Are the guidelines for treatment of myocardial infarction complied with?

New guidelines recommend early invasive evaluation and treatment for most patients with acute myocardial infarction--including patients with myocardial infarction without ST elevation in the ECG. This study examines compliance with the new guidelines at Sørlandet Hospital Arendal.

All patients admitted to Sørlandet Hospital Arendal with acute myocardial infarction in 2012 were registered in the Norwegian Myocardial Infarction Register. Data from the register were used to analyse the time that passed from symptom onset to coronary angiography and revascularisation.

In 2012, 788 patients were admitted to Sørlandet Hospital Arendal with acute myocardial infarction. Of these, 269 (34.1%) had ST elevation mycardial infarction (STEMI) and 519 (65.9%) had non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Most patients with ST elevation infarction (220 (81.8%)) were admitted directly to Sørlandet Hospital Arendal, and the median time from admission to revascularisation was 31 minutes. 347 (66.9%) of the patients with non-ST elevation infarction were first admitted to a local hospital before being transferred to Sørlandet Hospital Arendal. Only four (1.2%) of them underwent angiography within two hours of admission to the first hospital. 13 (9.0%) of the patients with non-ST elevation infarction who were admitted directly and underwent angiography (n = 144) had an angiogram within two hours of admission. Angiography was performed within 24 hours in 119 (34.3%) of those transferred (n = 347) and in 82 (56.9%) of the directly admitted patients who underwent angiography (n = 144).

Many patients with non-ST elevation infarction did not receive revascularisation with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within the recommended time frame. Where there is a strong clinical suspicion of acute myocardial infarction, more patients should be admitted directly to hospitals with PCI preparedness.