Emergency Physicians Are Better Than Paramedics at Interpreting Prehospital ECGs for STEMI

Many emergency medical services systems have implemented protocols for transporting patients with suspected ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) directly to facilities with capability for emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In a prospective, observational study, researchers compared the accuracy of prehospital electrocardiogram interpretations by emergency physicians and by paramedics in a moderate-volume urban service.

During phase I of the study, paramedics interpreted ECGs and decided whether to transport patients to a PCI facility; during phase II, prehospital ECGs were transmitted to EPs who interpreted them and determined whether patients should be transported to a PCI facility. In both phases, the cardiac …