Outcomes Among Patients Transferred for Revascularization With Impella for Acute Myocardial Infarction With Cardiogenic Shock from the cVAD Registry

The outcomes for patients transferred with cardiogenic shock and later treated with revascularization and Impella support have not previously been studied. To evaluate these outcomes, patients in cardiogenic shock were recruited from the catheter-based ventricular assist device registry, a prospective registry enrolling patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with hemodynamic support using Impella 2.5 or CP. Analysis was performed on subgroups of patients who were characterized as those directly admitted to a tertiary care hospital (direct), or those transferred from an outside hospital (transfer). Patients who were transferred with acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock (AMICS) more often presented in shock were in shock longer than 24 hours, and were more likely to be on intra-aortic balloon pump but were less likely to sustain cardiac arrest. The number of pressors, EF, diseased, and treated vessels were similar between the 2 groups. Despite baseline differences, the mortality was similar in the transfer versus direct patients (47.0% vs 53.5% p = 0.19). In a multivariate model, the factors independently associated with 30-day mortality in AMICS treated with revascularization and Impella support were cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (p <0.01), age (p <0.01), and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (p = 0.02). Whether the patient was transferred or directly admittedly with AMICS was not an independent predictor of death. In conclusion, these findings suggest that considerations should be given to transfer patients with AMICS to allow them to be treated in a contemporary manner.