Prehospital treatment of ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction patients

Abstract

Providing optimal care to patients with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction is challenging. If a patient experiences chest pain and calls the emergency number, a cascade of actions is initiated that should lead to a diagnosis, start of treatment and reperfusion of the infarcted myocardium. This should all happen within 90 min after first medical contact, irrespective of the location of the patient or the time of day. The complex organization that is needed to achieve this goal in every ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction patient accounts for a fascinating interplay between prehospital and in-hospital care, in a situation when every minute counts. State-of-the-art care should be provided according to the latest insights and guidelines.