Question

What is your goal for PCI when treating this patient?

First medical contact-to-balloon inflation time of 90 mins
First medical contact-to-needle time of 30 mins
Door-to-needle time of 90 mins
Door-to-balloon inflation time of 30 mins

Answer 1

In treating a patient with an angioplasty, the goal is to have a first medical contact-to-balloon time of 90 minutes or less and a door-to-balloon time of 30 minutes to optimize patient outcomes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The goal for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), commonly known as angioplasty, when treating a patient with myocardial infarction (heart attack) is to restore blood flow to the heart muscle as quickly as possible. The optimal timing targets are:

• First medical contact-to-balloon inflation time of 90 minutes or less.
• Door-to-balloon inflation time of 30 minutes for patients arriving at the hospital.

These are benchmarks for rapid response to heart attacks that are widely accepted by medical professionals to maximize patient outcomes and minimize heart damage.

During an angioplasty, a catheter with a balloon at its tip is inserted into a blood vessel, usually in the leg, and carefully guided to the site of the blockage in the heart. Once in place, the balloon is inflated to compress the plaque against the wall of the artery, opening the vessel and improving blood flow. A stent may be placed at the location to keep the artery open.