The protocols include:
- standardized emergency department cardiac catheterization lab activation criteria,
- a STEMI safe handoff checklist,
- immediate transfer to an available catheterization lab, and
- using the radial artery in the wrist as the first option for under-the-skin coronary intervention, like stenting, instead of through the groin.
The study looked at 1,833 consecutive STEMI patients at 10 of Cleveland Clinic’s hospitals in Northeast Ohio from 2014-2019. Separately, patients treated from 2011-2014 were studied as a control group. Thanks to implementing these protocols, Cleveland Clinic eliminated the gender disparities in care, mortality and in major adverse events. Women also had a more than 50% reduction in the risk of dying in the hospital with a STEMI heart attack. Still, gender disparities remain – women still faced a significantly higher rate of bleeding even after the STEMI protocols, and researchers are continuing to examine ways to reduce the bleeding issue.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, with 17.9 million deaths per year, according to the World Health Organization. Previous studies have shown that women with STEMI traditionally had worse clinical outcomes, including higher mortality and higher rates of serious complications such as recurrent heart attack or stroke. Samir Kapadia, M.D., chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, added, “This study shows that excellent processes and expert care can provide uniform expeditious care to all patients with this type of serious heart attack, resulting in unparalleled outcomes.”
Source: Cleveland Clinic
Source: Healthcare in Europe
