title: Time delay to thrombolytic therapy--a Sri Lankan perspective.
abstract: Reducing the time delay in initiating thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction is critical in maximising the functional and survival benefit. We analysed 120 consecutive admissions for thrombolytic therapy to the Coronary Care Unit. The total delay was divided into prehospital, in-hospital and Coronary Care Unit stages, and the median delays were found to be 130, 70, and 15 minutes, respectively. The delay was significantly longer in patients who sought prehospital medical advice, and when the diagnosis was not made at the emergency treatment unit. Educating at-risk groups and modifying the admission system may help to minimise these delays, while the establishment of an emergency ambulance service with well-trained crew would also improve the prognosis after acute myocardial infarction in Sri Lanka.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Constantine
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Thenabadu
mesh_terms: D003325:Coronary Care Units; D003422:Critical Care; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010343:Patient Admission; D013188:Sri Lanka; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D013997:Time Factors