Characteristics and Outcome of Patients Hospitalised for Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease in France: The COPART Registry

Objectives: To assess the current 'real-world' management of hospitalised patients with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (LE-PAD) and to assess the 1-year outcome. Design, materials and methods: The prospective and multicentre registry COhorte des Patients ARTeriopathes (COPART) recruited consecutive patients from the departments of vascular medicine of three academic hospitals in Southwestern France. Results: Among the 940 patients, 27.4% had intermittent claudication (IC), 9.3% ischaemic rest pain, 54.3% ulceration or gangrene and 9.3% acute limb ischaemia (ALI). Patients with IC were younger and more likely to be men, with a history of smoking (89.5%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (17%). Among those with IC, 8.9% had bypass surgery and 41.5% were treated with percutaneous angioplasty. Those with tissue toss had higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and co-morbidities. At entry to the study, the level of control of the CVD risk factors was poor. The 1-year mortality rate was of 5.7% in patients with IC, 23.1% in patients with ischaemic rest pain, 28.7% in patients with tissue loss and 23% in those with ALI. Compliance with evidence-based medicine and pharmacological treatment was suboptimal. Conclusion: This registry underscores the differences in patient profiles in the daily clinical setting, compared to those enrolled in several trials. (C) 2010 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.