Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasingly used in patients with high-risk baseline characteristics. A prior stroke may identify patients who have a higher risk for post-PCI complications. However, no comparative data exist on post-PCI outcomes of patients with or without prior stroke.
Methods: Review of a PCI database of 9,088 consecutive PCIs from July 1997 to December 2002 identified 812 PCIs in patients with a history of prior stroke and 8,044 PCIs without prior stroke.
Results: Patients with prior stroke had high-risk baseline characteristics [diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, peripheral arterial disease, congestive heart failure, chronic renal failure, history of prior myocardial infarction and prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)] and high-risk coronary anatomy (p < 0.001 for each one). The triple composite (death, myocardial infarction and emergent CABG) and the triple composite plus post-PCI stroke were higher in patients with prior stroke (11.2% vs. 4.8%; p < 0.001; z = 7.617 and 12.1% vs. 5.0%; p < 0.001; z = 8.271, respectively.
Conclusion: Patients with prior stroke constitute a high-risk PCI cohort with higher rates of in-hospital adverse events. A prior stroke history should be considered in evaluating potential candidates for PCI.