11.07.2015 Views

National Audit of Angioplasty Procedures - HQIP

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1Executive summaryCoronary heart disease accounts forabout one in five deaths in men and onein six deaths in women. The British HeartFoundation estimate that angina affectsapproximately two million people living inthe United Kingdom.Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)is a rapidly evolving technique used totreat patients with narrowed or blockedarteries that supply the heart musclewith blood. The procedure mechanicallyimproves blood flow to the heart. Initiallythe patient has a ‘coronary angiogram’,x-ray images <strong>of</strong> the heart arteries arecreated, to visualise the position andshape <strong>of</strong> any narrowing or blockages.If the clinical circumstances and theangiogram findings suggest blood flow tothe heart must be modified, the majority <strong>of</strong>patients will be treated by PCI (a minoritywill be treated by coronary artery bypasssurgery). During PCI, a small balloon isinserted in to the narrowed artery andinflated. This squashes the fatty tissuecausing the blockage and widens theartery. In most cases a ‘stent’, a metalmesh scaffold, is implanted. The stentremains permanently in place and keepsthe artery wall open. Treatment aimsto prevent the arteries blocking (whichmight cause a heart attack) and improveflow to the heart muscle to alleviate thesymptoms <strong>of</strong> angina.The audit described here allows cliniciansto assess key aspects <strong>of</strong> the patternsand quality <strong>of</strong> their care when performingcoronary angiogram and PCI. This is a UKwide audit led by the <strong>Audit</strong> Lead <strong>of</strong> theBritish Cardiovascular Intervention Society(BCIS). Data collection and analysis forcentres in England and Wales has projectmanagement and specialist IT supportprovided by NICOR which is part <strong>of</strong> theUCL Institute <strong>of</strong> Cardiovascular Science.4

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