Causes of mortality following PCI: the University of New Mexico hospital experience.

Background: Mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains a problem. Clinical databases such as the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data CathPCI Registry do not contain enough information to determine the specific cause of death after PCI, and thus are not able to identify opportunities for improvement (OFIs) that might have prevented the death of specific patients. We reviewed cases of death after coronary intervention to identify specific OFIs.

Methods: The University of New Mexico electronic medical record system was used to identify PCI patients who died before discharge from 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2021. Electronic medical records for each patient were reviewed by two physicians to identify presentation before PCI, procedural success of PCI, complications of PCI, contribution of PCI complications to death, and causes of death after PCI.

Results: During the study period, 48 of 894 PCI patients died before discharge. Presentation was ST elevation myocardial infarction in 23 (48%) and out of hospital cardiac arrest in 17 (35%). PCI success rate was 90%. Causes of death were most frequently cardiac (80%), septic shock (4%), mixed cardiogenic and septic shock (4%), COVID (8%), and anoxic brain injury (4%).

Conclusion: All post-PCI deaths in this series occurred in acutely unstable patients, with cardiac comorbidities and myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest prior to catheterization. PCI reduced culprit stenosis to ≤50% in 96% of cases with an overall procedural success rate of 90% and only one major complication. No deaths were clearly related to operator error.