Heart guidelines highlight need for speed

Tuesday November 18th, 2008

By Leigh Parry

New European guidelines on heart attack management have emphasised the need for fast action and the importance of reperfusion - therapy to restore blood flow to the heart.

The guidelines, developed by a task force of the European Society of Cardiology, are published in the November 13 online issue of the European Heart Journal.

They cover management of STEMI (ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction), which accounts for one third of all acute coronary events.

The major recommendations relate to emergency systems and a speedy emphasis on reperfusion therapy, performed either by percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI, with balloon angioplasty and stent) or thrombolysis treatment.

The guidelines stated that primary PCI was the 'preferred treatment', if available within two hours of first medical contact.

If PCI was not possible within two hours, pre or in-hospital thrombolysis should be performed as soon as possible after first medical contact and within half an hour at the latest, the guidelines said.

They also recommend that most patients, following successful thrombolysis, should be routinely referred for angiography.

Professor Frans Van De Werf, task force chairman, said the guidelines were important.

He said their broad uptake and adoption would make a "huge difference" to heart attack survival rates.

Eur Heart J 2008;doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehn416

Tags: Europe | Heart Health

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