The national data provided by ANMCO in 1978 show a total of 2.5 m heart cases in Italy, including 1.5 m instances of ischaemic cardiopathy, and an annual incidence of 105,000 new cases of myocardial infarct. An assessment was made of the 1976 and 1977 pattern of "cardiological emergency cases" (ISTAT codes 402, 410-14, 427-29, 441, 450, 519, 997) in the province of Florence and two of its social and health consortia: 39 (municipalities of Dicomano, Londa, Pelago, Pontassieve, Rufina, S. Godenzo), and 51 (municipalities of Borgata Ripoli, Greve, Impruneta, S. Casciano, Tavarnelle). The records of the S. Maria Nuova, Florence Hospital were used for in-patient data, since this is the only hospital in the province with automatic filing by discharge diagnosis according to the ISTAT code. Mortality in emergency cases in the two consortia m and the province fell from 14.68% and 17.17% to 11.20% and 18.11% respectively in the two years. In both populations, the highest incidence was between 70 and 74 yr of age in 1976, and between 65 and 69 yr in 1977. In the case of infarct, mortality moved from 18.75 to 7.58% (consortia) and from 22.40% to 20.93% (province), with maximum incidences in 1976 between 70 and 74 yr (consortia and province), and in 1977 between 65 and 69 yr (province) and between 55 and 59 yr (consortia). Admissions were greatest in number on Mondays (peak hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) whereas no difference was noted between one month and another. The Hospital Resuscitation Centre, which serves the two consortia, received 45 emergency cases in 1977, including 25 infarct patients. Total mortality was 13.33% (infarct 20%). The slight numeric discrepancy between in the latter data and those held in the computer suggests that the ISTAT code may not be easy to use and not always employed by physicians in a rational manner.