Clinical Predictors for Failure of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in ST‐elevation Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: Failed percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with adverse outcome. With recent improvements in PCI techniques, the incidence and predictors for failed primary PCI are unclear. METHODS: A clinical database of consecutive patients who underwent primary or rescue PCI from 1993 to 2011 was used to compare patients with successful versus failed PCI. Clinical follow-up was obtained in-hospital, at 30 days and at 1 year. RESULTS: Of 2900 patients fulfilling our inclusion criteria, 111 (3.98%) had failed PCI. Patients who had failed PCI were older (65 vs. 61 years), were more likely to be women (46% vs. 32%), were more likely to have previous peripheral vascular disease (19% vs. 11%), previous PCI (29% vs. 20%), and were more likely to present with cardiogenic shock (25% vs. 11%) (all P < 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified female gender (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.01-2.38), cardiogenic shock (2.07; 1.22-3.49), previous PCI (1.71; 1.08-2.70), and type C lesion (2.47; 1.60-3.82) as independent predictors of PCI failure. The in-hospital (18% vs. 4%) and long-term mortality (48% vs. 14%) were worse in the failed PCI group compared to the successful group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In patients with STEMI, primary PCI failure is uncommon. It is associated with worse short- and long-term clinical outcome compared with a successful procedure. Special care should be taken when PCI is performed in women at higher risk for failure when presenting with STEMI.