A critical appraisal of current models of risk stratification for percutaneous coronary interventions

In summary, with the above description, strengths, and limitations of the currently available models, physicians should be able to counsel the patients and the families in a better way about the risks involved with the PCI procedure. The focus of future studies should be on the uniformity on the definitions of the variables, simplicity of the model, outcomes measured, inclusion of postprocedure variables (elevation of cardiac enzymes, stroke, and emergency CABG), distinction between and estimation of procedural and angiographic failure, operator and institutional volume, and a strong national effort to streamline these measures. © 2005, Published by Mosby, Inc.