BACKGROUND: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become the preferred reperfusion strategy in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock. Early identification of patients at risk for developing cardiogenic shock allows rapid decision making to determine reperfusion and transportation to a PCI centre. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate shock index (SI) as a marker for patients at risk of cardiogenic shock. METHODS: A total of 644 consecutive patients (73% male) with acute myocardial infarction with ST elevations were analyzed retrospectively. Primary PCI was performed in 92% of patients, and 7% of patients underwent rescue PCI. The SI parameter was defined as the ratio of heart rate to systolic blood pressure at hospital admission. RESULTS: SI (odds ratio [OR], 81.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.76-676.51; P<0.001), age (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.08-1.26; P<0.001), and diabetes (OR, 4.94; 95% CI, 1.44-16.97; P<0.011) were independent predictors of mortality. In the group of patients with SI≥0.8, 20% died, whereas in the group with SI<0.8, 4% of patients died (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed clinical parameter SI correlates with patients' prognosis and could therefore be used as a simple indicator of mortality risk of acute myocardial infarction. The simplicity of this proposed index makes its use accessible in large-scale clinical practices for risk stratification during first contact with patients.

Cardiocenter 3rd Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady Prague Czech Republic

Can J Cardiol. 2011 Nov-Dec;27(6):675-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2011.08.109. PubMed

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Routine pretreatment with abciximab versus standard periprocedural therapy in mechanically ventilated cardiogenic shock patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention: Subanalysis of the PRAGUE-7 study