Context:
The state government, in partnership with Lucknow’s Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), has launched the UP STEMI Care Program.
More On News:
- The initiative aims to tackle the alarming increase in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), a severe and time-sensitive form of heart attack.
- It focuses on ensuring early diagnosis and prompt treatment, particularly in rural and underserved areas within the district and surrounding regions.
- This program represents a significant step forward in reducing preventable cardiac deaths in UP.
- By combining medical expertise with government support, UP is establishing a model that can be replicated nationwide.
- The program follows a hub-and-spoke model that ensures prompt thrombolysis (clot-busting treatment) at peripheral hospitals.
- It facilitates rapid referrals to tertiary care centers like SGPGIMS for advanced cardiac procedures such as PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention).
- The initiative involves distributing tenecteplase, a powerful fibrinolytic drug, and implementing tele-ECG technology for real-time diagnosis and timely treatment initiation.
- This strategy enables community and district hospitals (spokes) to administer fibrinolysis within the vital first hour of a heart attack, while specialized hubs like SGPGIMS provide advanced care within 3 to 24 hours.
- This approach effectively bridges the crucial gap between immediate treatment and expert cardiac care.
About STEMI
- STEMI is the most severe form of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), a group of conditions characterized by a sudden reduction in blood flow to the heart.
- The development of STEMI occurs as follows:
- A fatty deposit called plaque accumulates in the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart.
- This buildup can rupture, causing a tear in the plaque.
- In response, blood clots form at the site of the tear to seal it.
- These clots can completely block the artery.
- When the artery is blocked, the part of the heart muscle it supplies is deprived of oxygen, a condition known as ischemia.
- As a result, some heart muscle tissue begins to die, leading to a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack.
- Types of STEMI
- Anterior STEMI
- Inferior or Lateral STEMI
- Posterior STEM
