[The door-to-balloon time in primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction:...

To investigate whether current clinical practices are consistent with the guidelines of STEMI about door-to-balloon time and the factors associated with the delay of PCI.

A total of 219 patients, who were admitted to our hospital during 2004 to 2005, were included in this study. Demographic data, clinical characteristics and the exact time of symptom presentation, registration at the emergency department and the first ballooning were retrospectively evaluated.

The median door-to-balloon time was 135 minutes, and only 24.7% of the patients achieved a door-to-balloon time of less than 90 minutes. Patients who did not present in routine working hours were less likely to receive reperfusion therapy within current recommended time (P < 0.001, OR = 3.413, 95%CI 1.805 - 6.452).

Many patients with STEMI were not treated within the recommended door-to-balloon time. Presentation of the patients out of working hours is one of the independent predictors of door-to-balloon time delay in primary angioplasty.