CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY IN QATAR - THE FIRST 10 YEARS

Cardiac catheterization in Qatar was initiated in July 1982. In ten ye ars, a total of 3900 procedures were performed at Hamad General Hospit al. Computerized data registry has been maintained since 1982. Isolate d coronary angiography was done in 2911 patients; of these, 2635 (90.5 %) were men, and 276 (9.5%) were women, the average age of the patient s was 47 +/- 9.2 years (range, twenty-five to eighty-eight). Patients' nationality was Qatari in 492 (17%), and other Arabs in 610 (21%), an d 1512 (52%) were from the Asian subcontinent. Myocardial infarction w as the most common indication (43%). Single-vessel disease was found i n 638 (22%), two-vessel disease in 630 (22%), three-vessel disease in 950 (33%), and nonsignificant coronary artery disease in 693 (24%) pat ients. Morbidity related to the coronary angiography was reported in 1 47 (5%) patients, but there was no mortality related to the procedure. In 822 (28%) patients, the age was forty years or younger. The angiog raphic findings of these younger patients were compared with those of the older ones. Younger patients were usually men of Asian subcontinen tal origin with a recent myocardial infarction (MI). Often, they had n ormal coronary arteries or single-vessel disease. Patients of Asian su bcontinent origin were usually young male patients with a recent MI, w ho receive streptokinase, and have single-vessel disease.