Prehospital diagnosis and triage of ST-elevation myocardial infarction by paramedics without advanced care training.

Background: Prehospital triage of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces treatment times. Prehospital triage and transport of STEMI patients have traditionally been undertaken in emergency medical service systems with Advanced Care Paramedics (ACPs). However, ACPs are not available in many regions.

Elevated troponin-I after percutaneous coronary interventions: incidence and risk factors.

Background: Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) are often complicated by postprocedural myocardial necrosis as manifested by elevated cardiac markers.

Purpose: To assess the incidence and risk factors of elevated troponin-I (TnI) after PCI.

Methods And Results: We performed a retrospective analysis on 522 PCI cases over a 1-year period at a single center.

Six-month outcomes after single- and multi-lesion percutaneous coronary intervention: results from the ROSETTA registry.

Background: The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association exercise testing guidelines suggest that routine functional testing may benefit patients at high risk of restenosis, such as those undergoing multi-lesion percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Objectives: To compare the six-month post-PCI clinical and procedural outcomes in patients following single- and multi-lesion PCI, and to examine the use of routine functional testing (ie, in all patients) versus selective functional testing (ie, only in those with recurrent symptoms) following multi-lesion PCI.

Methods: Six-month outcomes among 562 patients after single-lesion PCI and 229 patients after multi-lesion PCI were examined.

Functional testing after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a meta-analysis.

Background: A number of studies have examined the diagnostic abilities of various functional tests to assess graft stenosis or the progression of coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, a meta-analysis of these studies has not been performed.

Objectives: To pool the results of studies examining the diagnostic abilities of exercise treadmill testing (ETT), stress myocardial perfusion imaging and stress echocardiography to predict graft stenosis or progression of disease in the native circulation post-CABG.