Cardiogenic shock in myocardial infarction-results of in-hospital follow-up

The purpose of this study was to present the outcomes of treatment of cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among patients hospitalized from 1999 through 2006. The study enrolled 1003 patients. Group 1 comprised 87 patients presenting with AMI complicated with CS, whereas Group 2 comprised 916 patients presenting with AMI without CS symptoms. Determination of invasive treatment was according to standard guidelines. The endpoint comprised death, stroke, and reocclusion/reinfarction. Follow-up was confined to the intra-hospital period. CS was observed more frequently in cases of ST-elevation MI (STEMI) and right ventricular MI. The transportation and door-to-needle time were shorter in Group 1. CS patients were characterized by a more severe coronary artery disease, higher maximal creatinine kinase levels, lower global ejection fractions, and increased incidence of atrioventricular conduction disorders. The efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was 82.26% in Group 1 and 95.03% in Group 2. Death occurred in 33.3% of CS patients and in 3.6% of AMI patients (p<0.0001). Our study proved that in a short-term follow-up, PCI is a procedure of high efficacy in CS patients. The short-term follow-up precluded a conclusion of statistically significant benefits from the shortening of the transportation and door-to-needle time.