BACKGROUND

Recent international and national surveys on the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction have described a number of crucial issues regarding the prehospital phase, the criteria to address patients to primary angioplasty, the organization of interhospital transfers. GestIMA is a perspective survey organized by the Lombardy Sections of the Italian Cardiology Societies (ANMCO and SIC) aimed to investigate the management of the acute phase of myocardial infarction in the Lombardy Region.

METHODS

Between October 15 and November 14, 2003, consecutive patients hospitalized for ST-elevation myocardial infarction in the coronary care units of 60 hospitals in Lombardy were enrolled into the study.

RESULTS

Among 612 patients (median age 67 years, interquartile range 56-76 years, 68% males, 43% with acute anterior myocardial infarction), 43% reached the hospital using the 118 emergency medical service, in 20% an ECG was recorded before arrival (reported in 47%), 1.5% were treated with thrombolysis and 1.0% with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors before hospital admission. Sixty-eight percent of patients underwent a reperfusion treatment: 43% with primary angioplasty (6% facilitated), 25% with thrombolysis (18% of them had rescue angioplasty). Primary angioplasty was mainly performed in younger patients and in those directly admitted to centers equipped with interventional facilities. During the acute phase of myocardial infarction, 10% of patients arrived to the coronary care units from 39 peripheral hospitals without coronary care unit; 21% of patients had a secondary transport between hospitals with coronary care unit (47% for primary angioplasty).

CONCLUSIONS

In the Lombardy Region, where a high rate of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction was treated with primary angioplasty in 2003, the 118 emergency medical service and the transmission of ECG by telephone are still underutilized. Moreover, the prehospital pharmacological treatment, the prehospital triage of patients to address to primary angioplasty and the organization of secondary transfer need to be improved.