Loading...
Meeting the goal of performing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 90 minutes in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is especially challenging when patients must be transferred from a non–PCI-capable facility to a PCI-capable center. Investigators compared interhospital transport times before and after a central Massachusetts transport service implemented a policy of no drug infusions during transport of STEMI patients. All patients received aspirin, a bolus of heparin, and a bolus of a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor at the transferring facility. Transport distances averaged 23 miles and almost all were by air.
Analysis of 74 transports before the policy was implemented and 80 transports afte…