Occurrence of Severe Arrhythmias in Patients with Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome (NSTE-ACS): A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND

Non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) is one of the most frequent manifestations of coronary artery disease. The occurrence of serious heart rhythm disorders (SHRDs) in NSTE-ACS is not well documented. However, continuous heart rhythm monitoring is recommended during the initial management of NSTE-ACS. The targeted monitoring of patients at greater risk for SHRDs could facilitate patients' care in emergency departments (EDs) where the flow of patients is continuously increasing.

METHODS

This retrospective single-center study included 480 patients from emergency and cardiology departments within the Strasbourg University Hospital between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020. The objective was to estimate the frequency of the occurrence of SHRDs among patients with NSTE-ACS. The secondary objective was to highlight the factors associated with a higher risk of SHRDs.

RESULTS

The proportion of SHRDs during the first 48 h of hospital care was 2.3% (CI95%: 1.2-4.1%, n = 11). Two time periods were considered: before coronary angiography (1.0%), and during, or after coronary angiography (1.3%). In the first group, two patients required immediate treatment (0.4% of the patients) and no death occurred. In the univariate analysis, the variables significantly associated with SHRDs were age, anticoagulant medication, a decrease in glomerular filtration rate, plasmatic hemoglobin, and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), and an increase in plasmatic troponin, BNP, and CRP levels. In the multivariable analysis, plasmatic hemoglobin > 12 g/dL seemed to be a protective factor for SHRDs.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, SHRDs were rare and, most often, spontaneously resolved. These data challenge the relevance of systematic rhythm monitoring during the initial management of patients with NSTE-ACS.