[An experience with a mobile coronary care unit: from a study project to a permanent community service (author's...

Mobile coronary care units and stratified systems for coronary care have received rather poor attention in Italy up until now. To evaluate advantages and disadvantages, organizational problems, costs, etc. of a mobile unit in an Italian community provided with a reference centre for acute coronary artery disease, a study project was started in 1977. The organization of such unit was based on that of the hospital in Belfast. The covered area (200,000 inhatitants) was carefully limited to keep delays at a minimum. A program of public education, stressing the necessity for early calls for medical intervention was developed. All calls were evaluated by a physician on duty in the CCU before intervention. The results of this experience, extended to four years, are reported showing that a Mobile Coronary Care Unit is valuable from a medical point of view, is economically sound and practical in a medium size Italian city such as Udine. According to this, the Mobile Coronary Care Unit was changed from a study project to a permanent community service.