[Coronary interventions in old patients presenting with cardiogenic shock]

A 80-year-old unconscious woman was admitted to our hospital. She had suffered from angina pectoris and progressive dyspnea for three days. She had been in pulmonary edema 6 months ago. Clinical examination revealed low blood pressure of 90/60 mmHg, central cyanosis and signs of pulmonary congestion.

Laboratory findings comprised elevated creatinkinase, troponin and lactate dehydrogenase as well as reduced sodium.

After intubation and mechanical ventilation the patient underwent cardiac catheterization because of the cardiogenic shock. Coronary angiography revealed severe coronary artery disease with high grade stenoses of the right coronary artery and of the main stem of the left coronary artery. After initiating intraaortic balloon counterpulsation, transcatheter revascularization of the right and left coronary artery was performed, leading to an improvement of the systolic left ventricular function. But the patient finally died due to cardiac pump failure.

Elderly patients presenting with cardiogenic shock and additional risk factors have the highest mortality. Thus the decision for cardiac catheterization and eventual intervention should be made on a case-by-case basis. Successful angioplasty may reduce mortality by approximately 20 %. Due to the usually severe comorbidity absolute mortality is nevertheless very high.