[Mortality in cardiogenic shock].

Objective: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is one of principal causes of mortality after an acute myocardial infarction (MI). The objective of this study was to determine the principal causes that contribute to an increase in mortality in CS.

Methods: We studied 155 consecutive patients with CS admitted to the Coronary Care Unit of the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia Ignacio Chávez from 1990-2002.

Results: Patients older than 60 years with MI and diabetes mellitus presented a higher cardiovascular mortality (p<0.001). Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures decreased the cardiovascular mortaly in CS as compared to those patients not submmitted to PCI (59% vs. 98%, p<0.001).

Conclusions: Mortality due to CS is still very high (80%). Previous MI and diabetes favor short-term mortality and the use of PCI suggests a clinical favourable trend in the reduction of mortality due to CS. PCI appears to be the most appropriate reperfusion procedure for treating CS.