PDL BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: PDLI) recently announced the results of a survey which revealed that a considerable number (24%) of U.S. cardiologists and emergency physicians were unaware of current heart attack treatment guidelines, with a majority (61%) believing that there is a significant opportunity to improve heart attack treatment in the U.S. by improving patient education about early heart attack symptoms and the need to expedite treatment to quickly restore blood flow to the heart.
Supported by PDL BioPharma, Inc, the said survey results have been presented by W. Frank Peacock, M.D. (Vice Chief of Emergency Medicine Research at Cleveland Clinic) at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Scientific Assembly held October 15-18 in New Orleans, La.
According to Dr. Peacock:
"We found a lack of physician awareness of national treatment guidelines in the U.S., which means many patients may not be receiving the life-saving treatments they need in a timely manner.
The goal of heart attack management is to minimize damage to the heart muscle caused by a lack of blood flow stemming from a clogged artery. Each minute that ticks by without treatment translates to more damage, disability and potential death.
A systematic, coordinated approach to restoring blood flow to the heart - either mechanically through a balloon angioplasty or through clot-dissolving drug therapy when angioplasty is not possible - is paramount to fixing the system.
However, this will only occur if patients learn to properly identify heart attack symptoms when they arise and promptly call 9-1-1 and emergency physicians and cardiologists overcome barriers to work together toward a solution."
The survey showed that a substantial percentage of the survey participants were not at all familiar or only somewhat familiar with the 2004 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines for the Management of Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) –a guideline focused largely on crucial timing needed to administer both mechanical and pharmacological methods to restore blood flow to the heart while causing as little damage to the patient as possible.
Find more details from the press release.
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