How to set up regional STEMI networks: a "Stent - Save a life!" initiative
Alfonsina Candiello, Thomas Alexander, Rhena Delport, Gabor Toth Toth, Paul Ong, Adriaan Snyders, Jorge Belardi Belardi, Michael Lee Lee, Helder Pereira, Awad Mohamed, Jorge Mayol, Jan Piek Piek, William Wijns, Andreas Baumbach, Christoph Naber
Abstract
Clinical guidelines recommend the development of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) networks at community, regional and/or national level to ideally offer primary coronary angioplasty, or at least the best available STEMI care to all patients. However, there is a discrepancy between this clinical recommendation and daily practice, with no coordinated care for STEMI patients in many regions of the world. While this can be a consequence of lack of resources, in reality it is more frequently a lack of organisational power. In this paper, the Stent - Save a Life! Initiative (www.stentsavealife.com) proposes a practical methodology to set up a STEMI network effectively in any region of the world with existing resources, and to develop the STEMI network continuously once it has been established.