STEMI INDIA

STEMI INDIA was founded in 2012 with the goal of improving the management and care of STEMI patients by providing educating, training and support to those involved in STEMI care in India.

The STEMI INDIA model is a proponent of the pharmaco-invasive strategy in order to shorten the time to reperfusion for many patients who live outside of urban areas and who do not have access to PPCI within the guideline recommended time window. The STEMI INDIA model is a hub-and-spoke based system, with a centralised PCI-capable facility serving as the hub and smaller, regional hospitals serving as the spokes. The “spoke” hospitals are connected electronically and through EMS to the hubs.

A STEMI INDIA pilot study was conducted in the state of Tamil Nadu in southeast India. The study consisted of four hub hospitals located in Chennai, Vellore, and Coimbatore. The primary and secondary outcomes were proportion of STEMI patients undergoing coronary angiography/PCI, and 1-year mortality, respectively.

STEMI INDIA co-founder Dr. Thomas Alexander reports that the pilot study in Tamil Nadu was a success and has piqued the interest of other regions in India. Furthermore, he states this pilot study “could serve as a model STEMI system of care for low- and middle-income countries.”