RESUMO
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Critical elements of improving outcomes in ACS patients include timely access to acute care including prompt revascularization if indicated, and subsequent ongoing secondary prevention and risk factor modification, ideally with cardiovascular specialists. It is being increasingly realized that ACS patients from rural settings suffer from inferior outcomes compared to their urban counterparts due to factors such as delayed diagnosis, delayed access to acute care, and less accessibility to specialized follow up. This narrative review will examine the importance of timely access to care in ACS patients, particularly in ST-elevation myocardial infarction; how barriers in access to care affects outcomes in various rural populations; and strategies that have been shown to improve such access, and therefore hopefully achieve more equitable health outcomes compared to patients who live in urban settings.
