• Steen Dalby Kristensen, Jean Fajadet, Carlo Di Mario, Zuzana Kaifoszova, Kristina Grønborg Laut, Dan Deleanu, Martine Gilard, Giulio Guagliumi, Omer Goktekin, Julia Jorgova, John Kanakakis, Miodrag Ostojic, Helder Pereira, Manel Sabate, Mohamed Sobhy, Christiaan Vrints, William Wijns, and Petr Widimsky.
• Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Denmark. steendk@dadlnet.dk
• EuroIntervention. 2012 May 15; 8 (1): 35-42.

AimsPrimary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the recommended treatment for patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Despite substantial evidence of its effectiveness, a 2007 study reported that only 40-45% of European STEMI patients were treated with PPCI, with large variations in treatment availability between countries. In 2008, the Stent for Life (SFL) initiative was launched by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions and EuroPCR in partnership with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Acute Cardiac Care and country-specific national cardiac societies. The aim is to promote the prioritisation of percutaneous coronary intervention treatment towards those who will benefit most, namely STEMI patients. The following countries are currently participating: Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Turkey.Methods And ResultsSince SFL was launched, several activities have been initiated in the participating countries. Preliminary reports suggest that major increases have been seen in the numbers of PPCI performed, with some countries reporting very significant increases in PPCI use from 2008-2010. Improvements in STEMI mortality rates have also been observed.ConclusionsThis report summarises the progress of the SFL initiative in the 10 target countries.

21 keywords...

hide…