, aorto-ostial lesions, bifurcational lesions, and chronic total occlusions.

Emergence of a new direction in our specialty: catheter-assisted cardiac surgery

Emergence of a new direction in our specialty: catheter-assisted cardiac surgery

Current perspectives on interventional treatment strategies in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease

Diabetes mellitus has a negative impact on mortality and morbidity following catheter-based coronary procedures as well as coronary artery bypass surgery. Increased restenosis remains the main limitation of catheter-based coronary intervention among diabetes mellitus in addition to accelerated atherosclerosis lesion progression in other untreated coronary sites. Determinants such as excess restenosis, high atherosclerosis burden, lesion complexity, small target vessel size, and accelerated coronary atherosclerosis in remote sites may favor the surgical strategy in most cases of diabetic multivessel disease. The importance of periprocedural adjunctive pharmacotherapy, specifically with the use of antiplatelet and long-term antilipidemic treatment, was shown to improve outcomes in diabetics undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. The purpose of the review is to examine potential mechanisms causing more restenosis in diabetics, the clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes after coronary interventions including stenting, the treatment alternatives of diabetic patients with diffuse coronary artery disease, including coronary bypass surgery, and current understanding of the benefit of adjunctive pharmacology on clinical outcomes after coronary interventions among diabetics.

Prognostic value of cardiac troponin-I levels following catheter-based coronary interventions

This study has examined the prognostic significance of troponin-I (Tn-I) levels after catheter-based coronary interventions in coronary arteries and saphenous vein grafts lesions. Tn-I and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) fraction levels were measured at 6 and 18 to 24 hours after catheter-based coronary intervention in 1,129 consecutive patients with normal preintervention plasma levels of Tn-I, and CK-MB levels below the cutoff for myocardial infarction. Patients were stratified according to maximal postangioplasty Tn-I levels. Group I (n = 784) had no elevated Tn-I (<0.15 ng/ml), group II (n = 170) had Tn-I at 0.15 to 0.45 ng/ml, and group III (n = 175) had Tn-I elevation >0.45 ng/ml. Major in-hospital complications (death, Q-wave infarction, and emergent coronary bypass grafting) and out-of-hospital intermediate-term (8 months) outcomes were compared between the 3 groups. Tn-I elevation >0.45 ng/ml was associated with increased risk of mortality (group III, 1.6%; group II, 0.6%; and group I, 0.1%; p = 0.019) and major in-hospital complications (3.2%, 1.7%, and 0.5%; p = 0.004). There was no difference in death (1.8%, 3.2%, and 2.4%; p = 0.74), Q-wave infarction (0.6%, 0%, and 0.3%; p = 0.66), or target lesion revascularization (10.1%, 9.0%, and 9.3%; p = 0.86) between the 3 groups at follow-up. Cardiac event-free survival was similar between groups (p = 0.3). By multivariate analysis, Tn-I >0.45 ng/ml was an independent predictor for major in-hospital complications (odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 3.9, p = 0.01). The degree of risk was also associated with the conjoint elevation of Tn-I and CK-MB levels (odds ratio 1.1, 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.2, p = 0.01). We conclude that Tn-I levels >3 times the normal limit and conjoint elevation of Tn-I and CK-MB levels after coronary angioplasty are associated with increased risk of major in-hospital complications, but have no incremental risk of adverse intermediate-term (8 months) clinical outcomes.

Prognostic value of recurrent episodes of creatine kinase-MB elevation following repeated catheter-based coronary interventions

Creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) enzyme elevations were shown to affect cardiac prognosis following percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). This study examined whether recurrent episodes of CK-MB elevation following repeated PCIs may be associated with a cumulative adverse prognostic risk. We studied 767 consecutive patients (age, 64 +/- 11 years; 69% male) who underwent two consecutive PCI procedures on two separate hospitalizations (mean interval, 121 +/- 110 days). Patients were stratified into four groups according to number of episodes of any (> 4 ng/ml) postinterventional CK-MB rise (no elevation, previously elevated, currently elevated, or elevated at the time of both procedures; n = 403, 107, 153, and 104 patients, respectively). In-hospital clinical outcomes (death, Q-MI, and repeat revascularization) and up to 1-year follow-up events were obtained. Recurrent episodes of CK-MB elevation were associated with increased in-hospital mortality (3.8% vs. 0.9% vs. 0% vs. 0%, P = 0.0003), increased cumulative mortality (18.9% vs. 5.9% vs. 4.3% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.0003) and cumulative Q wave MI (8.0% vs. 4.9% vs. 1.0% vs. 0.8%, P = 0.005) at 1 year, and lower overall cardiac event-free survival at follow-up (66.8% vs. 80.5% vs. 88.8% vs. 88.8%, P = 0.0001 for patients with twice, current, previous, and no CK-MB elevation, respectively). By multivariate analysis, CK-MB elevated at the time of both procedures, was the strongest independent predictor for cumulative mortality (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.6-7.1, P = 0.001) or any adverse cardiac events (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6-4.3, P = 0.0002). We conclude that cumulative episodes of periprocedural CK-MB elevation are associated with an incremental adverse prognostic risk including mortality and Q-wave MI. Thus, measures aimed at reducing subsequent CK-MB rise may be warranted in particular among patients with a prior history of PCI related CK-MB elevation.

Cardiac troponin I levels and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes: The potential role of early percutaneous revascularization

OBJECTIVESTo establish the role of early catheter-based coronary intervention among patients sustaining acute coronary syndromes (ACS) stratified according to admission plasma troponin I (Tn-I) levels.BACKGROUNDThe impact of early revascularization strategy on the clinical outcomes in patients with ACS stratified by plasma Tn-I levels has not been established.METHODSIn-hospital complications and long-term outcomes were assessed in 1,321 consecutive patients with non-ST elevation ACS undergoing early (within 72 h) catheter-based coronary interventions. Patients were grouped according to admission Tn-I levels. Group I (n = 1,099) had no elevated plasma Tn-I (<0.15 ng/ml), Group II (n = 95) had Tn-I level between 0.15 to 0.45 ng/ml and Group III (n = 127) had Tn-I > 0.45 ng/ml. In-hospital composite cardiac events (death, Q-wave MI, urgent in-hospital revascularization) and 8 months clinical outcomes (death, MI, repeat revascularization or any cardiac event) were compared between the three groups.RESULTSThe rate of in-hospital composite cardiac events was 6.1% among patients with Tn-I > 0.45 ng/ml, 1.0% in patients with Tn-I between 0.15–0.45 ng/ml and 3.1% in patients without elevated admission Tn-I (p = 0.09 between groups). There was no difference in hospital mortality (p = 0.25). At eight months of follow-up, there was no difference in out-of-hospital death (3.5%, 3.8% and 1.8%, p = 0.17, respectively), MI (2.6%, 3.8% and 2.9%, p = 0.94) or target lesion revascularization (9.0%, 8.3% and 11.5%, p = 0.47), and cardiac event-free survival was also similar between groups (p = 0.66). By multivariate analysis, Tn-I > 0.45 ng/ml was independently associated with in-hospital composite cardiac events [odds ratio (OR) = 2.4, p = 0.04] but not with out-of-hospital clinical events up to eight months.CONCLUSIONSIn patients with ACS, early (within 72 h) catheter-based coronary intervention may attenuate the adverse prognostic impact of admission Tn-I elevation during eight months of follow-up despite a trend towards increased in-hospital composite cardiac events.