Direct admission to cath lab for primary PCI lowers death risk in STEMI patients: JAHA

Israel: Direct admission of PPCI-treated patients with STEMI to the cath lab decreases mortality by shortening D2B and P2B intervals, suggests a recent study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Thus, all efforts should be extended to shorten pain‐to‐balloon (P2B) interval in such patients. 

In simpler words these findings support efforts to increase the proportion of STEMI patients requiring primary PCI who are directly admitted instead of being admitted via the emergency department. The researchers stress on the significance of educating the public, emergency medical crews, and staff about the importance of lowering the P2B interval.

Shortening the pain‐to‐balloon (P2B) and door‐to‐balloon (D2B) intervals is essential in patients with ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in order to limit myocardial damage. Simcha R. Meisel, Technion‐Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel, and colleagues investigated whether direct admission of PPCI‐treated patients with STEMI to the catheterization laboratory, bypassing the emergency department, expedites reperfusion and improves prognosis. 

Consecutive PPCI‐treated patients with STEMI included in the ACSIS (Acute Coronary Syndrome in Israel Survey), a prospective nationwide multicenter registry, were divided into patients admitted directly or via the emergency department. The impact of the P2B and D2B intervals on mortality was compared between groups. Of the 4839 PPCI‐treated patients with STEMI, 1174 were admitted directly and 3665 via the emergency department. 

"Direct admission decreases mortality in PPCI‐treated patients with STEMI by shortening P2B and D2B intervals considerably. P2B, but not D2B, impacted mortality," wrote the authors. "Thus, all efforts should be extended to shorten P2B by educating the public to activate early the emergency medical services to bypass the emergency department and allow timely PPCI for the best outcome."

The study titled, "Direct Admission of Patients With ST‐Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction to the Catheterization Laboratory Shortens Pain‐to‐Balloon and Door‐to‐Balloon Time Intervals but Only the Pain‐to‐Balloon Interval Impacts Short‐ and Long‐Term Mortality," is published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

DOI: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.018343