[The evaluation of in-hospital precoronary times. The experience of a department of emergency medicine].

The above study was aimed at evaluating the "in-hospital precoronary times" of patients with acute myocardial infarction presenting to the Emergency Department of Policlinico Umberto I, Rome. From April to August 1993, 58 cases of acute myocardial infarction were admitted. In six of these, over 24 hrs had elapsed before admission. In 24 of the remaining cases thrombolysis was indicated. Mean time before admission to the coronary unit was 5 hrs for 52 patients. Mean in-hospital delay before starting thrombolysis was 40 +/- 20 minutes; mean delay before admission to the coronary unit was 3 h/45 min. In-hospital time before thrombolysis was one of the lowest in the literature and shows the efficient organization of the department. Delay until transfer to the coronary unit was long and is a sign of the paucity of these specialized beds. Therefore, the possibility to perform thrombolytic therapy immediately in the emergency department becomes even more essential.