July 7 (BTA) - In 2019, Bulgaria's non-standardized
hospital case fatality rate for a heart attack (myocardial
infarction) stood at 7.7 per cent with 11,644 hospitalizations,
compared to 7.3 per cent with 11,908 hospitalizations in 2018,
show data from health institutions in the country analysed
within the Hospital Index joint initiative of Gallup
International and clinica.bg. The rate varied three-fold across
Bulgaria's 28 regions, ranging from 14.3 per cent with 84
hospitalizations in Turgovishte Region to 4.5 per cent with 331
hospitalizations in Montana Region.

Compared to 2018, the case fatality rate for heart attack
hospitalizations across Bulgaria changed by several percentage
points for some regions. In Turgovishte and Smolyan, it
increased by nearly 5.9 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively,
 while in Dobrich it dropped by 3.4 per cent.

Among the possible reasons for the case mortality rate varying
between regions is the population's age structure, access to and
 quality of medical care, the experts comment.

In 2019, Bulgaria had a total of 58 catheterization labs located
 in 24 regions.

The severity of the cases is also a factor that influences the
outcome of heart attack hospitalizations. According to data of
the National Health Insurance Fund for 2019, 76 per cent of the
11,644 hearth attack hospitalizations were registered as most
urgent.

Additional factors include the time it takes the patient to
reach the hospital, the number and qualification of the hospital
 staff, as well as the treatment applied, but public information
 on these is currently unavailable, the Hospital Index
initiative notes.

NV/DS



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