The Pragmatic Role of COVID-19 on the Thrombus Grade of Patients with Contemporary ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Background There are limited data about the clinical outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who present with ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Objectives The aim of this multicenter study is to compare baseline clinical and procedural data between the case group (STEMI patients with COVID-19) and the control group (STEMI patients before the COVID-19 pandemic) and to determine in-hospital infarct-related artery thrombus grades; major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events (MACCE), defined as a composite of deaths from any cause (cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular), nonfatal strokes, and stent thrombosis. Results There were no significant differences between two groups regarding baseline characteristics. Primary PCI was performed in 81% of the case group and 97% of the control group (P=0.043), and primary CABG was performed in 7% of the case group and 1.4% of the control group (P=0.04). The number of successful PCI procedures (final TIMI flow grade III) was significantly lower in the case group (66.5% vs 93%; P=0.0). The baseline thrombus grade before wire crossing was not statistically significantly different between the 2 groups. The summation of thrombus grades IV and V was 75% in the case group and 82% in the control group (P=0.43). The rate of MACCE was 17% and 2.1% in the case and control groups, correspondingly (P=0.002). Conclusions In our study, the thrombus grade had no significant differences between the case group and the control group; however, the in-hospital rates of the no-reflow phenomenon, periprocedural MI, mechanical complications, and MACCE were statistically significantly higher in the case group.

Keywords

• STEMI
• COVID-19
• Thrombus burden
• Primary PCI