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Prehospital electrocardiography has the potential to improve care of patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) by shortening time to reperfusion therapy. Current American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines recommend that paramedics routinely perform and evaluate prehospital electrocardiograms for patients with chest pain and suspected STEMI. However, prehospital ECGs currently are obtained in fewer than 10% of STEMI patients who are transported to an emergency department by ambulance (more than half of patients arrive by other means). Highlights of an AHA literature review on the value of prehospital electrocardiography include the following:
Use of prehospital electrocardiography yields clinically relevant reductions …