title: Results of the Croatian Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Network for patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: The Republic of Croatia, with a gross domestic product per capita of US$11,554 in 2008, is an economically less-developed Western country. The goal of the present investigation was to prove that a well-organized primary percutaneous coronary intervention network in an economically less-developed country equalizes the prospects of all patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction at a level comparable to that of more economically developed countries. We prospectively investigated 1,190 patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary PCI in 8 centers across Croatia (677 nontransferred and 513 transferred). The postprocedural Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction flow, in-hospital mortality, and incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (ie, mortality, pectoral angina, restenosis, reinfarction, coronary artery bypass graft, and cerebrovascular accident rate) during 6 months of follow-up were compared between the nontransferred and transferred subgroups and in the subgroups of older patients, women, and those with cardiogenic shock. In all investigated patients, the average door-to-balloon time was 108 minutes, and the total ischemic time was 265 minutes. Postprocedural Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 3 flow was established in 87.1% of the patients, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 4.4%. No statistically significant difference was found in the results of treatment between the transferred and nontransferred patients overall or in the subgroups of patients >75 years, women, and those with cardiogenic shock. In conclusion, the Croatian Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Network has ensured treatment results of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction comparable to those of randomized studies and registries of more economically developed countries.
authors.affiliation: Coronary Care Unit, Cardiovascular Department, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Vjeran
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nikolić Heitzler
authors.forename: Zdravko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.forename: Davor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milicic
authors.forename: Mijo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bergovec
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raguz
authors.forename: Jure
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mirat
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strozzi
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Plazonic
authors.forename: Lovel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giunio
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Starcevic
authors.forename: Ivica
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vukovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult