Clinical outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions later than 48 hours after symptom onset.

BACKGROUND

Routine revascularisation in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presenting >48 hours after symptom onset is not recommended.

METHODS

We compared outcomes of STEMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) according to total ischemic time. Patients included in the Bern-PCI registry and the Multicenter Special Program University Medicine ACS (SPUM-ACS) between 2009-2019 were analysed. Based on symptom-to-balloon-time, patients were categorised as early (<12 h), late (12-48 h) or very late presenters (>48 h). Co-primary endpoints were all-cause mortality and target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction and target-lesion revascularisation at one year.

RESULTS

Of 6,589 STEMI patients undergoing PCI, 73.9% were early, 17.2% late and 8.9% very late presenters. Mean age was 63.4 years, 22% were female. At one year, all-cause mortality occurred more frequently in late vs. early (5.8% vs. 4.4%, HR 1.34,95%CI 1.01-1.78, p = 0.04) and very late (6.8%) vs. early presenters (HR 1.59, 95%CI 1.12-2.25, p < 0.01). There was no excess in mortality comparing very late and late presenters (HR 1.18,95%CI 0.79-1.77, p = 0.42). TLF was more frequent in late vs. early (8.3% vs. 6.5%, HR 1.29,95%CI 1.02-1.63, p = 0.04) and very late (9.4%) vs. early presenters (HR 1.47,95%CI 1.09-1.97, p = 0.01), and similar between very late and late presenters (HR 1.14,95%CI 0.81-1.60, p = 0.46). Following adjustment, heart failure, impaired renal function and previous gastrointestinal bleeding, but not treatment delay were main drivers of outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

PCI >12 h after symptom onset was associated with less favourable outcomes, but very late vs. late presenters did not have an excess in events. While benefits seem uncertain, (very) late PCI appeared safe.