Interventional cardiology in Israel at 2005 - state of practice.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the current practice of interventional cardiology in Israel.


METHODS
Under the auspices of the 'Working group of interventional cardiology' of the 'Israel Heart Society,' a questionnaire regarding the practice of interventional cardiology sent to directors of interventional cardiology in all public hospitals.


RESULTS
Twenty centers received the questionnaires; however, complete data was obtained from 18. Most interventional cardiology units in Israel are merely engaged in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). PCIs are executed mostly via the femoral artery, using almost exclusively stents, of which 36% were drug eluting. Noted was an infrequent use of other therapeutic, diagnostic devices, or femoral arteriotomy closure devices. Only 22% of the patients receive glycoprotein IIb/IIIa blockers (GPB). Most centers used conventional unfractionated heparin dosing (70 u/kg) and did not routinely monitor activated clotting time. Abciximab, bivalirudin or enoxaparine were rarely used. All laboratories performed both elective and emergency-PCI, although 12 facilities were not supported by on-site surgical backup.


CONCLUSIONS
Most cardiovascular intervention programs have restricted their activity to the coronary stenting, and are using a limited array of diagnostic and therapeutic devices, along with patient-tailored adjunctive pharmacotherapy, to sustain cost-effectiveness. Currently, ambulatory angiography and coronary interventions are not widely practiced in Israel.
Kaluski
Edo
E
Department of Cardiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry, Newark, NJ 07103, USA. ekaluski@gmail.com
Uriel
Nir
N
Hendler
Alberto
A
Kornowski
Ran
R
Krakover
Ricardo
R
Mosseri
Morris
M
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002300:Cardiac Care Facilities; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015607:Stents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000925:Anticoagulants; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors