[Acute myocardial infarction. Analysis of the activities of the ambulance "R"].

Frequency of emergency calls for ambulance help to patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) as well as a number of infarct complications and the influence of immediate professional help on survival of prehospital phase of acute MI is reviewed. The diagnosis of acute MI was based on a typical history of chest pain and electrocardiographic findings. Acute MI was also diagnosed in all cases of sudden cardiac death. Out of 3674 calls for ambulance help, MI was diagnosed in 379 patients what amounts for 10.1% of all interventions in life-threatening cases and for 61% of patients with acute MI in the analysed period of time. Complicated MI was observed in 61.7% of all patients, including 70.5% of men and 49.3% of women. Arrhythmic complications occurred in 54.5% of patients. Ventricular ectopic activity was the most frequent arrhythmia and amounted to 46.6%. The II0 or III0 atrioventricular block occurred in 4.5% of patients. Haemodynamic complications occurred in 12.3% of cases. Sudden cardiac death occurred in 23.6% of patients with acute MI, including 21.9% cases of ventricular fibrillation or flutter and 1.7% of asystole. 28.5% of those patients were successfully resuscitated. 61% of patients died in the prehospital phase of acute MI including 63.4% of males and 57.2% of females. Out of 61% of patients who died before admission to the hospital, 53% had died before ambulance team arrived and 7.9 died being under the care of the ambulance team. 80% of patients who survived prehospital phase of acute MI were admitted to the hospital within 60 min after the call for the ambulance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)