Appropriateness of Cardiac Catheterization Lab Activation for STEMI

Using a statewide registry, investigators retrospectively evaluated the appropriateness of 3973 cardiac catheterization lab activations at 14 primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centers in North Carolina during a 1-year period. The investigators considered activation to be appropriate if catheterization occurred or catheterization was canceled because of a change in a patient's status. They considered activation to be inappropriate if catheterization was cancelled because of reinterpretation of the electrocardiogram (ECG) or the patient was deemed ineligible for catheterization (e.g., advanced age, terminal illness).

The cardiac catheterization lab was activated by emergency medical technicians in 29% of cases and by emergency p…