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Coronary artery disease
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Impact of call-to-balloon time on 30-day mortality in contemporary practice
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  • Published on: 14 February 2017
    Time metrics for reperfusion therapy and failure to achieve Guideline mandated times with P-PCI
    • Anthony H Gershlcik, Professor of Interventional Cardiology University Hospitals of Leicester Leicester UK LE3 9QP
    • Other Contributors:
      • Frans Van de Werf, Professor of Cardiology
      • Paul W Armstrong, Professor of Cardiology

    We read with interest the article by Varcoe et al (Heart Jan 15 th 20917) “Impact of call-to-balloon time on 30-day mortality in contemporary practice” We were not surprised by the results which indicate yet again that patients with delays to reperfusion suffer worse mortality rates - the concept of timely reperfusion in STEMI has been previously very well documented, and its importance recognised for some time. Thus de Lucca (1), Cannon (2) and others (3) reported data >10 years ago which supported the concept that mortality rates increase when important time metrics are not achieved. Time dependent infarct size is considered the cause (4)
    When the National Infarct Angioplasty Project (NIAP) was established in 2008 with the explicit aim of rolling out P-PCI in the UK, everyone involved in care of STEMI patients thought it was a good idea to go with a policy of one STEMI management strategy, for simplicity. No-one doubted that P-PCI should become the standard of care. Some (including the authors of this letter - one of whom served on NIAP) voiced concerns however that, based on the published data, achieving guideline mandated times was essential, and that this might be difficult to achieve with P-PCI in patients transferred from more rural regions. There was assurance from Department of Health that >95% of patients were “within distance” of a P-PCI centre. We tried to point out that being “within distance”, and being within the mandated times were very differe...

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    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.