Objectives To investigate the predictors and impact on long-term survival of one chronic total occlusion (CTO) or multiple CTOs in patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Design Single-centre retrospective observational study.

Setting University-based tertiary referral centre.

Patients Between 2006 and 2011, a total of 2020 consecutive patients referred with STEMI were categorised into single vessel disease, multivessel disease (MVD) without CTO, with one CTO or with multiple CTOs.

Intervention Primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Main outcome measure The primary end-point was the 1-year mortality.

Results The prevalence of single vessel disease, MVD without CTO, with one CTO or with multiple CTOs was 70%, 22%, 7.2% and 0.8%, respectively. Independent clinical predictors for the presence of CTO were cardiogenic shock (OR 5.05; 95% CI 3.29 to 7.64), prior myocardial infarction (OR 2.06; 95% CI 1.35 to 3.09), age >65 years (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.40 to 2.71) and history of angina (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.29 to 2.87). Mortality was worse in patients with multiple CTOs (76.5%) compared with those with one CTO (28.1%) or without CTO (7.3%) (p<0.0001). After adjustment for left ventricular ejection fraction and renal function, MVD was an independent predictor for 1-year mortality (HR: 1.81; 95% CI 1.18 to 2.77, p=0.007), but CTO was not (HR: 1.07; 95% CI 0.66 to 1.73, p=0.78).

Conclusions Simple clinical factors are associated with the presence of CTO in non-infarct-related artery in patients presenting with STEMI. In these patients, long-term survival was independently associated with MVD, left ventricular ejection fraction and renal function, but not with CTO per se.