Effect of successful late reperfusion by primary coronary angioplasty on mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction

It has been suggested that early treatment decreases, but late treatment increases, the risk of mechanical complications for a thrombolytic strategy. However, few studies have evaluated whether late reperfusion by primary coronary angioplasty decreases the risk of mechanical complications. A total of 2,209 patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with primary coronary angioplasty within 24 hr after the onset of symptoms were divided into three groups: early reperfusion (ER; <- 12 hr, n = 1,647), late reperfusion (LR; > 12 hr, n = 219), and failed reperfusion (RF; n = 343). We evaluated the incidence, risk ratio, and predictors of mechanical complication. The overall incidence of mechanical complications was 2.0%. The incidence of mechanical complications was highest in the FR group (ER 1.4%, LR 1.8%, FR 5.0%, p <0.01). After adjusting for clinical variables, the risk ratio for mechanical complications increased in the FR group compared with LR group [risk ratio 7.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02 - 52.80, p = 0.04]. Predictors of an increased risk of mechanical complications by multivariate analysis were age >- 70 years (odds ratio 3.68, 95% CI 1.56-8.64, p < 0.01), Killip class >- II (odds ratio 3.73, 95% CI 1.52-9.12, p >- 0.01), absence of collateral vessels (odds ratio 4.09, 95% CI 1.17-14.26, p = 0.03), and FR (odds ratio 2.68, 95% CI 1.01-6.61, p = 0.03). In conclusion, successful late reperfusion by primary coronary angioplasty is associated with the reduced risk of mechanical complications in patients with acute myocardial infarction.