Late Reperfusion With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

The recommended therapy for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is to restore normal coronary blood flow with timely reperfusion by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and thereby minimize the extent of cell death and preserving cardiac function. The duration of ischemia and timely PCI are major determinants for the size of the myocardial infarction and prognosis. Thus, acute PCI should be performed within 12 hours after symptom onset. The effect of PCI and timing of PCI are, however, much more uncertain for late presenters who contact the health service > 12 hours from symptom. Thus, it is still unknown whether late presenters should be treated with acute PCI or medical treatment with delayed PCI (24-72 h after first medical contact).

The study investigates the effect on final salvage index evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging of acute PCI of late presenters.

The overall objective of the study is to investigate whether late presenters may benefit from acute PCI, and thus whether to extend the currently recommended time limit of 12 hours for acute PCI in patients with STEMI.

Inclusion criteria

• Inclusion criteria:
• Patients more than 18 years of age.
• STEMI > 12 hours and < 36 hours.
• Clinical stable, i.e. no on going angina, hemodynamically stable (systolic BP > 90) and Killip class < 3.

Exclusion criteria

• Clinical instability which requires an acute invasive strategy.
• Left main occlusion or multivessel disease which requires CABG.
• Previous Q-wave infarction in the current infarct related artery.
• Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB).
• Severe renal insufficiency.
• Pacemaker
• Chronic atrial fibrillation.
• Previous Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG).
• Pregnancy.
• Other severe illness with life expectancy less than 1 year