Ground Emergency Medical Services Requests for Helicopter Transfer of ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Decrease Medical Contact to Balloon Times in Rural and Suburban Settings

摘要

ObjectivesST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care is time-dependent. Many STEMI patients require inter-hospital helicopter transfer for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) if ground emergency medical services (EMS) initially transport the patient to a non-PCI center. This investigation models potential time savings of ground EMS requests for helicopter EMS (HEMS) transport of a STEMI patient directly to a PCI center, rather than usual transport to a local hospital with subsequent transfer.