Development of Systems of Care for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients

Cardiac mortality benefit of direct admission to percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospital in acute myocardial infarction: Community registry-based study

ABSTRACT

Appropriate risk stratification and timely revascularization of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are available in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) - capable hospitals (PCHs). This study evaluated whether direct admission vs inter-hospital transfer influences cardiac mortality in patients with AMI. This study was conducted in the PCH where the patients were able to arrive within an hour. The inclusion criteria were AMI with a symptom onset time within 24 hours and having undergone PCI within 24 hours after admission. The cumulative incidence of cardiac death after percutaneous coronary intervention was evaluated in the direct admission versus inter-hospital transfer groups. Among the 3178 patients, 2165 (68.1%) were admitted via inter-hospital transfer. Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the direct admission group had a reduced symptom onset-to-balloon time (121 minutes, P < .001). With a median period of 28.4 (interquartile range, 12.0-45.6) months, the cumulative incidence of 2-year cardiac death was lower in the direct admission group (NSTEMI, 9.0% vs 11.0%, P = .136; STEMI, 9.7% vs 13.7%, P = .040; AMI, 9.3% vs 12.3%, P = .014, respectively). After the adjustment for clinical variables, inter-hospital transfer was the determinant of cardiac death (hazard ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.33; P = .016). Direct PCH admission should be recommended for patients with suspected AMI and could be a target for reducing cardiac mortality.

Comparison of Real-Life Systems of Care for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

The success of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) networks application in Europe and the United States in delivering rapid reperfusion therapy in the community have become an inspiration to other developing countries to develop regional STEMI network in order to improve the STEMI care. Although barriers are found in the beginning phase of constructing the network, recent analysis from national or regional registries worldwide have shown improvement of the STEMI care in many countries over the years. To improve the overall care of patients with STEMI particularly in developing countries, improvements should be focusing on how to minimize the total ischemia time, and this includes care improvement at each step of care after the patient shows signs and symptoms of chest pain. Innovation in health technology to develop the electrocardiogram transmission and communication system, along with routine performance measures of the STEMI network may help bridging the disparities of STEMI system of care between guideline recommended therapy and the real world clinical practice.

Resource and Infrastructure-Appropriate Management of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The 143 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) of the world constitute 80% of the world's population or roughly 5.86 billion people with much variation in geography, culture, literacy, financial resources, access to health care, insurance penetration, and healthcare regulation. Unfortunately, their burden of cardiovascular disease in general and acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in particular is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Compounding the problem, outcomes remain suboptimal because of a lack of awareness and a severe paucity of resources. Guideline-based treatment has dramatically improved the outcomes of STEMI in high-income countries. However, no such focused recommendations exist for LMICs, and the unique challenges in LMICs make directly implementing Western guidelines unfeasible. Thus, structured solutions tailored to their individual, local needs, and resources are a vital need. With this in mind, a multicountry collaboration of investigators interested in LMIC STEMI care have tried to create a consensus document that extracts transferable elements from Western guidelines and couples them with local realities gathered from expert experience. It outlines general operating principles for LMICs focused best practices and is intended to create the broad outlines of implementable, resource-appropriate paradigms for management of STEMI in LMICs. Although this document is focused primarily on governments and organizations involved with improvement in STEMI care in LMICs, it also provides some specific targeted information for the frontline clinicians to allow standardized care pathways and improved outcomes.

Assessment of Equity in Access to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Centres in Poland

The purpose of this study is to analyse the disparities in the distribution of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centres in Poland and the impact of eventual inequities on access to the invasive treatment of acute myocardial infarctions (AMI). To examine the distribution of PCI centres against population size and geographic size in Poland, the Gini coefficient calculated based on the Lorenz Curve was engaged. In addition, the regression function was employed to estimate the impact of distribution of PCI centres on access to invasive procedures (coronarographies and primary percutaneous coronary intervention). Data were collected from the public statistical system and Polish National Health Fund database for the year 2018. The relation and the level of equity was measured based on the aggregated data at a district (voivodeship) level. The results of the Gini coefficient analysis show that the distribution of invasive cardiology units measured against population size is more equitable than when measured against geographic size. In addition, the regression analysis shows the moderate size of the positive correlation between number of PCI centres per 100,000 population and the number of all categories of the invasive treatment of AMI per 100,000 population, and the lack of similar correlation in case of the number of PCI centres expressed per 1000 km2, which could be evidence of an insufficiency of PCI centres in areas where the concentration of PCI centres per 100,000 population is lower. The main implication for policy makers that results from this research is the need for a correction of PCI centres distribution per 100,000 inhabitants to ensure better access to invasive procedures.

"Door-In to Door-Out" Delay in Patients with Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Transferred for Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in a Metropolitan STEMI Network of a Developing Country

Background  Routine performance measures of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) network are needed to improve care. Objective  We evaluated the door-in to door-out (DI-DO) delays at the initial hospitals in STEMI patients as a routine performance measure of the metropolitan STEMI network. Patients and Methods  We retrospectively analyzed the DI-DO time from 1,076 patients with acute STEMI who were transferred by ground ambulance to a primary PCI center for primary PCI between 4 October 2014 and 1 April 2019. Correlation analysis between DI-DO times and total ischemia time was performed using Spearman's test. Logistic regression analyses were used to find variables associated with a longer DI-DO time. Results  Median DI-DO time was 180 minutes (25th percentile to 75th percentile: 120-252 minutes). DI-DO time showed a positive correlation with total ischemia time ( r  = 0.4, p  < 0.001). The median door-to-device time at the PCI center was 70 minutes (25th percentile to 75th percentile: 58-88 minutes). Multivariate analysis showed that women patients were independently associated with DI-DO time > 120 minutes (odds ratio 1.55, 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 2.33, p  = 0.03). Conclusion  The DI-DO time reported in this study has not reached the guideline recommendation. To improve the overall performance of primary PCI in the region, interventions aimed at improving the DI-DO time at the initial hospitals and specific threat for women patients with STEMI are possibly the best efforts in improving the total ischemia time.

Call to Action: Rural Health: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association

Understanding and addressing the unique health needs of people residing in rural America is critical to the American Heart Association's pursuit of a world with longer, healthier lives. Improving the health of rural populations is consistent with the American Heart Association's commitment to health equity and its focus on social determinants of health to reduce and ideally to eliminate health disparities. This presidential advisory serves as a call to action for the American Heart Association and other stakeholders to make rural populations a priority in programming, research, and policy. This advisory first summarizes existing data on rural populations, communities, and health outcomes; explores 3 major groups of factors underlying urban-rural disparities in health outcomes, including individual factors, social determinants of health, and health delivery system factors; and then proposes a set of solutions spanning health system innovation, policy, and research aimed at improving rural health.

Comprehensive electrocardiogram-to-device time for primary percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: A report from the American Heart Association mission: Lifeline program

BACKGROUND

Assessing hospital-related network-level primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performance for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is challenging due to differential time-to-treatment metrics based on location of diagnostic electrocardiogram (ECG) for STEMI.

METHODS

STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI at 588 PCI-capable hospitals in AHA Mission: Lifeline (2008-2013) were categorized by initial STEMI identification location: PCI-capable hospitals (Group 1); pre-hospital setting (Group 2); and non-PCI-capable hospitals (Group 3). Patient-specific time-to-treatment categories were converted to minutes ahead of or behind their group-specific mean; average time-to-treatment difference for all patients at a given hospital was termed comprehensive ECG-to-device time. Hospitals were then stratified into tertiles based on their comprehensive ECG-to-device times with negative values below the mean representing shorter (faster) time intervals.

RESULTS

Of 117,857 patients, the proportion in Groups 1, 2, and 3 were 42%, 33%, and 25%, respectively. Lower rates of heart failure and cardiac arrest at presentation are noted within patients presenting to high-performing hospitals. Median comprehensive ECG-to-device time was shortest at -9 minutes (25th, 75th percentiles: -13, -6) for the high-performing hospital tertile, 1 minute (-1, 3) for middle-performing, and 11 minutes (7, 16) for low-performing. Unadjusted rates of in-hospital mortality were 2.3%, 2.6%, and 2.7%, respectively, but the adjusted risk of in-hospital mortality was similar across tertiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Comprehensive ECG-to-device time provides an integrated hospital-related network-level assessment of reperfusion timing metrics for primary PCI, regardless of the location for STEMI identification; further validation will delineate how this metric can be used to facilitate STEMI care improvements.

Relationship of the distance between non-PCI hospitals and primary PCI centers, mode of transport, and reperfusion time among ground and air interhospital transfers using NCDR's ACTION Registry-GWTG: a report from the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Program

BACKGROUND

ST-segment myocardial infarction patients frequently present to non-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospitals and require interhospital transfer for primary PCI. The effect of distance and mode of transport to the PCI center and the frequency that recommended primary PCI times are met are not clear.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data from the ACTION Registry(®)-GWTG™ were used to determine the distance between the Non-PCI and PCI center and first door time to balloon time based on transfer mode (ground and air) for patients having interhospital transfer for primary PCI. From July 1, 2008, to December 31, 2012, 17 052 ST-segment myocardial infarction patients were transferred to 413 PCI hospitals. The median distance from the non-PCI hospital to the primary PCI center was 31.9 miles (Q1, Q3: 19.1, 47.9; ground 25.2 miles; air 43.9 miles; P<0.001). At distances <40 miles, ground transport was the primary transport method, whereas at distances >40 miles air transport predominanted. Median first door time to balloon time time for patients transferred for primary PCI was 118 minutes (Q1, Q3: 95 152), with time for patients transported by air significantly longer (median 124 versus 113 minutes; respectively, P<0.001) than for patients transported by ground. Fifty-three percent of patients had a first door time to balloon time ≤120 minutes, with only 20% ≤90 minutes. A first door time to balloon time ≤120 minutes was more likely in ground than in air transport patients (57.0% versus 45.6%; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Interhospital transfer for primary PCI is associated with prolonged reperfusion times. These delays should prompt increased consideration of fibrinolytic therapy, emergency medical services hospital bypass protocols, and improved systems of care for ST-segment myocardial infarction patients requiring transfer.

Emergency medical services management of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in the United States--a report from the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Program

OBJECTIVE

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Emergency medical services (EMS) agencies play a critical role in its initial identification and treatment. We conducted this study to assess EMS management of STEMI care in the United States.

METHODS

A structured questionnaire was administered to leaders of EMS agencies to define the elements of STEMI care related to 4 core measures: (1) electrocardiogram (ECG) capability at the scene, (2) destination protocols, (3) catheterization laboratory activation before hospital arrival, and (4) 12-lead ECG quality review. Geographic areas were grouped into large metropolitan, small metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore (or rural) by using Urban Influence Codes, with a stratified analysis.

RESULTS

Data were included based on responses from 5296 EMS agencies (36% of those in the United States) serving 91% of the US population, with at least 1 valid response from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Approximately 63% of agencies obtained ECGs at the scene using providers trained in ECG acquisition and interpretation. A total of 46% of EMS systems used protocols to determine hospital destination, cardiac catheterization laboratory activation, and communications with the receiving hospital. More than 75% of EMS systems used their own agency funds to purchase equipment, train personnel, and provide administrative oversight. A total of 49% of agencies have quality review programs in place. In general, EMS systems covering higher population densities had easier access to resources needed to maintain STEMI systems of care. Emergency medical services systems that have adopted all 4 core elements cover 14% of the US population.

CONCLUSIONS

There are large differences in EMS systems of STEMI care in the United States. Most EMS agencies have implemented at least 1 of the 4 core elements of STEMI care, with many having implemented multiple elements.

Impact of a regionalised clinical cardiac support network on mortality among rural patients with myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of the regionalised Integrated Cardiovascular Clinical Network (ICCNet) on 30-day mortality among patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in an Australian rural setting.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS

An integrated cardiac support network incorporating standardised risk stratification, point-of-care troponin testing and cardiologist-supported decision making was progressively implemented in non-metropolitan areas of South Australia from 2001 to 2008. Hospital administrative data and statewide death records from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2010 were used to evaluate outcomes for patients diagnosed with MI in rural and metropolitan hospitals.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Risk-adjusted 30-day mortality.

RESULTS

29 623 independent contiguous episodes of MI were identified. The mean predicted 30-day mortality was lower among rural patients compared with metropolitan patients, while actual mortality rates were higher (30-day mortality: rural, 705/5630 [12.52%] v metropolitan, 2140/23 993 [8.92%]; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.46; 95% CI, 1.33-1.60; P< 0.001). After adjustment for temporal improvement in MI outcome, availability of immediate cardiac support was associated with a 22% relative odds reduction in 30-day mortality (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65-0.93; P= 0.007). A strong association between network support and transfer of patients to metropolitan hospitals was observed (before ICCNet, 1102/2419 [45.56%] v after ICCNet, 2100/3211 [65.4%]; P< 0.001), with lower mortality observed among transferred patients.

CONCLUSION

Cardiologist-supported remote risk stratification, management and facilitated access to tertiary hospital-based early invasive management are associated with an improvement in 30-day mortality for patients who initially present to rural hospitals and are diagnosed with MI. These interventions closed the gap in mortality between rural and metropolitan patients in South Australia.

Regional systems of care demonstration project: Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator: design and methodology

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) systems of care have been associated with significant improvement in use and timeliness of reperfusion. Consequently, national guidelines recommend that each community should develop a regional STEMI care system. However, significant barriers continue to impede widespread establishment of regional STEMI care systems in the United States. We designed the Regional Systems of Care Demonstration Project: Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator, a national educational outcome research study in collaboration with the American Heart Association, to comprehensively accelerate the implementation of STEMI care systems in 17 major metropolitan regions encompassing >1,500 emergency medical service agencies and 450 hospitals across the United States. The goals of the program are to identify regional gaps, barriers, and inefficiencies in STEMI care and to devise strategies to implement proven recommendations to enhance the quality and consistency of care. The study interventions, facilitated by national faculty with expertise in regional STEMI system organization in partnership with American Heart Association representatives, draw upon specific resources with proven past effectiveness in augmenting regional organization. These include bringing together leading regional health care providers and institutions to establish common commitment to STEMI care improvement, developing consensus-based standardized protocols in accordance with national professional guidelines to address local needs, and collecting and regularly reviewing regional data to identify areas for improvement. Interventions focus on each component of the reperfusion process: the emergency medical service, the emergency department, the catheterization laboratory, and inter-hospital transfer. The impact of regionalization of STEMI care on clinical outcomes will be evaluated.

Quality of care for myocardial infarction at academic and nonacademic hospitals

BACKGROUND

Whether academic hospitals provide better quality of care for patients with acute myocardial infarction is widely debated. The aim of this study was to compare processes of care and mortality between academic and nonacademic hospitals in the contemporary era of acute myocardial infarction management.

METHODS

We analyzed the original data from a prospective cohort study of 3059 patients, including 1714 with ST-segment elevation and 1345 with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, enrolled at 39 and 183 academic and nonacademic hospitals, respectively, in France.

RESULTS

Unadjusted 1-year mortality for academic and nonacademic hospitals was 10% versus 15% for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (P=.01) and 13% versus 14% for patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (P=.75). Patients treated in academic or nonacademic hospitals with percutaneous coronary intervention capability were more likely to receive reperfusion and recommended drug therapies than those treated in nonacademic hospitals without percutaneous coronary intervention capability. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, the hazards of death associated with admission to nonacademic hospitals with and without percutaneous coronary intervention capability relative to academic hospitals were 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-1.62) and 1.65 (95% CI, 1.09-2.49) for those with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.66-1.36) and 1.06 (95% CI, 0.72-1.58) for those with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, respectively. Further adjustment for receipt of acute reperfusion and recommended drug therapies eliminated all differences in mortality between the study groups.

CONCLUSION

Admission to academic hospitals was associated with a more frequent use of recommended therapies, conveying a survival advantage for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Hospital process intervals, not EMS time intervals, are the most important predictors of rapid reperfusion in EMS Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationship of emergency medical services (EMS) intervals and internal hospital intervals to the rapid reperfusion of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

METHODS

We performed a secondary analysis of a prospectively collected database of STEMI patients transported to a large academic community hospital between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2009. EMS and hospital data intervals included EMS scene time, transport time, hospital arrival to myocardial infarction (MI) team activation (D2Page), page to catheterization laboratory arrival (P2Lab), and catheterization laboratory arrival to reperfusion (L2B). We used two outcomes: EMS scene arrival to reperfusion (S2B) ≤90 minutes and hospital arrival to reperfusion (D2B) ≤90 minutes. Means and proportions are reported. Pearson chi-square and multivariate regression were used for analysis.

RESULTS

During the study period, we included 313 EMS-transported STEMI patients with 298 (95.2%) MI team activations. Of these STEMI patients, 295 (94.2%) were taken to the cardiac catheterization laboratory and 244 (78.0%) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). For the patients who underwent PCI, 127 (52.5%) had prehospital EMS activation, 202 (82.8%) had D2B ≤90 minutes, and 72 (39%) had S2B ≤90 minutes. In a multivariate analysis, hospital processes EMS activation (OR 7.1, 95% CI 2.7, 18.4], Page to Lab [6.7, 95% CI 2.3, 19.2] and Lab arrival to Reperfusion [18.5, 95% CI 6.1, 55.6]) were the most important predictors of Scene to Balloon ≤ 90 minutes. EMS scene and transport intervals also had a modest association with rapid reperfusion (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.78, 0.93 and OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83, 0.95, respectively). In a secondary analysis, Hospital processes (Door to Page [OR 44.8, 95% CI 8.6, 234.4], Page 2 Lab [OR 5.4, 95% CI 1.9, 15.3], and Lab arrival to Reperfusion [OR 14.6 95% CI 2.5, 84.3]), but not EMS scene and transport intervals were the most important predictors D2B ≤90 minutes.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, hospital process intervals (EMS activation, door to page, page to laboratory, and laboratory to reperfusion) are key covariates of rapid reperfusion for EMS STEMI patients and should be used when assessing STEMI care.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction: Is it worth the wait? The risk-time relationship and the need to quantify the impact of delay

The efficacy of reperfusion therapy is dependent not only by the duration of symptoms before therapy but also by the baseline risk of the individual and the circumstances (time and context) of the occurrence. All these variables play a crucial role in determining the choice of best therapy (fibrinolysis or primary angioplasty [primary percutaneous coronary intervention, PPCI]), thereby confirming the admonition that one size does not fit all. It is generally accepted that patients are best served by PPCI when times to therapy are equal between PPCI and fibrinolysis, whereas pivotal issues that are less well supported by evidence include whether a single time interval is appropriate with regard to the "acceptable" PPCI-related delay and what degree of transfer-related delay is acceptable in patients presenting "early" to a non-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-capable facility. The aim of this perspective is to use available data to individualize the approach to reperfusion therapy, taking into account temporal delays and the overall mortality risk on a case-by-case basis.

Improving use of prehospital 12-lead ECG for early identification and treatment of acute coronary syndrome and ST-elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Performance of prehospital ECGs expedites identification of ST-elevation myocardial infarction and reduces door-to-balloon times for patients receiving reperfusion therapy. To fully realize this benefit, emergency medical service performance must be measured and used in feedback reporting and quality improvement.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This quasi-experimental design trial tested an approach to improving emergency medical service prehospital ECGs using feedback reporting and quality improvement interventions in 2 cities' emergency medical service agencies and receiving hospitals. All patients age > or =30 years, calling 9-1-1 with possible acute coronary syndrome, were included. In total, 6994 patients were included: 1589 patients in the baseline period without feedback and 5405 in the intervention period when there were feedback reports and quality improvement interventions. Mean age was 66+/-17 years, and women represented 51%. Feedback and quality improvement increased prehospital ECG performance for patients with acute coronary syndrome from 76% to 93% (P=<0.0001) and for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction from 77% to 99% (P=<0.0001). Aspirin administration increased from 75% to 82% (P=0.001), but the median total emergency medical service run time remained the same at 22 minutes. The proportion of patients with door-to-balloon times of < or =90 minutes increased from 27% to 67% (P=0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Feedback reports and quality improvement improved prehospital ECG performance for patients with acute coronary syndrome and ST-elevation myocardial infarction and increased aspirin administration without prehospital transport delays. Improvements in door-to-balloon times were also seen.

Implementation of Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background— The aim of the Köln (Cologne) Infarction Model is to examine the feasibility of obligatory treatment of ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) by first-line percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods and Results— The study was performed in Cologne with >1 million citizens, 5 coronary intervention centers, and 11 primary care hospitals. Twelve-lead ECG was available for all emergency medical service (EMS) teams. Partners guaranteed direct transfer of STEMI patients to a catheterization laboratory. A total of 519 patients treated within KIM in 2006 were included in the study. Of these, 24% presented at a primary care hospital, 11% presented directly at a coronary intervention center, 5% were transferred by EMS to primary care hospitals, and 60% were directly transferred by EMS to a catheterization laboratory. In 91% of cases, the catheterization laboratory was notified of the patient’s arrival in advance. False-positive ECG diagnosis of STEMI by EMS accounted for 6%. Median treatment times were as follows: from the start of symptoms to first medical contact, 120 minutes; phone to balloon, 70 minutes; and door to balloon, 49 minutes. Of all patients, 93% underwent angiography; 409 patients were treated by coronary intervention, and 24 underwent emergency coronary artery bypass graft. Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction grade 3 flow was obtained in 89%. In the hospitals, deaths and new myocardial infarctions were observed in 12.1% and in 1.9% of all patients, respectively.

Conclusion— The Cologne Infarction Model provides evidence for the feasibility of obligatory treatment of STEMI by primary coronary intervention in a metropolitan setting. Acceptance of treatment pathways allowed nearly all STEMI patients to undergo coronary angiography. ECG competence of EMS was excellent. Treatment times were within postulated limits. Results, including mortality, were within a high quality range.

Rural interhospital transfer of ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients for percutaneous coronary revascularization: the Stat Heart Program

BACKGROUND

In Europe, interhospital transfer of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from non-PCI-capable (STEMI-referral) to PCI-capable (STEMI-accepting) facilities has been shown to be a superior reperfusion strategy compared with on-site fibrinolysis. The feasibility of such programs in the United States remains poorly defined.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We describe an observational cohort of 230 consecutive presumed STEMI patients who underwent interhospital transfer between January 2005 and March 2007 among 6 STEMI-referral and 2 STEMI-accepting hospitals in rural central Illinois. A standard treatment protocol using rapid interhospital transfer for primary PCI or rescue PCI after full-dose intravenous fibrinolysis (in event of unanticipated transfer delays) was initiated by the STEMI-referral emergency department physician. Three time intervals were evaluated: STEMI-referral care (door 1 to departure), transport time (door 1 departure to STEMI-accepting hospital arrival [door 2]), and STEMI-accepting hospital care (door 2 to balloon). Primary PCI was performed in 165 STEMI-confirmed patients (87.7%), whereas fibrinolysis was required in 16 patients (8.5%), with 56% undergoing rescue PCI. The median door 1-to-departure time was 46 minutes (25th and 75th percentiles, 32 and 62 minutes); approximately two thirds of this delay was attributable to the wait for transport arrival and departure. The transport and door 2-to-balloon times were 29 minutes (25th and 75th percentiles, 25 and 35 minutes) and 35 minutes (25th and 75th percentiles, 32 and 46 minutes), respectively. The door 1-to-balloon time was 117 minutes (25th and 75th percentiles, 98 and 137 minutes), with 12.2% and 58% of patients achieving a time of < or = 90 and < or = 120 minutes, respectively. No adverse clinical events occurred during interhospital transport.

CONCLUSIONS

In rural US communities, emergency department physician-initiated interhospital transfer of STEMI patients for primary or rescue PCI is feasible and was safely executed with achievement of timely reperfusion when performed within coordinated healthcare networks.