Stent for Life Initiative--the Greek experience.
Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI) is considered the gold standard reperfusion strategy for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In the last two years, the Stent for Life (SFL) Initiative has aimed at expanding the use of p-PCI in Greece and several other European countries. During this short period of time, intensive efforts towards propagating the main objectives of the programme in Greece and important actions on the organisation and activation of two p-PCI networks in Athens, the Greek capital, and Patras in south-western Greece, have led to a dramatic nationwide increase of p-PCI rates among STEMI patients (from 9% to 32%). Especially in Athens, p-PCI is implemented in almost 60% of the cases with a diagnosis of STEMI. Recent data from the Greek national registry on acute coronary syndromes underscore the need to improve p-PCI time delays which are partially attributed to inter-hospital delays from hospitals with no p-PCI facilities to p-PCI hospitals. A national public campaign for the promotion of p-PCI is progressing very fast, while specific planning for the recruitment of additional hospitals in urban and rural areas to join old, or to form new p-PCI networks is still developing.
SFL champion Greece, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece.
John
J
Kanakakis
Argyrios
A
Ntalianis
Georgios
G
Papaioannou
Stavroula
S
Hourdaki
George
G
Parharidis
D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006752:Hospital Planning / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000401:mortality / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012042:Registries; D015607:Stents / Q000592:standards; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D061665:Time-to-Treatment / Q000458:organization & administration; D016896:Treatment Outcome