The Impact of Prehospital 12 Lead ECG With Advanced Emergency Department Notification on Time to In-hospital Reperfusion Strategy in Patients With Acute ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction - A Prospective Study

Despite remarkable gains in treatment over the last decade short-term mortality for those who survive to hospital with AT-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains high (5%-10%). Different studies have pointed out that reperfusion (intravenous fibrinolysis or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and its timing are critical in decreasing STEMI patients' mortality. Studies of prehospital 12 lead electrocardiograms (12 lead PHECG) with advance emergency department (ED) notification suggest that there is a time to treatment advantage with this intervention. The use of 12 lead PHECG is not currently universal and part of standard treatment throughout the province. The purpose of the study is to follow STEMI study subjects during standard treatments and to compare the outcomes of subjects that received 12 lead PHECG with advanced ED notification in mixed rural/urban areas with outcomes of subjects treated in areas with only 3 lead PHECG monitoring and indirect ED notification. The investigators hypothesize that there will be a survival benefit for study subjects with 12 lead PHECG and advance ED notification in rural and urban environments through a reduction in door-to-reperfusion time and that 12 lead PHECG will be a cost-saving technology for the province of Ontario.