ECG-guided immediate intervention at the time of primary PCI to reduce door-to-balloon time in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients.

BACKGROUND: In ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), all efforts must be made to improve door-to-balloon (DTB) times. This study was designed to assess the impact of electrocardiographic-guided immediate intervention (EGII) without performing a complete coronary evaluation on DTB times and clinical outcomes of STEMI patients treated with primary PCI. METHODS: Consecutive STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI at Laval Hospital between May 2006 and August 2007 were considered for inclusion. Patients with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 2-3 flow in the culprit vessel on initial angiography and patients with previous coronary bypass surgery were excluded from the analysis. The primary evaluation was DTB time. Clinical outcomes consisted of cardiac death, reinfarction, revascularization or stroke. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-nine (279) patients were included in the present analysis. Eighty-seven (87) patients underwent EGII (Group 1) and 192 underwent PCI after a complete angiographic diagnostic evaluation (Group 2). Median catheterization laboratory DTB was 21 minutes in Group 1 and 25.5 minutes in Group 2 (p < 0.0001). The median DTB time was 80 minutes for patients in Group 1, compared to 90 minutes for patients in Group 2 (p = 0.01). More patients in Group 1 received timely reperfusion (DTB < 90 min) than patients in Group 2 (63% vs. 49%; p = 0.04). There was a trend towards reduced mortality in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (p = 0.11, unadjusted). CONCLUSION: A strategy of EGII reduces DTB times with a possible impact on clinical outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI.