As a subject matter expert in healthcare, particularly in the field of cardiology, I can provide you with an accurate definition of "door-to-balloon time." Door-to-balloon time, often abbreviated as D2B time, is a critical metric used in the healthcare industry to measure the efficiency of treating patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which is a type of heart attack. The term "door" refers to the time a patient enters the hospital, and "balloon" refers to the time when a balloon used in a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure is inflated to open a blocked coronary artery. This time frame is crucial because the quicker the blocked artery is opened, the less damage is done to the heart muscle, and the better the patient's chances of survival and recovery. The American Heart Association (AHA) has set a guideline that the door-to-balloon time should ideally be under 90 minutes. This guideline is based on evidence that shows a significant reduction in mortality rates when the time to treatment is minimized. read more >>

Door-to-balloon is a time measurement in emergency cardiac care (ECC), specifically in the treatment of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (or STEMI).read more >>