Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions
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Catheter Cardiovasc Interv · Feb 2017
Comparative StudyImpact of pre-hospital electrocardiograms on time to treatment and one year outcome in a rural regional ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction network.
Pre-hospital electrocardiograms (ECGs) are believed to reduce time to reperfusion in ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) patients. Little is known of their impact on clinical outcomes in a rural setting. Geisinger regional STEMI network provides percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) care to over a 100-mile radius in rural central Pennsylvania. ⋯ In a rural regional STEMI network, pre-hospital ECGs decreased time from first medical contact to reperfusion by 50% and were associated with an excellent clinical outcome at 1 year. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.