Irish Heart Attack Audit National Report 2022 and 2023

Irish Heart Attack Audit National Report 2022 and 2023 Image

This is the third Irish Heart Attack Audit National Report, reporting on data from 3,102 patients with an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who received treatment in one of the 10 primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centres in Ireland, and on data from their referring hospitals, during 2022 and 2023.

The data provide detailed information about the care received, the processes of care delivered and the outcomes of patients with a STEMI, enabling each participating hospital to benchmark itself against comparable hospitals in Ireland.


Key Findings

The report presents data from 3,102 patients treated in one of the ten primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centres in Ireland in 2022 and 2023. A key finding from the report indicates that 55% of patients were brought directly by ambulance to a PCI centre, a decrease from 58% in 2021. It finds that there has been a reduction in the proportion of eligible patients who received reperfusion treatment and underscores the importance of timely treatment on mortality and long-term heart function.

Key Recommendations

Recommendation 1

All percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centres, non-PCI-capable hospitals, and ambulance services should participate in the STEMI care pathway quality improvement project.

Recommendation 2

The Health Service Executive should increase the proportion of patients arriving at a PCI centre directly by ambulance through the delivery of a public awareness campaign aimed at the appropriate use of the ambulance service.

Recommendation 3

The Irish Heart Attack Audit should complete a survey of PCI networks.

Recommendation 4

The Irish Heart Attack Audit should report on patients who self-present in all hospitals as a separate cohort and align the timeliness targets with the 2023 European Society of Cardiology guideline.