Abstract 337: Comparing Time to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Rural States: Arriving via Ambulance vs Personally Owned Vehicle

Abstract

Background: Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota continue to build the infrastructure to improve the system of care for patients experiencing a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Time from symptom onset to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is a critical component for better patient outcomes. First responders are critical to the success of an effective STEMI system of care. However, about 52% of STEMI patients in these states are arriving by self-transport or personally owned vehicles instead of activating the system via 911. Ideally, the catheterization lab team would be notified by EMS personnel in the field or by emergency physicians after receiving the transmitted ECG indicating a STEMI and reducing the time to PCI. Methods: In time period, 774 STEMI patients were entered into ACTION Registry-GWTG from Quarter 3 2013 to Quarter 2 2014. The data included STEMI patients from 19 hospitals in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota participating in Mission: Lifeline, an American Heart Association initiative to improve STEMI systems. The patients analyzed arrived directly to a PCI capable hospital. Patients transferred from a referring facility were excluded in time comparison. Arrival mode percentage comparison to first facility is the exception and includes all patients. Results: The median time from patient arrival at PCI center to catheterization lab arrival ranged between 22 and 31 minutes with a mean 26 minutes for patients arriving via EMS. Patients that came by personally owned vehicle had a median time from arrival to catheterization lab that ranged between 35 and 41 minutes with a mean of 38 minutes. The median time from hospital arrival to PCI had a mean of 42 minutes for patients arriving via EMS compared to those arriving via self-transport at 57 minutes. Conclusion: Patients arriving to a PCI hospital via EMS arrive in the catheterization lab and receive PCI faster than those arriving by personally owned vehicle. Thus, in the setting of STEMI, failure to activate EMS prolongs ischemic time.