The American journal of cardiology
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Observational Study
Comparison of in-hospital outcomes for beta-blocker use versus non-beta blocker use in patients presenting with cocaine-associated chest pain.
Beta blockers are indicated for management of acute coronary syndromes, but they generally are withheld in patients with cocaine-associated chest pain because of concerns for adverse outcomes related to the unique physiological effects of cocaine. Because few clinical studies have evaluated this interaction, we identified patients with toxicology screen results positive for cocaine treated for chest pain at 2 academic hospitals. Clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared between patients with and without β-blocker therapy. ⋯ Despite these higher risk clinical characteristics, patients treated with β blockers experienced similar peak troponin levels, individual adverse events, and rates of the composite primary end point (15.9% vs 12.3%, p = 0.32). The primary end point also was similar after propensity score analysis (odds ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 0.64 to 2.93, p = 0.42), including specific comparisons of beta-1 selective (odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 0.79 to 4.24) and nonselective (odds ratio 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.33 to 2.42) β blockers, when compared with patients not receiving β blockers. In conclusion, no differences in outcomes were observed between patients treated versus not treated with β-blocker therapy in the setting of cocaine-related chest pain.
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Percutaneous coronary intervention in the setting of acute myocardial infarction is known to predict stent thrombosis (ST). This study aims to compare the ST rates across different coronary subsets. This was an observational cohort study from a large, single-center registry. ⋯ Clopidogrel cessation was the strongest predictor of ST (definite ST, HR 17.00, 95% CI 7.54 to 38.31; definite/probable ST, HR 4.69, 95% CI 2.39 to 9.20). In conclusion, in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, the acuity of clinical presentation corresponds to an increase in ST incidence. Adherence to clopidogrel is critical to prevent ST in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, especially in STEMI.