door-to-balloon time
The time interval from hospital arrival to balloon inflation during primary percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI patients.
Full Definition
Door-to-balloon time is a critical quality metric representing the time elapsed from a patient's arrival at the hospital emergency department to the inflation of a balloon catheter during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Current guidelines recommend achieving door-to-balloon times of 90 minutes or less to optimize patient outcomes and minimize myocardial damage. This metric reflects the efficiency of the entire STEMI care pathway, including emergency department triage, diagnosis confirmation, catheterization laboratory activation, and procedural preparation. Shorter door-to-balloon times are associated with reduced mortality, smaller infarct size, and better preserved left ventricular function.
Usage
Usage note: Target is ≤90 minutes for STEMI patients; distinguish from door-to-needle time for thrombolysis.
In Context
- "The hospital achieved a door-to-balloon time of 75 minutes for this STEMI patient." — Quality improvement report
- "Protocol modifications were implemented to reduce average door-to-balloon times below the 90-minute target." — STEMI program evaluation