Primary percutaneous coronary intervention network in economically less developed country

The main goal of this investigation is to evaluate primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) network in economically less developed country and to compare them with economically more developed countries. The Republic of Croatia, with gross domestic product per capita of 11, 554 US $ in the year 2008, is economically less developed western country. The authors prospectively investigated 677 non-transferred, 513 transferred acute STEMI patients treated with primary PCI in eight centers across Croatia (Croatian Primary PCI Network). Postprocedural TIMI flow, in-hospital mortality, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (mortality, pectoral angina, restenosis, reinfarction, coronary artery by-pass graft and cerebrovascular accident rate) in the six-month follow-up were investigated. In all investigated patients the average door-to balloon time was 108 minutes and total ischemic time 265 minutes, postprocedural TIMI 3 flow was established in 87.1% of them, while in-hospital mortality was 4.4%. No statistically significant difference in the results of treatment was found between transferred and non-transferred patients in general, as well as in subgroups of older than 75 years, female gender and those with cardiogenic shock. Croatian Primary PCI Network ensures results of treatment of acute STEMI comparable to those of randomised studies and registries of economically more developed countries in all parts of Croatia and even in STEMI patients with higher risk profile