Objectives: The mortality of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains high, despite early revascularization. Current knowledge of predictors of death is limited.
Background: The pathophysiologic understanding of CS after acute myocardial infarction has shifted from a mere hemodynamic disorder to a more complex approach including imbalance in metabolic functions.
Methods: In 45 consecutive patients (71.4+/-13 years) with CS complicating STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) serum levels of lactate, glucose and uric acid on coronary care unit (CCU) admission were measured. The end-point was in-hospital death.
Results: The following parameters, on CCU admission, were univariate predictors of in-hospital mortality: serum glucose >200 mg/dl (OR=11.3, p=0.002), serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dl (OR=12.7, p=0.003), uric acid >6.5 mg/dl (OR=6.7, p=0.016), lactate >6.5 mmol/l (OR=54, p<0.0001), age > or =75 years (OR=8.5, p=0.002), history of hypertension (OR=8.3, p=0.003) and TIMI flow post PCI < or = 2 (OR=12.9, p=0.02). At multivariate analysis, after adjustment for sex, age, hypertension and diabetes, lactate >6.5 mmol/l and TIMI flow post PCI < or = 2 were still independent predictors of in-hospital mortality (OR=295, p=0.01; OR=19.5, p=0.04, respectively).
Conclusions: Hyperlactatemia, hyperglycemia and increased levels of uric acid on CCU admission are univariate predictors of in-hospital death. Moreover, at multivariate analysis, hyperlactatemia (>6.5 mmol/l) is an independent indicator of in-hospital death in CS patients complicating STEMI.