Role of the ECG in initial acute coronary syndrome triage: primary PCI regardless presence of ST elevation or of non-ST elevation.

The major initial triaging decision in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is whether or not percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the primary treatment. Current guidelines recommend primary PCI in ST-elevation ACS (STEACS) and initial antithrombotic therapy in non-ST-elevation ACS (NSTEACS). This review probes the question whether this decision can indeed be based on the ECG.

Temporary scaffolding of coronary arteries with bioabsorbable magnesium stents: a prospective, non-randomised multicentre trial.

Background: Coronary stents improve immediate and late results of balloon angioplasty by tacking up dissections and preventing wall recoil. These goals are achieved within weeks after angioplasty, but with current technology stents permanently remain in the artery, with many limitations including the need for long-term antiplatelet treatment to avoid thrombosis. We report a prospective multicentre clinical trial of coronary implantations of absorbable magnesium stents.

Five-year outcomes after coronary stenting versus bypass surgery for the treatment of multivessel disease: the final analysis of the Arterial Revascularization Therapies Study (ARTS) randomized trial.

Objectives: The long-term (five-year) comparative results of treatment of multivessel coronary artery disease with stenting or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is at present unknown.

Background: The Arterial Revascularization Therapies Study (ARTS) was designed to compare CABG and stenting in patients with multivessel disease.

Methods: A total of 1,205 patients with the potential for equivalent revascularization were randomly assigned to CABG (n = 605) or stent implantation (n = 600).

Five year clinical effect of coronary stenting and coronary artery bypass grafting in renal insufficient patients with multivessel coronary artery disease: insights from ARTS trial.

Aims: To compare coronary stent implantation and bypass surgery for multivessel coronary disease in patients with renal insufficiency.

Methods And Results: In the ARTS trial, 142 moderate renal insufficient patients (Ccr<60 mL/min) with multivessel coronary disease were randomly assigned to stent implantation (n=69) or CABG (n=73). At 5 years, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of mortality (14.

Incomplete stent apposition after implantation of paclitaxel-eluting stents or bare metal stents: insights from the randomized TAXUS II trial.

Background: The clinical impact of late incomplete stent apposition (ISA) for drug-eluting stents is unknown. We sought to prospectively investigate the incidence and extent of ISA after the procedure and at 6-month follow-up of paclitaxel-eluting stents in comparison with bare metal stents (BMS) and survey the clinical significance of ISA over a period of 12 months.

Methods And Results: TAXUS II was a randomized, double-blind study with 536 patients in 2 consecutive cohorts comparing slow-release (SR; 131 patients) and moderate-release (MR; 135 patients) paclitaxel-eluting stents with BMS (270 patients).