Echocardiographic and Angiographic Correlations in Patients With Cardiogenic Shock Secondary to Acute Myocardial Infarction

In patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction, echocardiographic and angiographic findings are used to aid diagnosis, determine prognosis, and guide management. The purpose of this analysis from the Should we emergently revascularize Occluded Coronary arteries for Cardiogenic ShocK (SHOCK) trial is to identify relations between the angiographic and echocardiographic features of patients with CS. Such an analysis of the correlations between echocardiographic and angiographic findings in patients with CS may provide insights into the etiology and treatment of CS. In 302 randomized patients, an echocardiogram and an angiogram before revascularization were available in 127 patients. Although the median ejection fraction derived by echocardiography and left ventricular angiography was identical (30%), the positive correlation was weak (R2 = 0.209, p = 0.019). Patients with a larger number of diseased vessels had worse mitral regurgitation (MR) by echocardiography (p = 0.005). There was a significant but weak association between left ventricular angiographic MR grade and echocardiographic MR severity (R2 = 0.162, p = 0.015), but there was no association between culprit vessel and degree of MR. In conclusion, worse coronary artery disease is associated with more severe MR. Echocardiography and angiography are valuable and result in similar estimated ejection fractions in a large cohort, but there is wide variation between the techniques in patients.