title: Gender-related benefit of transport to primary angioplasty: is it equal?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infarct size is correlated with duration of coronary artery occlusion. Evidence suggests that transport for primary angioplasty improves outcomes, but there is no agreement regarding differences in prognosis between men and women. We compared outcomes in men and women with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) transferred from another hospital against those who had been transported directly to an invasive treatment center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was collected between June 2005 and May 2006 from a registry of 26,035 patients with STEMI and in whom primary angioplasty had been performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 10,708 patients underwent primary angioplasty. Of these, 3,359 men and 1,469 women were transported directly, while 4,135 men and 1,745 women were transferred from another site. In-hospital mortality and at one month, six months and 12 months after hospital discharge was significantly higher in women than in men. The prognosis of women transported directly was similar to that of women transferred from another site. However, there was a tendency, albeit insignificant, towards higher mortality at six and 12 months in women transported from another hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To reduce mortality in STEMI, an immediate reperfusion must not be delayed. This conclusion is valid particularly for women who are at greater risk of death.
authors.affiliation: Swietokrzyskie Cardiology Center, Kielce, Poland. emsad@o2.pl
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadowski
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janion-Sadowska
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gąsior
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gierlotka
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janion
authors.forename: Lech
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poloński
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000401:mortality*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015607:Stents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*