Background and objective: The goal of treatment of patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) is to restore perfusion as soon as possible, preferably by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of this study of the German Myocardial Infarction Registry (DHR) was to document acute care and in-hospital course of STEMI patients in Germany.
Methods: Over three months patients with STEMI were consecutively included and their basic data, treatments and in-hospital complications were centrally recorded using an internet-based standardized questionnaire.
Results: Included were 6,330 patients from 243 hospitals, in group 1 (primary admission in 136 hospitals with cath lab) 4,656 patients (74%) and in group 2 (primary admission in 107 hospitals without cath lab) 1,674 (26%). Reperfusion therapy was performed more frequently in patients of group 1 (91.1% PCI, 2.7% fibrinolysis) than in group 2 (80.7% PCI after transfer, 6.4% fibrinolysis). In-hospital mortality was 7.3% in all patients, 7.0% in group 1 and 8.3% in group 2.
Conclusion: The DHR data show that about three quarters of patients with STEMI are primarily admitted to hospitals with cath labs. Primary PCI is the preferred treatment option both in hospitals with and without cath labs (in the latter after transfer); it is performed in about 85% of STEMI patients. In-hospital mortality is with over 7% higher in real-life than in randomized studies.
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