title: Prehospital delay and its impact on time to treatment in ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We performed this study to assess the impact of pre-hospital time on the patient's outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Starting from the symptoms onset, "total time to treatment" was divided into less than or equal to 120 minutes and more than 120 minutes ("pre-hospital time" of ≤ or > 30 minutes respectively). Adverse patient's outcomes were compared in the two subgroups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our patients had a mean age of 63 (±13) years. On-scene time (17.8 ± 9.4 minutes), was the biggest fraction of "pre-hospital time". Comparing the groups with "Total time to treatment" of >120 minutes vs. ±120 minutes ("pre-hospital time" of >30 vs. ≤30 minutes), mortalities were 4 vs. 0 and transfers to a tertiary care facility were 3 vs.1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the pre-hospital time in STEMI was spent on the scene and we suggest "total time to treatment" as a core measure instead of "door to balloon time".
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Jersey City Medical Center (Mount Sinai School of Medicine), Jersey City, NJ, USA. eras_27@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Haroon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chughtai
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ratner
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pozo
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Crouchman
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Niedz
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merwin
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Lahita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors