TY - JOUR T1 - Five years of Stent for Life in Portugal JO - Revista Portuguesa de Cardiologia (English edition) T2 - AU - Pereira,Hélder AU - Calé,Rita AU - Pereira,Ernesto AU - Mello,Sofia AU - Vitorino,Sílvia AU - Jerónimo de Sousa,Pedro AU - Monteiro,Sílvia AU - Pinto,Fausto J. AU - Ramos,Raquel AU - Coelho dos Santos,Pedro AU - Ferreira,João AU - Silveira,João AU - Morais,João SN - 21742049 M3 - 10.1016/j.repce.2020.05.023 DO - 10.1016/j.repce.2020.05.023 UR - https://www.revportcardiol.org/en-five-years-stent-for-life-articulo-S2174204921000386 AB - ObjectiveTo analyze changes in performance indicators five years after Portugal joined the Stent for Life (SFL) initiative. MethodsNational surveys were carried out annually over one-month periods designated as study Time Points between 2011 (Time Zero) and 2016 (Time Five). In this study, 1340 consecutive patients with suspected ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent coronary angiography, admitted to 18 24/7 primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centers, were enrolled. ResultsThere was a significant reduction in the proportion of patients who attended primary healthcare centers (20.3% vs. 4.8%, p<0.001) and non-PCI-capable centers (54.5% vs. 42.5%, p=0.013). The proportions of patients who called 112, the national emergency medical services (EMS) number (35.2% vs. 46.6%, p=0.022) and of those transported via the EMS to a PCI-capable center (13.1% vs. 30.5%, p<0.001) increased. The main improvement observed in timings for revascularization was a trend toward a reduction in patient delay (114 min in 2011 vs. 100 min in 2016, p=0.050). System delay and door-to-balloon time remained constant, at a median of 134 and 57 min in 2016, respectively. ConclusionDuring the lifetime of the SFL initiative in Portugal, there was a positive change in patient delay indicators, especially the lower proportion of patients who attended non-PCI centers, along with an increase in those who called 112. System delay did not change significantly over this period. These results should be taken into consideration in the current Stent – Save a Life initiative. ER -