Medical Aspects of Prehospital Cardiac Telecare

Each year 900.000 people experience acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the United States. Roughly 225.000 of them die, including 125,000 who die “in the field” before obtaining medical care. Because rapid identification and early treatment of patients with AMI reduce morbidity and mortality, the main effort has to be focused on minimizing delays.

This is especially important today that a constellation of therapies in the management of AMI has been introduced and therapy is not limited just to the widespread use of thrombolytic agents, but also includes percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery in suitable patients. The reperfusion era has also embraced the extensive use of aspirin and other antiplatelet agents, adrenoceptor blocking agents, vasodilator therapy, and ACE inhibitors. Providing that the combined use of all these therapies has resulted in an impressive reduction in early and 1-year mortality for patients with AMI, it is essential to deliver them in time.