Intervention in acute coronary syndromes: do patients undergo intervention on the basis of their risk characteristics? The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE)

GRACE investigators, K A A Fox, F A Anderson, O H Dabbous, P G Steg, J López-Sendón, F Van de Werf, A Budaj, E P Gurfinkel, S G Goodman, D Brieger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Objective: To determine whether revascularisation is more likely to be performed in higher-risk patients and whether the findings are influenced by hospitals adopting more or less aggressive revascularisation strategies.

Methods: GRACE (Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events) is a multinational, observational cohort study. This study involved 24 189 patients enrolled at 73 hospitals with on-site angiographic facilities.

Results: Overall, 32.5% of patients with a non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; 53.7% in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)) and 7.2% underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG; 4.0% in STEMI). The cumulative rate of in-hospital death rose correspondingly with the GRACE risk score (variables: age, Killip class, systolic blood pressure, ST segment deviation, cardiac arrest at admission, serum creatinine, raised cardiac markers, heart rate), from 1.2% in low-risk to 3.3% in medium-risk and 13.0% in high-risk patients (c statistic  =  0.83). PCI procedures were more likely to be performed in low- (40% non-STEMI, 60% STEMI) than medium- (35%, 54%) or high-risk patients (25%, 41%). No such gradient was apparent for patients undergoing CABG. These findings were seen in STEMI and non-ST elevation ACS, in all geographical regions and irrespective of whether hospitals adopted low (4.2−33.7%, n  =  7210 observations), medium (35.7−51.4%, n  =  7913 observations) or high rates (52.6−77.0%, n  =  8942 observations) of intervention.

Conclusions: A risk-averse strategy to angiography appears to be widely adopted. Proceeding to PCI relates to referral practice and angiographic findings rather than the patient’s risk status. Systematic and accurate risk stratification may allow higher-risk patients to be selected for revascularisation procedures, in contrast to current international practice.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)177-82
Number of pages6
JournalHeart
Volume93
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2007

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Aged
  • Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary
  • Cohort Studies
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Coronary Artery Bypass
  • Coronary Disease
  • Female
  • Hospital Mortality
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Myocardial Revascularization
  • Patient Selection
  • Recurrence
  • Registries
  • Risk Assessment
  • Treatment Outcome

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