What does PCI mean in medical terms

PCI refers to percutaneous coronary intervention, a treatment method that uses cardiac catheter technology to open the lumen of narrowed or occluded coronary arteries, thus effectively improving the blood perfusion of the myocardium. It is one of the most common and important methods for the treatment of coronary artery disease because it is less invasive, has a high rate of vessel opening, and has a faster postoperative recovery. In general, PCI is indicated for the treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and unstable angina pectoris. In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, PCI is often the treatment of choice, and thrombolytic therapy is often used when PCI is not available. In patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and unstable angina, PCI treatment can reduce the likelihood of coronary events and mortality. Although PCI relieves patients of stenotic vascular lesions, patients with PCI are still subject to cardiogenic death, revascularization, myocardial infarction, and other adverse events after the procedure due to the persistence of risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity. Postoperative cardiac monitoring and arterial blood pressure monitoring should be performed, and sheath and wound care should be done. Postoperative arterial sheaths need to be retained for 6-8 hours, and patients should be kept in a supine position with the punctured side limb straightened to prevent sheath distortion and rupture, and be closely observed for blood leakage. After extubation, pressure dressing is performed, local wound compression is applied for 6 hours, and the punctured side is braked for 12-24 hours, and the wound is observed for bleeding and other conditions.