VIDEO: International societies highlight regional successes in managing ACS

CHICAGO — Richard A. Chazal, MD, medical director of the Heart and Vascular Institute for Lee Memorial Health System in Ft. Myers, Fla., and president of the American College of Cardiology, reviews international perspectives on management of ACS.

The “fascinating” joint session of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology, ACC Italy Chapter and the ACC showcased issues specific to each location, which Chazal said offer information that can be leveraged to improve care around the world.

He highlights the utility of thrombolytic agents in the densely-populated city of Sao Paolo, where door-to-balloon times are impacted significantly by traffic congestion. “That information could be extrapolated to other populations around the globe where primary PCI may not be available for different sets of reasons.”

Chazal also praises the work undertaken in Italy looking at performance measures and achieving goals. “We all know that the only way to really improve care is to first carefully analyze our own data so we can find the gaps. The Italians have done a remarkable job in a very transparent way.”