In-hospital mortality following acute myocardial infarction in Kosovo: a single center study
Gani Bajraktari1, Kimete Thaqi, Shqipe Pacolli
1Second Division of Cardiology, Internal Medicine Clinic, University Cinical Centre of Kosova and the Medical Faculty, University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Republic of Kosovo. ganibajraktari@yahoo.co.uk
Insights
Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Kosovo face higher in-hospital mortality rates, especially women. Lack of advanced treatments like percutaneous coronary intervention may contribute to these outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Primary angioplasty is superior to intravenous thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
- Kosovo's sole tertiary care center lacks percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capabilities.
- This study examines in-hospital mortality for AMI patients in Kosovo.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess in-hospital mortality rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients in Kosovo.
- To evaluate the influence of age and gender on AMI in-hospital mortality.
- To compare AMI patient demographics and outcomes in Kosovo with developed countries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of consecutive AMI patients admitted between 1999 and 2007.
- Data collected from the primary tertiary care center in Kosovo.
- In-hospital mortality, age, and gender were key variables analyzed.
Main Results:
- Overall in-hospital mortality for AMI was 10.25% (292/2848 patients).
- Women experienced higher mortality (12.3%) than men (9.5%), and were older on average.
- Despite increasing patient age over time, mortality rates remained stable.
Conclusions:
- AMI patients in Kosovo present younger but have higher mortality than in developed nations.
- Higher in-hospital mortality in women with AMI was observed.
- Limited access to PCI procedures likely contributes to elevated mortality rates in Kosovo.
Background And Objectives:
Randomized trials have demonstrated that primary angioplasty is more effective than intravenous thrombolysis in reducing mortality and morbidity in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of this study was to assess the in-hospital mortality of patients with AMI admitted to the only tertiary care center in Kosovo, where coronary percutaneous intervention procedures are unavailable. We also assessed the impact of age and gender on in-hospital mortality.
Patients And Methods:
Consecutive patients with the diagnosis of AMI, admitted in our institution between 1999 and 2007, were included in this retrospective study.
Results:
Of 2848 patients (mean age 61+/-11.3 years, 73.4% males) admitted with AMI, 292 (10.25%) patients died during in-hospital stay. The overall in-hospital mortality was 12.3% for women and 9.5% for men (P<.05). Women were significantly older than men (64.2+/-11 years vs 59.7+/-11.8 years, P<.05). Mean length of stay was 12.0+/-94 for women and 10.7+/-7.6 for men. From 1999 to 2007 there was an increase in the age of patients with AMI but the mortality rate remained stable.
Conclusions:
Compared to developed countries, patients with AMI in Kosovo present at an earlier age but have a higher mortality rate. Women with AMI had a significantly higher in-hospital mortality rate than men. The lack of percutaneous coronary intervention procedures in AMI patients may have contributed to the high in-hospital mortality in our population.
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