June 11, 2020
To the Editor,
Re: Kapur NK, Thayer KL, Zweck E. Cardiogenic Shock in the Setting of Acute Myocardial Infarction. Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2020;16(1):16–21. doi:10.14797/mdcj-16-1-16
It was with great interest that I read the article by Kapur et al. titled “Cardiogenic Shock in the Setting of Acute Myocardial Infarction.” The material was quite helpful and thorough in detail. I am concerned regarding the information presented in Table 1 (page 16), wherein it notes that a new left bundle branch block (LBBB) is considered a STEMI equivalent. The American Heart Association STEMI guidelines removed the finding of a new LBBB from their guidelines in 2013 after studies demonstrated difficulties in determining age of the LBBB, low rates of culprit artery occlusion, and higher complication rates associated with utilizing this as criteria for cardiac catheterization.1,2 An observational cohort study by Chang et al. also showed no difference in the rate of acute myocardial infarction between new, old, or no LBBB.3
Of note, the table also references “Scarbossa's criteria” which should in fact reference “Sgarbossa's criteria.”
REFERENCES
- 1.O'Gara PT, Kushner FG, Ascheim DD et al. 2013 ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Management of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2013 Jan 29;127(4):e362–425. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0b013e3182742cf6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Jain S, Ting HT, Bell M et al. Utility of left bundle branch block as a diagnostic criterion for acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 2011 Apr 15;107(8):1111–6. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2010.12.007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 3.Chang AM, Shofer FS, Tabas JA, Magid DJ, McCusker CM, Hollander JE. Lack of association between left bundle-branch block and acute myocardial infarction in symptomatic ED patients. Am J Emerg Med. 2009 Oct;27(8):916–21. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2008.07.007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]