Influence of Geographical Location on Access to Reperfusion Therapies and Mortality of Patients with STEMI in Sergipe: VICTIM Register

Background  The concentration of high-complexity services in Aracaju, Sergipe can impose certain disparity in the quality of care for the patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) (STEMI) who receive care from Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS, acronym in Portuguese) and whose symptoms started in other health regions of the state.

Objective  To evaluate disparities in access to reperfusion therapies and 30-day mortality, among patients with STEMI, who were users of SUS, in each of the 7 health regions of Sergipe.

Methods  A total of 844 patients with STEMI in the period from 2014 to 2018, assisted by the only hospital with the capacity to offer primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) to SUS users in the state of Sergipe, were evaluated. The patients were divided into 7 groups according to the location at the onset of symptoms, following the existing division of health regions in the state. For comparison between groups, a significant difference was considered when p < 0.05.

Results  Of the total of 844 patients suffering from STEMI who were transferred to the hospital with PPCI that serves SUS patients, 386 patients (45.8%) underwent primary angioplasty. The mean rate of fibrinolytic use was 2.6%, with no differences between the regions. The mean total time of arrival to the hospital with PPCI was 21 hours and 55 minutes, with a median of 10 hours and 22 minutes (6 hours and 30 minutes to 22 hours and 52 minutes). Total 30-day mortality was 12.8%, but without differences between the regions, even when adjusted for age and sex.

Conclusions  This study reveals that fibrinolytics are underused throughout the state and that there is a significant delay in access to the hospital with PPCI, in all health regions of Sergipe.

Cardiovascular Diseases; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardial Reperfusion; Mortality; Epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies