Background: The analysis of ST-segment resolution is a well established and easy method to assess myocardial perfusion after reperfusion therapy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of the current study was to identify an easy and practical instrument for patients' prognostic stratification after angioplasty for STEMI by the use of only postprocedural ST-segment analysis.
Methods: Our population is represented by a total of 1286 patients treated with primary angioplasty for STEMI. Residual ST-segment elevation and deviation were analyzed at 3 hours after revascularization. One-year follow-up data were collected prospectively in all patients.
Results: Patients with impaired ST-segment normalization were older, with larger prevalence of diabetes, anterior infarction, hypertension, signs of heart failure at presentation, lower rate of postprocedural thrombolysis in myocardial infarction 3 flow, myocardial blush grades 2 to 3, and successful reperfusion. A linear relationship was found between both residual cumulative ST-segment elevation and deviation with 1-year mortality. At multivariate analysis, postprocedural residual cumulative ST deviation (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.06-1.63, P = .014), but not residual cumulative ST elevation (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.55-1.67, P = .87), was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality. Furthermore, we found that residual cumulative ST-segment deviation provides better prognostic information (area receiver operating characteristic [ROC] = 0.733) than ST-segment elevation resolution (area ROC = 0.636) or ST-segment deviation resolution (area ROC = 0.660) in terms of 1-year mortality. These data were confirmed for both anterior and nonanterior infarct location.
Conclusion: This study showed that postprocedural residual cumulative ST-segment deviation is an independent prognostic parameter in patients treated with primary angioplasty, providing even better prognostic information than ST-segment resolution.