7,528 patients treated with PCI--a Scandinavian real-life scenario.
OBJECTIVE
Analyze clinical, temporal and procedural characteristics from 7,528 consecutive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients in one of the largest published contemporary European PCI-database during a 6-year period.


METHODS
Retrospective study design.


METHODS
1998-2004. Temporal and referral changes in a Danish PCI-registry were analyzed. Demographic and angiographic variables were compared with data from randomized clinical trials, US-registries and current guidelines.


RESULTS
22,214 patients were examined with coronary angiography and 7,528 patients were treated with PCI. The annual number of PCI's increased by 15%. Over time, the fraction of patients with risk factors increased, median age increased from 61 to 64 years and the coronary pathology was significantly worsened. ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients primarily admitted to hospitals without facilities for primary angioplasty, were less likely to receive primary PCI. Baseline-data were in general in par with randomized clinical trial study populations and large-scale US data-registries. Interestingly, 14% of all PCI-procedures were performed on patients with a clinical presentation, for which coronary artery bypass grafting would be recommended by guidelines.


CONCLUSIONS
PCI is performed in an increasingly sicker population, but generally in accordance with randomized trials and similar to US tradition. However, 14% were treated with PCI even though coronary artery bypass grafting was recommended by guidelines.
Pedersen
Sune
S
Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory, Heart Clinic, Copenhagen, Denmark. sunped01@geh.regionh.dk
Galatius
Søren
S
Bech
Jan
J
Jørgensen
Erik
E
Saunamaki
Kari
K
Helqist
Steffen
S
Jensen
Jan Skov
JS
Kelbaek
Henning
H
Madsen
Jan Kyst
JK
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D015607:Stents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data