CLINICAL RESEARCH: ACUTE ISCHEMIA OR INFARCTION
Patients With Prolonged Ischemic Chest Pain and Presumed-New Left Bundle Branch Block Have Heterogeneous Outcomes Depending on the Presence of ST-Segment Changes
Cheuk-Kit Wong, MD, FACC*, ,
John K. French, MB, PhD, FACC*,
Philip E.G. Aylward, MD, FACC ,
Ralph A.H. Stewart, MD, FACC*,
Wanzhen Gao, PhD*,
Paul W. Armstrong, MD, FACC ,
Frans J.J. Van De Werf, MD, FACC||,
R. John Simes, MD¶,
O. Christopher Raffel, MB*,
Christopher B. Granger, MD, FACC#,
Robert M. Califf, MD, FACC#,
Harvey D. White, DSc, FACC*,* for the HERO-2 Trial Investigators
* Cardiovascular Research Unit, Green Lane Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Cardiology Department, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia
Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
|| Department of Cardiology, Gasthuisberg University Hospital, Leuven, Belgium
¶ National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
# Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina.
Manuscript received August 18, 2004;
revised manuscript received February 2, 2005,
accepted February 8, 2005.
* Reprint requests and correspondence: Honorary Professor Harvey White, Cardiology Department, Green Lane Cardiovascular Service, Auckland City Hospital, Private Bag 92024, Auckland 1030, New Zealand. (Email: harveyw{at}adhb.govt.nz).
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this research was to examine the prognostic value of ST-segment changes (concordant ST-segment elevation and/or precordial V1 to V3 ST-segment depression) during presumed-new left bundle branch block (LBBB) in patients receiving fibrinolytic therapy.
BACKGROUND: These patients are often considered high-risk, but their outcome is not well-defined.
METHODS: The Hirulog and Early Reperfusion or Occlusion (HERO)-2 trial compared bivalirudin with heparin in patients receiving streptokinase for ST-segment elevation or presumed-new LBBB. Each patient with LBBB was matched with a control (with normal intraventricular conduction) for age, gender, pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, Killip class, and region.
RESULTS: A total of 300 patients had LBBB (92 with and 208 without ST-segment changes) and 15,340 had normal conduction. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurred in 80.7% of LBBB patients and 88.7% of controls (p = 0.006). ST-segment changes were specific (96.6%) but not sensitive (37.8%) for enzymatic diagnosis of AMI. Mortality at 30 days was similar in LBBB patients with ST-segment changes (21.7%) and controls (25.0%, p = 0.563), but lower in LBBB patients without ST-segment changes than in controls (13.5% vs. 21.6%, p = 0.022). In the whole HERO-2 cohort, the LBBB patients with ST-segment changes had higher mortality than patients with normal conduction (odds ratio [OR] 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78 to 2.42). The LBBB patients without ST-segment changes had lower mortality than patients with normal conduction (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.80).
CONCLUSIONS: ST-segment changes during LBBB are specific for the diagnosis of AMI and predict 30-day mortality; LBBB patients without ST-segment changes have lower adjusted 30-day mortality than those with normal conduction. Trials are required to determine the best treatment for high-risk and low-risk patients with LBBB.
|
Abbreviations and Acronyms
| | AMI = acute myocardial infarction | | CI = confidence interval | | CK = creatine kinase | | GUSTO = Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Coronary Arteries | | HERO = Hirulog and Early Reperfusion or Occlusion | | LBBB = left bundle branch block | | OR = odds ratio | | RBBB = right bundle branch block | | ULN = upper limit of normal |
|
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. S. Wagner, P. Macfarlane, H. Wellens, M. Josephson, A. Gorgels, D. M. Mirvis, O. Pahlm, B. Surawicz, P. Kligfield, R. Childers, et al.
AHA/ACCF/HRS Recommendations for the Standardization and Interpretation of the Electrocardiogram: Part VI: Acute Ischemia/Infarction A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Electrocardiography and Arrhythmias Committee, Council on Clinical Cardiology; the American College of Cardiology Foundation; and the Heart Rhythm Society Endorsed by the International Society for Computerized Electrocardiology
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
March 17, 2009;
53(11):
1003 - 1011.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. S. Wagner, P. Macfarlane, H. Wellens, M. Josephson, A. Gorgels, D. M. Mirvis, O. Pahlm, B. Surawicz, P. Kligfield, R. Childers, et al.
AHA/ACCF/HRS Recommendations for the Standardization and Interpretation of the Electrocardiogram: Part VI: Acute Ischemia/Infarction: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Electrocardiography and Arrhythmias Committee, Council on Clinical Cardiology; the American College of Cardiology Foundation; and the Heart Rhythm Society: Endorsed by the International Society for Computerized Electrocardiology
Circulation,
March 17, 2009;
119(10):
e262 - e270.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C-K Wong, W Gao, R A H Stewart, J K French, P E G Aylward, and H D White
Relationship of QRS duration at baseline and changes over 60 min after fibrinolysis to 30-day mortality with different locations of ST elevation myocardial infarction: results from the Hirulog and Early Reperfusion or Occlusion-2 trial
Heart,
February 1, 2009;
95(4):
276 - 282.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. G. Goodman, V. Menon, C. P. Cannon, G. Steg, E. M. Ohman, and R. A. Harrington
Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (8th Edition)
Chest,
June 1, 2008;
133(6_suppl):
708S - 775S.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. Thygesen, J. S. Alpert, H. D. White, and on behalf of the Joint ESC/ACCF/AHA/WHF Task Force
Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
November 27, 2007;
50(22):
2173 - 2195.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. Thygesen, J. S. Alpert, H. D. White, on behalf of the Joint ESC/ACCF/AHA/WHF Task Force, TASK FORCE MEMBERS: Chairpersons: Kristian Thygese, Biomarker Group: Allan S. Jaffe, Coordinator (USA), ECG Group: Bernard Chaitman, Co-ordinator (USA), P, Imaging Group: Richard Underwood, Coordinator (UK), Intervention Group: Jean-Pierre Bassand, Co-ordina, Clinical Investigation Group: Paul W. Armstrong, C, et al.
Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction
Circulation,
November 27, 2007;
116(22):
2634 - 2653.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Task Force Members, K. Thygesen, J. S. Alpert, H. D. White, Biomarker Group, A. S. Jaffe, F. S. Apple, M. Galvani, H. A. Katus, L. K. Newby, et al.
Universal definition of myocardial infarction: Kristian Thygesen, Joseph S. Alpert and Harvey D. White on behalf of the Joint ESC/ACCF/AHA/WHF Task Force for the Redefinition of Myocardial Infarction
Eur. Heart J.,
October 2, 2007;
28(20):
2525 - 2538.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
O. M. Jolobe
Long-term outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction
Eur. Heart J.,
August 1, 2007;
28(15):
1911 - 1911.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C.-K. Wong, W. Gao, R. A.H. Stewart, N. van Pelt, J. K. French, P. E.G. Aylward, H. D. White, and on behalf of the Hirulog Early Reperfusion Occlusi
Risk Stratification of Patients With Acute Anterior Myocardial Infarction and Right Bundle-Branch Block: Importance of QRS Duration and Early ST-Segment Resolution After Fibrinolytic Therapy
Circulation,
August 22, 2006;
114(8):
783 - 789.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C.-K. Wong, R. A.H. Stewart, W. Gao, J. K. French, C. Raffel, H. D. White, and for the Hirulog and Early Reperfusion or Occlusion
Prognostic differences between different types of bundle branch block during the early phase of acute myocardial infarction: insights from the Hirulog and Early Reperfusion or Occlusion (HERO)-2 trial
Eur. Heart J.,
January 1, 2006;
27(1):
21 - 28.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
L. J. Haywood
Left Bundle Branch Block in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Benign or Malignant?
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
July 5, 2005;
46(1):
39 - 41.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Inside This Issue of JACC
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
July 5, 2005;
46(1):
A39 - A40.
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|