Decline in the number of coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention procedures in patients with acute myocardial infarction in Poland during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

A new approach to ticagrelor-based de-escalation of antiplatelet therapy after acute coronary syndrome. A rationale for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, investigator-initiated, multicenter clinical study

The risk of ischemic events gradually decreases after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), reaching a stable level after 1 month, while the risk of bleeding remains steady during the whole period of dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT). Several de-escalation strategies of antiplatelet treatment aiming to enhance safety of DAPT without depriving it of its efficacy have been evaluated so far. We hypothesized that reduction of the ticagrelor maintenance dose 1 month after ACS and its continuation until 12 months after ACS may improve adherence to antiplatelet treatment due to better tolerability compared with the standard dose of ticagrelor. Moreover, improved safety of treatment and preserved anti-is…

Assessment of quality of care of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Aims:The 2017 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction recommended assessing quality of care to establish measurable quality indicators in order to ensure that every ST-elevation myocardial infarction patient receives the best possible care. We investigated the quality indicators of healthcare services in Poland provided to ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients.Methods and results:The Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes is a nationwide, multicentre, prospective study of acute coronary syndrome patients in Poland. For the purpose of assessing quality indicators, we included 8279 patients from the Polish Registry of Acute…

Multivessel Intervention in Myocardial Infarction with Cardiogenic Shock: CULPRIT-SHOCK Trial Outcomes in the PL-ACS Registry

Background: The aim of the study was a comparison of culprit-lesion-only (CL-PCI) with the multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (MV-PCI) in terms of 30-day and 12-month mortality in a national registry. Methods: Patients from the PL-ACS registry with MI and CS were analyzed. Patients meeting the criteria of the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial were divided into two groups: CL-PCI and MV-PCI groups. Results: Of the 3265 patients in the PL-ACS registry with MI complicated by CS, the criteria of the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial were met by 2084 patients (63.8%). The CL-PCI was performed in 883 patients, and MV-PCI was performed in 1045 patients. After the propensity score matching analysis, 617 well-match…

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on acute heart failure admissions and mortality: a multicentre study (COV-HF-SIRIO 6 study)

Abstract Aims The coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has changed the landscape of medical care delivery worldwide. We aimed to assess the influence of COVID‐19 pandemic on hospital admissions and in‐hospital mortality rate in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) in a retrospective, multicentre study. Methods and results From 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020, a total of 101 433 patients were hospitalized in 24 Cardiology Departments in Poland. The number of patients admitted due to AHF decreased by 23.4% from 9853 in 2019 to 7546 in 2020 (P < 0.001). We noted a significant reduction of self‐referrals in the times of COVID‐19 pandemic accounting 27.8% (P < 0.001), with increase…

Repetitive use of LEvosimendan in Ambulatory Heart Failure patients (LEIA-HF) - The rationale and study design

Abstract Purpose Clinical practice forces the necessity to conduct a clinical trial concerning the group of outpatients with chronically advanced heart failure in III or IV NYHA functional class, frequently requiring hospitalizations due to HF exacerbation, and often left without any additional therapeutic option. The current trial aims to determine the efficacy and safety of repeated levosimendan infusions in the group of severe outpatients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Material and methods LEIA-HF (LEvosimendan In Ambulatory Heart Failure Patients) is a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 4 clinical trial to determine whether the repetitive use of le…