Call to Shorten The Time Since Heart Attack to Intervention in Hospital

The time since heart attack to angioplasty in hospitals is often delayed. After heart attack the blocked artery that was supplying the area of heart muscle dies and gradually replaced by fibrous tissue. That causes dysfunction  in the muscular contraction. Angiography and angioplasty was typically delayed till patient gets stabilized.
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The time taken in re-establishing the circulation to the part of tissue is crucial for the health of the muscle.

The current guideline says;

• That for patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction who is candidate to receive primary percutaneous coronary intervention that the time from hospital arrival to mechanical reperfusion, should not exceed 90 minutes.

In developed countries during the last five years the door-to-balloon time has declined markedly with corresponding increases in the percentage of patients who had times <90 minutes.

More liaison between the primary care center and the higher centers having the facility of angioplasty is the key, besides the quick mode of transport.

It is the time for India act in this direction to minimize the complication rate after a heart attack.