engleski

Croatian Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Network. How to equalize the prospects of all patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction?

The quality of healthcare for patients with AMI, especially for the acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), depends on availability of healthcare facilities, time of arrival to hospital, hospital equipment, type of reperfusion therapy, experience and education of the medical team. Croatian Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Network is a system that is about to provide an increasing number of patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome, especially ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), with the treatment in the existing high volume centers supplied with rich experience in the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Furthermore, another aim is not only to increase but also to proportionally allocate such centers in all parts of Croatia. It is worth mentioning the fact that Croatia, a country with land area 56.542 sq. km, territorial sea area 31.067 sq. km and 4.437.460 inhabitants, despite its relatively low gross domestic product (6.377 US $) can organize and implement the up-to-date acute myocardial infarction treatment concept practically throughout the entire region. According to the results achieved through the evidence based medicine so far, providing all the patients suffering from acute STEMI with equal health protection based on the early PCI, would result in an increased saving of people’ s lives, the decrease in the invalidity and complications, complete and quicker recovery of the working ability and longer and better quality of life. Such a system requires additional investments in the health services and infrastructure, but it will also prove economically justified in the short and long run.

acute myocardial infarction; percutaneous coronary intervention; Croatia

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