The Portuguese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention (APIC) appointed João Brum Silveira , Hospital da Luz interventional cardiologist, to coordinate the campaign “ Stent Save a Life ” in Portugal. Gathering organizations from all over the world working in the area, the “Stent Save a Life” campaign views to define the best guidance in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction, improve the training of health professionals and access to care, as well as developing awareness initiatives near the population. “Portugal has been cited as a European example in the implementation of the initiative and we hope to remain so. The result of a joint work, with the initiative “Stent Save a Life” we aspire to improve the medical healthcare provided to the patient suffering infarction and access to the most adequate treatment”, states João Brum Silveira. The effort of this campaign “focuses on raising awareness in patients to the necessity of valuing the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction , and when such symptoms occur, the urgency of calling immediately 112 (the Portuguese national emergency number)”. This way, they can be “referred to a hospital qualified to apply the most adequate treatment – primary angioplasty – within the recommended time”. The acute myocardial infarction , or stroke, results from the obstruction of a heart artery, which causes part of the cardiac muscle to go into stress for lack of oxygen and nutrients. Such obstruction is usually caused by clot formation, due to rupture of a cholesterol plaque. The larger the coronary artery involved and the length of time the blood flow is interrupted, the larger the damages caused to the heart. Usually, the symptoms last over 20 minutes, but they can also be intermittent. They can occur all of a sudden or gradually, along several minutes. The most common symptoms people should be alert to, are: Chest pain (sometimes irradiating to the left arm, back and neck); Sweat, nausea, vomit, shortness of breath and anxiety (simultaneously with chest pain). “Remember: in acute myocardial infarction, every second counts. The earliness of diagnosis is vital (symptoms valuing) – which implies quicker treatment, with a significant reduction of the amount of cardiac muscle “lost”, allowing patients a better prognosis, that is, resuming a ‘normal’ life”, concludes João Brum Silveira. Stent Save a Life
