title: Effects of cardiologist experience on outcomes of patients with ST-elevated myocardial infarction treated with primary PCI in a local area in Japan.
abstract: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) results in dramatically improved clinical outcomes when performed in a timely manner. Although guidelines for STEMI patients recommend PCI should be performed by experienced operators with acceptable PCI volume, cardiologists in a local area must perform primary PCI at their own hospitals. This study evaluated the effects of cardiologist experience on outcomes for STEMI patients in a local area in Japan.Between April 2007 and March 2010, 140 consecutive STEMI patients were admitted to our hospital and 121 of these patients received primary PCI. STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI were divided into two groups according to the operator's experience as a cardiologist. We retrospectively analyzed their clinical backgrounds, PCI findings, in-hospital outcomes, and drug administration at discharge.There were no significant differences in any clinical characteristics, angiographic findings, or PCI procedures between the two groups. Clinical outcomes of the two groups were similar, except for the length of hospital stay (21.1 ± 5.8 versus 15.5 ± 9.7; P = 0.0255). The frequency of administration of drugs such as β-blockers (59.1% versus 34.0%; P = 0.0086), aldosterone blockade (10.4% versus 25.5%; P = 0.0334), and nicorandil (76.1% versus 25.5%; P = < 0.0001) was different between the two groups.The clinical outcomes of STEMI patients in this study were satisfactory and almost equivalent when compared according to the experience of the attending cardiologist. The present findings suggest the important clinical implication that younger cardiologists who have experienced PCI procedures to a certain extent can safely perform primary PCI and contribute to better prognoses of STEMI patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nantan General Hospital, Kyoto Prefectural University School of Medicine, Nantan City, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Natsuya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Keira
authors.forename: Akiteru
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Yota
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Urakabe
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Enomoto-Uemura
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatsumi
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002983:Clinical Competence; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D020108:Nicorandil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D020108:Nicorandil