Background: Most patients transferred from a non-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) facility for primary PCI do not meet target reperfusion times. Direct transportation of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) from the scene by advanced life support (ALS) paramedics has been shown to improve reperfusion times and outcomes.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether it is safe to bypass the closest hospital and transport by basic life support (BLS) provider to a PCI facility.
Methods: This was a health records review of consecutive patients transported to a regional PCI center under an STEMI bypass protocol. Under the PCI bypass protocol, patients were eligible if they presented with symptoms of chest pain, a 12-lead electrocardiogram meeting STEMI criteria, and if transported to the regional PCI center within 60 min. The occurrence of predefined adverse events during transport was determined, which included bradycardia < 50 beats/min, tachycardia > 140 beats/min, hypotension, cardiac arrest, and death.
Results: There were 46 cases of STEMI bypass between February 2005 and February 2013. Mean transport time was 29.9 min (range 20-62 min). Mean contact-to-balloon time was 95.2 min (range 68-159 min). Twenty-five adverse events occurred in 20 patients during transport. In 16 of the 20 patients, the adverse events were transiently abnormal vital sign requiring no intervention. In 3 of the patients, the adverse event was clinically significant and it is believed that the patient would have benefitted from advanced cardiac life support care not within the scope of practice of the BLS providers.
Conclusions: In our region, STEMI patients can be diagnosed accurately and transported safely on bypass to a PCI center for primary PCI while respecting target reperfusion times.
Keywords: STEMI bypass; angioplasty; emergency medical services; myocardial infarction; prehospital.
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