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 ARTériopathes (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 loss 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 sub-optimal.

Conclusion: This registry underscores the differences in patient profiles in the daily clinical setting, compared to those enrolled in several trials.