Mortality from heart attacks in the Kirov region is being reduced thanks to the "green corridor."

      In the fourth department of anesthesiology and resuscitation, where patients from all over the Kirov region with severe vascular catastrophes (heart attacks, thromboembolisms, aortic dissection) converge, the "zero queue" rule is in effect. As the head of the department, Sergey Koshkin, explained, the routing of patients with acute coronary syndrome is designed to eliminate even a minute of delay.

      "A person bypasses the reception area and immediately ends up in resuscitation. While they are being placed on the bed, nurses, lab technicians, and radiology specialists work in parallel. All emergency diagnostic procedures take no more than 15-20 minutes. After that, the patient is already on the table in the radiology operating room, where a team of cardiologists and interventional radiologists is waiting for them," Sergey Koshkin explained.

      This approach allows for the prompt conduct of coronary angiography and, in most cases, immediate stenting — restoring blood flow in the affected artery. In complex situations, cardiac surgeons are immediately involved.

      Last year alone, the cardioreanimation department admitted about two thousand residents of the region. The average length of stay here is only 1-2 days — this time is sufficient for doctors to stabilize the critical condition and transfer the patient to the emergency cardiology department.

      The success of this strategy is confirmed by statistics: more than 85% of those admitted with a myocardial infarction return to normal within the first hours after hospitalization.

      The high level of equipment at the center is also indicated by the number of surgeries performed. The indicators for percutaneous vascular interventions (coronary angiography and stenting) here are almost twice the target "signal" values set by the Ministry of Health of Russia for vascular centers. The regional health ministry calls this direct evidence of the availability of high-tech assistance for residents of the region, regardless of the remoteness of their locality.

      To make emergency cardiac assistance even more accessible, a decision has been made in the region to expand the network of specialized institutions. This year, the opening of a second regional vascular center is planned — this time in Vyatskiye Polyany. The new unit will reduce the delivery time of patients from the southern territories of the region and lessen the burden on the existing department of the regional hospital.