Objectives. Coronary revascularisation and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) has been considered the gold standard treatment of acute coronary syndrome with cardiogenic shock, recently challenged by the SHOCK II study. The aim of this non-randomised study was to investigate the long term prognosis after immediate IABP supported angiography, in patients with acute chest pain and cardiogenic shock, treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), cardiac surgery or optimal medical treatment. We assessed data from 281 consecutive patients admitted to our department from 2004 to 2010. Results. Mean (±SD) age was 63.8 ± 11.5 (range 30-84) years with a follow-up of 5.6 ± 4.4 (0-12.7) years. Acute myocardial infarction was the primary diagnosis in 93% of the patients, 4% presented with unstable angina pectoris and 3% cardiomyopathy or arrhythmias of non-ischemic aetiology. Systolic blood pressure at admittance was 85 ± 18 mmHg and diastolic 55 ± 18 mmHg. Thirty day, one- and five-year survival was 71.2%, 67.3% and 57.7%, respectively. PCI was performed immediately in 70%, surgery was done in 17%, and 13% were not eligible for any revascularisation. Independent variables predicting mortality were medical treatment vs revascularisation, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and advanced age. Three serious non-fatal complications occurred due to IABP treatment, i.e. 0.001 per treatment day. Conclusions. We report the use of IABP in patients with acute chest pain admitted for angiography. Long-term survival is acceptable and discriminating factors were no revascularisation, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and age. IABP was safe and feasible and the complication rate was low.
Keywords: Chest pain; angiography; cardiogenic shock; coronary artery bypass graft; intra-aortic balloon pump; myocardial infarction; percutaneous coronary intervention; revascularisation; survival.