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
Aboal J, Núñez M, Bosch D, Tirón C, Brugada R, Loma-Osorio P
Background and objective.
Long distance from a hospital with a catheterization laboratory is associated with a poorer prognosis in patients who undergo primary angioplasty for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). An invasive pharmacologic strategy could offer an alternative treatment for these patients. We aimed to establish whether prognosis was better with primary angioplasty or fibrinolysis for reperfusion in cases of STEMI occurring far from a catheterization laboratory.
Methods.
Prospective registry study of patients with STEMI admitted to our cardiology critical care unit. Patients were included over a 5-year period if they received reperfusion therapy and had required transport of more than 50 km to reach a hospital with a catheterization laboratory. We recorded characteristics of the STEMI event, treatment times, and short- and long-term mortality. The data was used for survival analysis.
Results.
We registered 584 patients; 194 were treated with primary angioplasty and 390 with fibrinolysis. The mean time between first physician contact and balloon insertion was 160 minutes. The mean time between first physician contact and needle insertion for fibrinolysis was 30 minutes. The 2-year mortality rate was higher in patients treated
with angioplasty (12.2%) than with those who underwent fibrinolysis (7.0%) ) (P=.04). Survival analysis showed that risk for death was higher in the primary angioplasty group (hazard ratio, 1.97 (95% CI, 0.64–0.95; P=.001).
Conclusion. When STEMI occurs more than 50 km from a catheterization laboratory, reperfusion by means of balloon angioplasty delays care considerably and is associated with a higher mortality rate than reperfusion by fibrinolysis.
