In France, data regarding indications and complications of urgent percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) remains sparse. Our aim was to assess these issues in a facility that provides an access to PCI in an area with a large population.

We prospectively included all patients who benefited from a PCI, since November 2009. A questionnaire was completed at the end of PCI procedure. We recorded data regarding patients’ characteristics and complications observed during and/or immediately after PCI procedure. Associations between PCI indications and immediate worsened outcomes were tested using fisher’s exact test. Presented results were those regarding the first hundred patients who were consecutively recruited.

In our population of 100 patients, sex ratio was 3 males for 1 woman. Mean of age was 62 years; women were significantly older than men. Less than the half of patients was addressed to PCI directly from the pre-hospital field. Non exclusive indications for PCI were: acute Myocardial Infarction with ST Elevation (STEMI, 85%), Non STEMI (12%), Cardiogenic Shock (11%) and Cardiac Arrest (6%). While effectiveness of PCI on target-vessels was valuable (89% of the cases), complications during or immediately after PCI were observed in 24% of patients. Ventricular arrhythmias (10%), conduction disorders (5%), hypotension and/or cardiogenic shocks (9%) were the main observed complications. Mortality rate was 1%. In presence of initial cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest, immediate complications were more frequently observed (p<0.05).

STEMI represents a major indication for PCI in an emergency setting. Immediate complications occur in approximately 25% of patients and are associated with less favorable initial conditions. Further follow up will permit to better compare patients’ prognosis according to PCI indications.