title: Stent for Life in Portugal: This initiative is here to stay.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Portugal has one of the lowest rates of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI) in Western Europe. This study assessed the progress of Portuguese p-PCI performance indicators one year after Portugal joined the Stent for Life (SFL) initiative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two national surveys were carried out, each covering a period of one month: the first when Portugal joined the SFL in 2011 (Moment Zero), and the second one year later (Moment One). A total of 397 consecutive patients with probable ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were enrolled (201 at Moment Zero and 196 at Moment One) from 15 centers. During this period, the number of patients who arrived at a local hospital without p-PCI decreased (62-47%; p=0.004) and transportation to a p-PCI hospital by the National Institute for Medical Emergencies (INEM) increased significantly (13-37%; p<0.001). Shorter times to revascularization were observed, due to shorter patient delay (118-102 min; p=0.008). Door-to-balloon delay and system delay remained unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvements in performance indicators for p-PCI demonstrate the success of the first year of the local SFL plan, which was mainly focused on raising public awareness of the need to use the INEM emergency services, which has reduced patient delay, and on improving secondary transportation.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Dpt, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal. Electronic address: helder@netcabo.pt.
authors.forename: Hélder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Dpt, CCUL, CAML, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Fausto J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Dpt, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calé
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Dpt, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Dpt, Hospital Braga, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Dpt, Hospital St(a) Cruz, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: SFL Project Manager, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Mello
authors.affiliation: ISCTE-IUL University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dias Martins
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000601:surgery*; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D011174:Portugal; D015607:Stents
keywords: Acute myocardial infarction; Angioplastia primária; Enfarte agudo do miocárdio; Primary percutaneous coronary intervention; Stent