[Experiences with a mobile intensive care station (Kardiomobil) after 1 year's test operation in Zurich]

The Zurich mobile intensive care unit (Kardiomobil) admitted 502 patients in the first year of operation. 191 patients with confirmed acute myocardial infarction were seen. The Kardiomobil proved a success in shortening the total median delay between onset of symptoms and coronary care by 50%. Ten patients resuscitated outside the hospital were eventually discharged from hospital. 240 episodes of arrhythmia were observed in 182 of the 502 patients. 98 arrhythmias were successfully treated in this group, the best results being obtained in ventricular arrhythmias: 16 out of 26 patients with ventricular fibrillation were successfully defibrillated (61%), while 47 out of 53 episodes (89%) of frequent premature ventricular beats and all 9 episodes of ventricular tachycardia were corrected with lidocain and procainamid.