Benchmarking ambulance call-to-needle times for thrombolysis after acute myocardial infarction in Australia: a pilot study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Thrombolysis for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is of greatest benefit when treatment is commenced as soon as possible after symptom onset. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) recently set a benchmark recommending that eligible patients with AMI receive thrombolytic therapy less than 90 min after calling for medical assistance. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of an urban emergency service to this benchmark. A secondary objective was to determine whether patients treated outside this time were at a greater risk of mortality. METHODS: This study consisted of an explicit retrospective analysis of medical records for all patients who pre..