Primary angioplasty reduces the risk of left ventricular free wall rupture compared with thrombolysis in patients with acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of primary angioplasty (PA) over the risk of free wall rupture (FWR) in reperfused acute myocardial infarction (AMI). BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that PA reduces the risk of FWR compared with thrombolysis. However, few studies have evaluated this issue, and there are no data demonstrating this hypothesis. METHODS: A total of 1,375 patients with AMI treated with PA (n = 762, 55.4%) or thrombolysis (n = 613, 44.6%) within 12 h after symptoms onset were included. The diagnosis of FWR was made either in the presence of sudden death due to electromechanical dissociation with large pericardial effusion on an echocardiogram or when demonstrated post mortem or at surgery. A multivariable analysis was performed including type of reperfusion strategy. RESULTS: The overall incidence of FWR was 2.5% (n = 34): 1.8% and 3.3% in patients treated with PA and with thrombolysis, respectively (p = 0.686). The following characteristics were associated with a higher rate of FWR in the univariable analysis: age >70 (5.2% vs. 1.2%, p 2 h after symptoms onset (3.6% vs. 1.7%, p = 0.043). In the multivariable analysis, age >70 (odds ratio OR: 4.12, 95% confidence interval CI: 2.04 to 8.62, p < 0.001) and anterior location (OR: 2.91, 95% CI: 1.36 to 6.63, p = 0.008) were independent risk factors of FWR, whereas treatment with PA was an independent protective factor (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.96, p = 0.0371). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AMI, PA reduces the risk of FWR in comparison with thrombolysis.