Characteristics and outcomes of percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection. A study from the administrative minimum data set of the Spanish National Health System

BACKGROUND: Coronary revascularization in patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is challenging. Indications and results of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in SCAD patients are not well established. AIM: To assess indications and results of PCI in SCAD. METHODS: The minimum basic data set of the Spanish National Health System (years 2016−2019) was used to identify 804 episodes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and SCAD, with a crude in-hospital mortality rate of 3%. Of these, 368 (46.8%) patients were revascularized with PCI during admission whereas 436 (54.2%) were managed conservatively. RESULTS: Revascularization and in-hospital mortality rates both declined over the study period (p for trend both < 0.05). SCAD patients treated with PCI were older, more frequently male, and had higher frequency of diabetes, ST-segment elevation AMI and cardiogenic shock, compared to patients managed conservatively. The crude in-hospital mortality rate was higher in patients treated with PCI (4.9% vs. 1.4%; p = 0.004). However, after adjusting by propensity score (223 pairs) the in-hospital mortality rate was similar in the two groups (Adj OR: 1.21; 95%CI: 0.30−1.57; p = 0.76). Readmissions at 30-days were higher in patients managed conservatively (7.1 vs. 1.6%, p < 0.001) and this difference was maintained after propensity score adjustment (Adj average treatment effect: 2% vs. 12.2%; OR: 0.15; 95%CI: 0.04−0.45; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Revascularization is frequently used in unselected patients with AMI and SCAD but its use is declining. Patients with SCAD treated with PCI have a higher in-hospital mortality but this appears to be explained by their adverse baseline clinical characteristics.