The Euro Heart Survey Programme of the ESC conducted a Survey on Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) between June 2005 and January 2006. A total of 134 centers in 39 ESC member countries enrolled 13.152 consecutive patients undergoing PCI in clinical practice. The mean age of these patients was 64 years, 19% of this population was older than 75 years with a mean age of 79 years in this important subgroup of the elderly.
Nearly two thirds of the patients undergoing PCI presented with acute coronary syndromes, 42 % underwent PCI for stable angina as elective procedures. There was an equal distribution of 1-, 2- and 3-vessel disease in this population. Stents were used in 94% of all interventions, the rate of drug eluting stents throughout Europe was 42.5% with large differences between different countries ranging between 10% and 80%. There was a relatively low use of diagnostic (IVUS, pressure wire, flow wire) as well as therapeutic devices (thrombectomy, rotablation, distal protection) in clinical practice. The overall complication rate was low, with of course differences between the different indications for PCI (STEMI, NSTEMI, UA, stable angina).
Secondary prevention treatment after PCI using antiplatelet treatment as well as betablockers, ACE-inhibitors and statins was well according to existing guidelines. Detailed information about the full analysis of the PCI data which was presented during the WCC 2006 will be available at the webcast session of the ESC.