Stent for Life in Portugal: This initiative is here to stay

A systematic review of educational interventions aiming to reduce prehospital delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome

“…The systematic review of 12 184 articles resulted in 86 possible eligible full-text publications, of which 34 articles were finally included covering findings from a total of 18 educational interventions11 14 15 19–33 with a total of 180 914 participants (range: n=100–125 161) and a median of 1342 participants. Figure 1 shows the PRISMA flow chart of the study selection process, consisting of 5 RCTs,11 24 29–31 11 prepost studies14 15 21–23 25–28 32 33 and 2 outcome studies 19 20. The campaigns were carried out across eight countries in North-America (the USA,11 24–28 31 Canada33), Europe (Ireland,30 Portugal,22 Switzerland,14 23 Sweden15 21) and Australia 19 20 32.…”

“…Figure 1 shows the PRISMA flow chart of the study selection process, consisting of 5 RCTs,11 24 29–31 11 prepost studies14 15 21–23 25–28 32 33 and 2 outcome studies 19 20. The campaigns were carried out across eight countries in North-America (the USA,11 24–28 31 Canada33), Europe (Ireland,30 Portugal,22 Switzerland,14 23 Sweden15 21) and Australia 19 20 32. One campaign covered sites in the USA, Australia and New Zealand 29.…”

Striving to meet targets for ideal treatment of acute myocardial infarction in Brazil: Data from the Midwest region

“…Deficiencies in access to primary angioplasty in a timely manner are not exclusive to Brazil or even to less developed countries. In 2008, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), in conjunction with the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), launched the “Stent for Life” initiative to document and correct differences in opportunities to access primary angioplasty and to achieve universal implementation of the guidelines for AMI treatment in Europe . The first step was to diagnose the current situation of reperfusion treatment for AMI on the continent.…”

“…The first step was to diagnose the current situation of reperfusion treatment for AMI on the continent. The results of a register with data from more than 30 countries revealed large regional disparities in the implementation of primary angioplasty . The points at which the chain of AMI care failed were highlighted (Table ) and used as the basis to propose organizational models that could be adapted to the different requirements of European countries and their diverse health systems, to the structure of their emergency care services, and to the availability of hospitals with the capacity to provide treatment.…”

“…Each region has a specific economic situation and particular cultural habits, which directly influence the type and quality of medical care available in the different areas of the country, especially in more remote areas. However, like in the “Stent for Life” initiative, commitment to providing adequate guidance, with care tailored to the needs of specific regions, could be the solution to creating a culture of adequate treatment of STEMI in Brazil …”