Material and Method: This observational cohort study was conducted between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2013. Consecutive STEMI patients who underwent either emergency rescue PCI or primary PCI were included. Rescue PCI patients were compared with primary PCI patients. Clinical data including baseline characteristics, angiographic results, periprocedural details, and in-hospital adverse events were reviewed.

Results: Three hundred sixteen patients were enrolled, of which 72.5% were male. Mean age of participants was 59.5 years. Rescue PCI and primary PCI was performed in 24 and 292 patients, respectively. Median time from symptom onset to emergency room (ER) arrival was 175 minutes and not statistically different between groups. Thirteen percent of patients were critically ill and in cardiogenic shock upon arrival. Radial artery access was significantly more frequently used in the rescue PCI group. The rescue PCI group had a significantly higher proportion of initial TIMI grade 3 flow than the primary PCI group (rescue PCI 33.3% vs. primary PCI 13.4%, p = 0.042). No significant differences were observed in final TIMI grade 3 between the two groups (rescue PCI 87.5% vs. primary PCI 89.7%, p = 0.77). Rate of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor blocker use was significantly higher in the primary PCI group (41.4% vs. 4.2%, p<0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly higher in the rescue PCI group (rescue PCI 57.7% vs. primary PCI 50%, p = 0.013). There were no significant differences between groups for angiographic success rate (rescue PCI 83.3% vs. primary PCI 88.7%, p = 0.229) or procedural success rate (rescue PCI 79.2% vs. primary PCI 85.6%, p = 0.164). Forty-one patients (14%) in primary PCI group and two patients (8.3%) in rescue PCI group died during hospitalization (p = 0.75). Stroke and reinfarction were rare events in this study. Hemorrhagic stroke occurred in one patient in each group. There were no significant differences in major bleeding or major vascular complications between groups.

Conclusion: The angiographic outcome and procedural success rates in patients who underwent rescue PCI were not significantly different from rates in patients who underwent primary PCI. Rescue PCI in STEMI can be performed with favorable success rates and in-hospital outcomes and should be considered in patients that experience failure after thrombolytic therapy.

Keywords: Myocardial infarction, Acute coronary syndrome, Primary percutaneous coronary intervention, Rescue percutaneous coronary intervention, Failed thrombolysis