[Door-to-balloon time and in-hospital mortality in patients with ST-evaluation myocardial infarction: a network experience in a province in northwest Tuscany, Italy].

BACKGROUND

A network system for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients offers a quick diagnosis and a rapid transfer to a specialized center for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between door-to-balloon time and in-hospital mortality in our network of STEMI patients.

METHODS

Our Hub & Spoke network in the province of Massa-Carrara in the northwest of Tuscany Region, Italy, began in April 2006. This program involved 5 Spoke and 1 Hub centers, 1 medical helicopter, 3 advanced life support ambulances with direct transmission of the ECG and vital parameters to our cath lab on call 24h a day for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Data regarding clinical, echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters, the door-to-balloon (DTB) time and their impact on mortality were analyzed.

RESULTS

Up to January 2008, 312 STEMI patients were enrolled (242 male, mean age 66.6 +/- 12.3 years). The DTB time was 93 min (79-117, 25th-75th percentile, respectively). The gold standard of a DTB < or = 90 min was reached in 47.1% of patients. In-hospital mortality was associated with a longer DTB time as compared to alive patients (92 vs 120 min, p < 0.03). Two geographic areas of our territory were considered: the coast and the mountain area. Patients from the coast (n = 238) had a DTB time lower than patients from the mountain area (89.5 vs 122.5 min, p < 0.0001), and the risk of in-hospital mortality was significantly and independently correlated with the increase in DTB time (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS; Our data confirm the correlation between DTB time and in-hospital mortality. More efforts are necessary to reduce the time to treatment and mortality rates.