The German experience with primary angioplasty.

From July 1994 to October 1998, 4280 primary PTCA procedures were entered into the registry of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Leitender Kardiologischer Krankenhausärzte. The success rate of PTCA, as defined by TIMI-3 perfusion of the infarct-related artery was 87.1%, in-hospital mortality was 10.2% and 2.6% had reinfarction. The most powerful predictors of death were cardiogenic shock present in 14.6% of whom 47% died, and failed PTCA with a mortality of 32%. Stents were used in 4.1% in 1994 increasing to 64.5% in 1998 without significant changes in success rates, but associated with a slight decrease in mortality and reinfarction rates.