Clinical and procedural predictors of suboptimal myocardial reperfusion in primary percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal myocardial perfusion in primary PCI is associated with increased infarct size, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and higher mortality rates as compared as those with optimal myocardial perfusion. We identified clinical and procedural predictors of suboptimal myocardial reperfusion as judged by myocardial plush grade (MBG) in primary PCI. METHODS AND RESULTS: 100 patients with acute STEMI who underwent primary PCI were prospectively subjected to clinical, ECG, laboratory and angiographic evaluation. Patients were classified into: Optimal myocardial reperfusion group: (n=73) who had final MBG=3. Suboptimal myocardial reperfusion group: (n=27) who had persistent final MBG ≤ 2. Suboptimal myocardial reperfusion group had statistically significant little history of angina prior to MI 5 (18.5%) vs 44 (60.3%), little current aspirin intake 6(22%) vs 38 (52% ), increased blood sugar on admission (240 ± 101 mg/dl vs 171 ± 72 mg/dl), increased total leucocytic count on admission (12.1 ± 3.6 vs 10.2 ± 3.3) 103/mm3, longer reperfusion time (6.1 ± 2.8 vs 4.3 ± 2.1 h ), higher thrombus burden 12 (44.4 % ) vs 13 (17.8 %), higher predilatation pressure (16 ± 2.3 vs 14 ± 1.8 ATM), repeated balloon inflation during predilatation 24 (92.3 % ) vs 46 (69.7%) as compared optimal myocardial reperfusion group, (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Longer reperfusion time, repeated balloon inflations, high predilatation pressure> 15 ATM , high thrombus burden, neither history of angina nor aspirin intake prior to AMI, high total leucocytic count > 10103/mm3 and high blood glucose level > 160mg/dl were predictors for persistent suboptimal myocardial reperfusion in primary PCI.