Myocardial infarction centres: the way forward

Heart. 2005 Jun;91 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):iii12-5. doi: 10.1136/hrt.2004.058537.

Abstract

In the era of primary PCI, a strategy of admitting patients to the nearest hospital should be obsolete. Instead, a prehospital diagnostic strategy should be implemented in order to: (1) refer patients directly to interventional centres, thereby eliminating delay at local hospitals; (2) alert the interventional centre, thereby reducing door to balloon times; (3) initiate adjunctive medication in the prehospital phase.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Coronary Care Units / organization & administration*
  • Emergency Medical Services / organization & administration*
  • Emergency Treatment / methods
  • Humans
  • Myocardial Infarction / therapy*
  • Patient Transfer / organization & administration
  • Time Factors