CMAJ OPEN, 3(1) E1 S T-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality.
1Whereas early myocardial reperfusion is crucial in treating STEMI, 2 the clinical characteristics of patients and available resources both determine how this is best achieved. Choosing the best course of STEMI care requires the co ordination of various services, including prehospital emergency medical services, emergency medicine and interventional cardiology. When it can be accomplished in a timely manner, reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is considered the evidence-based standard of care.3 However, primary PCI may not be feasible for all patients because of population-based geographic distribution of resources, patient comorbidity and resource constraints. 4 Certain patients may benefit from timely fibrinolysis coupled with a pharmacoinvasive approach, 3,5 because fibrinolysis is available in all emergency departments (and some prehospital settings) and available to a broader population without the need for additional infrastructure. Thus, a regional STEMI program seeking to maximize patient and population outcomes requires a system approach devoted to ensuring that the best available treatment is provided given the context under which it is delivered. Background: Although considered the evidence-based best therapy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), many patients do not receive primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) because of health care resource distribution and constraints. This study describes the clinical management and outcomes of all patients identified with STEMI within a region, including those who did not receive primary PCI.