Management strategies for ST-elevation myocardial infarction in the emergency department.

Review of existing evidence supports that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is superior to thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction. If, however, a dedicated intervention team is not available onsite, transfer to another facility should be considered if reperfusion could be achieved within 90 minutes. If that goal cannot be achieved within 120 minutes, thrombolytic therapy should be administered with a planned transfer to a facility with PCI capability. In patients with cardiogenic shock or recurrence of anginal chest pain, PCI should be immediately considered. The value of administering full or modified dose thrombolytic therapy and then transferring for immediate PCI has not been demonstrated yet. Development of dedicated protocols for management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction developed by a community-based emergency medical service, emergency department, and cardiovascular service is highly recommended.