Coronary angioplasty is a technique for unblocking arteries carrying blood to the heart muscle. A small balloon at the tip of a catheter tube is inserted via an artery in the groin or arm and guided to the blocked heart artery. It is then inflated and removed, leaving in place a 'stent' - a rigid support which squashes the fatty deposit blocking the artery, allowing blood to flow more easily. Primary angioplasty is the main and first treatment for patients suffering a heart attack.

The key to improving outcomes after heart attack is to re-establish coronary artery flow as quickly as possible and limit damage to the heart muscle.

Thrombolysis, or treatment with thrombolytic drugs, describes the use of clot dissolving drugs in people suffering from heart attacks. These drugs help reverse the effects of a heart attack by opening the blocked coronary artery and returning the blood supply to the affected part of the heart again. Thrombolytic treatment can be given up to twelve hours after the onset of the symptoms of a heart attack but it is most effective when given within the first two hours.

About the Audit

The National Infarct Angioplasty Project (NIAP) will test the feasibility of offering primary angioplasty (angioplasty as an emergency treatment for heart attacks) on a nationwide basis as an alternative to thrombolysis (treatment with clot-busting drugs) immediately following a heart attack.

The audit examines the logistical difficulties of providing primary angioplasty in different medical settings and geographic locations.