ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI) is a medical emergency requiring specific management, with the main aim of achieving reperfusion as quickly as possible. Guidelines from medical societies have defined optimal management, with proven efficacy on morbi-mortality. AIMS: Our study aimed to evaluate trends in practices between 2002 and 2010 in the emergency management of STEMI in a single French department, namely Cote d'Or. METHODS: All patients admitted with a first STEMI to one of the six participating coronary care units (private or public) in Cote d'Or since January 2001 were included in a prospective registry (obseRvatoire des Infarctus de Côte d'Or [RICO]). Based on these data, we analysed trends in prehospital times between 2002 and 2010. RESULTS: A total of 4114 patients were included in this analysis. Between 2002 and 2010, there was an increase in the proportion of patients who contacted the emergency services (by dialling 15) as first medical contact; however, the time from onset of symptoms to first medical contact remained stable over the study period. Overall, there was little change in prehospital management times but we noted a slight reduction in time to reperfusion. CONCLUSION: Despite some improvement in prehospital management practices between 2002 and 2010 in Cote d'Or, there is still significant room for improvement to achieve earlier reperfusion in STEMI patients.
