[Treatment of acute ST Elevation myocardial infarction in a regional network ("Drip & Ship Network Rostock")]

Management of acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) demands rapid and complete reperfusion of the infarct-related artery (IRA). With postinfarction prognosis depending on time delay from onset of symptoms to complete reperfusion (TIMI 3 flow) of the IRA, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) performed by an experienced team has been shown to be superior to thrombolytic therapy with lower mortality, less frequent occurrence of nonfatal reinfarction and stroke, and thus represents the preferred treatment strategy according to the national and international guidelines. For regional implementation of PPCI, particularly in rural areas, information and transfer logistics within networks of care and direct transport of an infarction patient to a PCI hospital rather than to the closest hospital are a challenge. With successful implementation of network logistics and standardized therapeutic pathways, current guidelines and requested timelines versus thrombolysis could be met. The implemented logistics comprised 24 h/7 days stand-by services of an experienced PCI team, direct telephone hotline contact between rescue service/emergency physician and interventional cardiologist on call, and direct open access to a catheterization laboratory at any time. Within the Drip&Ship network Rostock, to date (July 2007) 1,022 consecutive patients with PCI for STEMI were documented and analyzed over 5 years; of these, 490 patients were transferred from a community hospital to the PCI center and 532 patients were admitted directly to the interventional center. In 95.1% of all transferred and in 94.8% of all directly admitted patients, PCI was successfully accomplished upon arrival. A normalized flow to the IRA after PCI was documented in 96% of both groups, no patient was subjected to thrombolytic therapy. At 12-month follow-up, there were no differences between both groups with respect to infarct size and mortality. Moreover, there was no evidence of differences in left ventricular ejection fraction between groups. Thus, transportation of STEMI patients within an established PCI network did not result in any prognostic disadvantage. Efficient network logistics with transportation for PPCI in acute STEMI ensure both safety and outcome profiles similar to patients treated by PCI in metropolitan areas.