Impact of Regionalization of ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Care on Treatment Times and Outcomes for Emergency Medical Services-Transported Patients Presenting to Hospitals With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Mission: Lifeline Accelerator-2.

BACKGROUND: Regional variations in reperfusion times and mortality in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction are influenced by differences in coordinating care between emergency medical services (EMS) and hospitals. Building on the Accelerator-1 Project, we hypothesized that time to reperfusion could be further reduced with enhanced regional efforts. METHODS: Between April 2015 and March 2017, we worked with 12 metropolitan regions across the United States with 132 percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospitals and 946 EMS agencies. Data were collected in the ACTION (Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network)-Get With The Guidelines Registry for quarterly Mission: Lifeline reports. The primary end point was the change in the proportion of EMS-transported patients with first medical contact to device time ≤90 minutes from baseline to final quarter. We also compared treatment times and mortality with patients treated in hospitals not participating in the project during the corresponding time period. RESULTS: During the study period, 10 730 patients were transported to percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospitals, including 974 in the baseline quarter and 972 in the final quarter who met inclusion criteria. Median age was 61 years; 27% were women, 6% had cardiac arrest, and 6% had shock on admission; 10% were black, 12% were Latino, and 10% were uninsured. By the end of the intervention, all process measures reflecting coordination between EMS and hospitals had improved, including the proportion of patients with a first medical contact to device time of ≤90 minutes (67%-74%; P<0.002), a first medical contact to device time to catheterization laboratory activation of ≤20 minutes (38%-56%; P<0.0001), and emergency department dwell time of ≤20 minutes (33%-43%; P<0.0001). Of the 12 regions, 9 regions reduced first medical contact to device time, and 8 met or exceeded the national goal of 75% of patients treated in ≤90 minutes. Improvements in treatment times corresponded with a significant reduction in mortality (in-hospital death, 4.4%-2.3%; P=0.001) that was not apparent in hospitals not participating in the project during the same time period. CONCLUSIONS: Organization of care among EMS and hospitals in 12 regions was associated with significant reductions in time to reperfusion in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction as well as in in-hospital mortality. These findings support a more intensive regional approach to emergency care for patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction.

A multifaceted intervention to improve treatment with oral anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation (IMPACT-AF): an international, cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Oral anticoagulation is underused in patients with atrial fibrillation. We assessed the impact of a multifaceted educational intervention, versus usual care, on oral anticoagulant use in patients with atrial fibrillation. METHODS: This study was a two-arm, prospective, international, cluster-randomised, controlled trial. Patients were included who had atrial fibrillation and an indication for oral anticoagulation. Clusters were randomised (1:1) to receive a quality improvement educational intervention (intervention group) or usual care (control group). Randomisation was carried out centrally, using the eClinicalOS electronic data capture system. The intervention involved education of providers and patients, with regular monitoring and feedback. The primary outcome was the change in the proportion of patients treated with oral anticoagulants from baseline assessment to evaluation at 1 year. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02082548. FINDINGS: 2281 patients from five countries (Argentina, n=343; Brazil, n=360; China, n=586; India, n=493; and Romania, n=499) were enrolled from 48 clusters between June 11, 2014, and Nov 13, 2016. Follow-up was at a median of 12·0 months (IQR 11·8-12·2). Oral anticoagulant use increased in the intervention group from 68% (804 of 1184 patients) at baseline to 80% (943 of 1184 patients) at 1 year (difference 12%), whereas in the control group it increased from 64% (703 of 1092 patients) at baseline to 67% (732 of 1092 patients) at 1 year (difference 3%). Absolute difference in the change between groups was 9·1% (95% CI 3·8-14·4); odds ratio of change in the use of oral anticoagulation between groups was 3·28 (95% CI 1·67-6·44; adjusted p value=0·0002). Kaplan-Meier estimates showed a reduction in the secondary outcome of stroke in the intervention versus control groups (HR 0·48, 95% CI 0·23-0·99; log-rank p value=0·0434). INTERPRETATION: A multifaceted and multilevel educational intervention, aimed to improve use of oral anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation and at risk for stroke, resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of patients treated with oral anticoagulants. Such an intervention has the potential to improve stroke prevention around the world for patients with atrial fibrillation. FUNDING: Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, and Pfizer.

Regional Systems of Care Demonstration Project: American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator.

BACKGROUND: Up to 50% of patients fail to meet ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) guideline goals recommending a first medical contact-to-device time of <90 minutes for patients directly presenting to percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospitals and <120 minutes for transferred patients. We sought to increase the proportion of patients treated within guideline goals by organizing coordinated regional reperfusion plans. METHODS: We established leadership teams, coordinated protocols, and provided regular feedback for 484 hospitals and 1253 emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in 16 regions across the United States. RESULTS: Between July 2012 and December 2013, 23 809 patients presented with acute STEMI (direct to percutaneous coronary intervention hospital: 11 765 EMS transported and 6502 self-transported; 5542 transferred). EMS-transported patients differed from self-transported patients in symptom onset to first medical contact time (median, 47 versus 114 minutes), incidence of cardiac arrest (10% versus 3%), shock on admission (11% versus 3%), and in-hospital mortality (8% versus 3%; P<0.001 for all comparisons). There was a significant increase in the proportion of patients meeting guideline goals of first medical contact-to-device time, including those directly presenting via EMS (50% to 55%; P<0.001) and transferred patients (44%-48%; P=0.002). Despite regional variability, the greatest gains occurred among patients in the 5 most improved regions, increasing from 45% to 57% (direct EMS; P<0.001) and 38% to 50% (transfers; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator demonstration project represents the largest national effort to organize regional STEMI care. By focusing on first medical contact-to-device time, coordinated treatment protocols, and regional data collection and reporting, we were able to increase significantly the proportion of patients treated within guideline goals.

Regional systems of care demonstration project: Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator: design and methodology.

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) systems of care have been associated with significant improvement in use and timeliness of reperfusion. Consequently, national guidelines recommend that each community should develop a regional STEMI care system. However, significant barriers continue to impede widespread establishment of regional STEMI care systems in the United States. We designed the Regional Systems of Care Demonstration Project: Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator, a national educational outcome research study in collaboration with the American Heart Association, to comprehensively accelerate the implementation of STEMI care systems in 17 major metropolitan regions encompassing >1,500 emergency medical service agencies and 450 hospitals across the United States. The goals of the program are to identify regional gaps, barriers, and inefficiencies in STEMI care and to devise strategies to implement proven recommendations to enhance the quality and consistency of care. The study interventions, facilitated by national faculty with expertise in regional STEMI system organization in partnership with American Heart Association representatives, draw upon specific resources with proven past effectiveness in augmenting regional organization. These include bringing together leading regional health care providers and institutions to establish common commitment to STEMI care improvement, developing consensus-based standardized protocols in accordance with national professional guidelines to address local needs, and collecting and regularly reviewing regional data to identify areas for improvement. Interventions focus on each component of the reperfusion process: the emergency medical service, the emergency department, the catheterization laboratory, and inter-hospital transfer. The impact of regionalization of STEMI care on clinical outcomes will be evaluated.

Expansion of a regional ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction system to an entire state.

BACKGROUND: Despite national guidelines calling for timely coronary artery reperfusion, treatment is often delayed, particularly for patients requiring interhospital transfer. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred nineteen North Carolina hospitals developed coordinated plans to rapidly treat patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction according to presentation: walk-in, ambulance, or hospital transfer. A total of 6841 patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (3907 directly presenting to 21 percutaneous coronary intervention hospitals, 2933 transferred from 98 non-percutaneous coronary intervention hospitals) were treated between July 2008 and December 2009 (age, 59 years; 30% women; 19% uninsured; chest pain duration, 91 minutes; shock, 9.2%). The rate of patients not receiving reperfusion fell from 5.4% to 4.0% (P=0.04). Treatment times for hospital transfer patients substantially improved. First-hospital-door-to-device time for hospitals that adopted a "transfer for percutaneous coronary intervention" reperfusion strategy fell from 117 to 103 minutes (P=0.0008), whereas times at hospitals with a mixed strategy of transfer or fibrinolysis fell from 195 to 138 minutes (P=0.002). Median door-to-device times for patients presenting directly to PCI hospitals fell from 64 to 59 minutes (P<0.001). Emergency medical services-transported patients were most likely to reach door-to-device goals, with 91% treated within 90 minutes and 52% being treated with 60 minutes. Patients treated within guideline goals had a mortality of 2.2% compared with 5.7% for those exceeding guideline recommendations (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Through extension of regional coordination to an entire state, rapid diagnosis and treatment of ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction has become an established standard of care independently of healthcare setting or geographic location.

Catheterization Laboratory Activation Time in Patients Transferred With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Accelerator-2 Project.

BACKGROUND: Catheterization laboratory (cath lab) activation time is a newly available process measure for patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction requiring inter-hospital transfers for primary percutaneous coronary intervention that reflects inter-facility communication and urgent mobilization of interventional laboratory resources. Our aim was to determine whether faster activation is associated with improved reperfusion time and outcomes in the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Accelerator-2 Project. METHODS AND RESULTS: From April 2015 to March 2017, treatment times of 2063 patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction requiring inter-hospital transfer for primary percutaneous coronary intervention from 12 regions around the United States were stratified by cath lab activation time (first hospital arrival to cath lab activation within [timely] or beyond 20 minutes [delayed]). Median cath lab activation time was 26 minutes, with a delayed activation observed in 1241 (60.2%) patients. Prior cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, arterial hypotension at admission, and black or Latino ethnicity were independent factors of delayed cath lab activation. Timely cath lab activation patients had shorter door-in door-out times (40 versus 68 minutes) and reperfusion times (98 versus 135 minutes) with 80.1% treated within the national goal of ≤120 minutes versus 39.0% in the delayed group. CONCLUSIONS: Cath lab activation within 20 minutes across a geographically diverse group of hospitals was associated with performing primary percutaneous coronary intervention within the national goal of ≤120 minutes in >75% of patients. While several confounding factors were associated with delayed activation, this work suggests that this process measure has the potential to direct resources and practices to more timely treatment of patients requiring inter-hospital transfer for primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Exploring patient-provider decision-making for use of anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: Results of the INFORM-AF study.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is associated with stroke, yet approximately 50% of patients are not treated with guideline-directed oral anticoagulants (OACs). AIMS: Given that the etiology of this gap in care is not well understood, we explored decision-making by patients and physicians regarding OAC use for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a descriptive qualitative study among providers ( N=28) and their patients with atrial fibrillation for whom OACs were indicated ( N=25). We used purposive sampling across three outpatient settings in which atrial fibrillation patients are commonly managed: primary care ( n=14), geriatrics ( n=10), and cardiology ( n=4). Eligible patients were stratified by those prescribed OAC ( n=13) and not prescribed OAC ( n=12). Semi-structured, in-depth interviews assessed decision-making regarding risk and OAC use. Classical content analysis was used to code narratives and identify themes. Results among patients consisted of the overarching theme of trust in provider recommendations. Sub-themes included: awareness of increased risk of stroke with atrial fibrillation; willingness to accept medications recommended by their physician; and low demand for explanatory decision aids. Among physicians, the overarching theme was decisional conflict regarding the balance between stroke and bleeding risk, and the optimal medication to prescribe. Subthemes included: absence of decision aids for communication; and misperceptions around the assessment and management of stroke risk with atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS: Patient involvement in decision-making around OAC use did not occur in this study of patients with atrial fibrillation. Improved access to decision aids may increase patient engagement in the decision-making process of OAC use for stroke prevention.

Improving Care of STEMI in the United States 2008 to 2012.

Background We aimed to determine the change in treatment strategies and times to treatment over the first 5 years of the Mission: Lifeline program. Methods and Results We assessed pre- and in-hospital care and outcomes from 2008 to 2012 for patients with ST -segment-elevation myocardial infarction at US hospitals, using data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry-Get With The Guidelines Registry. In-hospital adjusted mortality was calculated including and excluding cardiac arrest as a reason for primary percutaneous coronary intervention delay. A total of 147 466 patients from 485 hospitals were analyzed. There was a decrease in the proportion of eligible patients not treated with reperfusion (6.2% versus 3.3%) and treated with fibrinolytic therapy (13.4% versus 7.0%). Median time from symptom onset to first medical contact was unchanged (≈50 minutes). Use of prehospital ECGs increased (45% versus 71%). All major reperfusion times improved: median first medical contact-to-device for emergency medical systems transport to percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospitals (93 to 84 minutes), first door-to-device for transfers for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (130 to 112 minutes), and door-in-door-out at non-percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospitals (76 to 62 minutes) (all P<0.001 over 5 years). Rates of cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest, and overall in-hospital mortality increased (5.7% to 6.3%). Adjusted mortality excluding patients with known cardiac arrest decreased by 14% at 3 years and 25% at 5 years ( P<0.001). Conclusions Quality of care for patients with ST -segment-elevation myocardial infarction improved over time in Mission: Lifeline, including increased use of reperfusion therapy and faster times-to-treatment. In-hospital mortality improved for patients without cardiac arrest but did not appear to improve overall as the number of these high-risk patients increased.

Delays in Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Presenting With Cardiogenic Shock.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine whether quality improvement initiatives across multiple ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) systems translated to faster first medical contact (FMC)-to-device times for patients presenting with cardiogenic shock (CS). BACKGROUND: There are limited data describing contemporary rates of achieving guideline-directed FMC-to-device times for STEMI patients with CS. METHODS: From 2012 to 2014, the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator project established a protocol-guided approach to STEMI reperfusion systems in 484 U.S. hospitals. The study was stratified by CS versus no CS at presentation and performed Cochrane-Armitage tests to evaluate trends of achieving FMC-to-device time targets. A multivariable logistic regression model assessed the association between achieving guideline-directed FMC-to-device times and mortality. RESULTS: Among 23,785 STEMI patients, 1,993 (8.4%) experienced CS at presentation. For direct presenters, patients with CS were less likely to achieve the 90-min FMC-to-device time compared with no-CS patients (37% vs. 54%; p < 0.001). For transferred patients, CS patients were even less likely to reach the 120-min FMC-to-device time compared with no-CS patients (34% vs. 47%; p < 0.0001). The Accelerator intervention did not result in improvements in the FMC-to-device times for direct-presenting CS patients (p for trend = 0.53), although there was an improvement for transferred patients (p for trend = 0.04). Direct-presenting patients arriving within 90 min had lower mortality rates compared with patients who reached after 90 min (20.49% vs. 39.12%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Fewer than 40% of STEMI patients presenting with CS achieved guideline-directed FMC-to-device targets; delays in reperfusion for direct-presenting patients were associated with higher mortality.

Implementation of a statewide system for coronary reperfusion for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

CONTEXT: Despite 2 decades of evidence demonstrating benefits from prompt coronary reperfusion, registries continue to show that many patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are treated too slowly or not at all. OBJECTIVE: To establish a statewide system for reperfusion, as exists for trauma care, to overcome systematic barriers. DESIGN AND SETTING: A quality improvement study that examined the change in speed and rate of coronary reperfusion after system implementation in 5 regions in North Carolina involving 65 hospitals and associated emergency medical systems (10 percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] hospitals and 55 non-PCI hospitals). PATIENTS: A total of 1164 patients with STEMI (579 preintervention and 585 postintervention) eligible for reperfusion were treated at PCI hospitals (median age 61 years, 31% women, 4% Killip class III or IV). A total of 925 patients with STEMI (518 preintervention and 407 postintervention) were treated at non-PCI hospitals (median age 62 years, 32% women, 4% Killip class III or IV). INTERVENTIONS: Early diagnosis and the most expedient coronary reperfusion method at each point of care: emergency medical systems, emergency department, catheterization laboratory, and transfer. Within 5 regions, PCI hospitals agreed to provide single-call catheterization laboratory activation by emergency medical personnel, accept patients regardless of bed availability, and improve STEMI care for the entire region regardless of hospital affiliation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reperfusion times and rates 3 months before (July to September 2005) and 3 months after (January to March 2007) a year-long implementation. RESULTS: Median reperfusion times significantly improved according to first door-to-device (presenting to PCI hospital 85 to 74 minutes, P < .001; transferred to PCI hospital 165 to 128 minutes, P < .001), door-to-needle in non-PCI hospitals (35 to 29 minutes, P = .002), and door-in to door-out for patients transferred from non-PCI hospitals (120 to 71 minutes, P < .001). Nonreperfusion rates were unchanged (15%) in non-PCI hospitals and decreased from 23% to 11% in the PCI hospitals. For patients presenting to or transferred to PCI hospitals, clinical outcomes including death, cardiac arrest, and cardiogenic shock did not significantly change following the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: A statewide program focused on regional systems for reperfusion for STEMI can significantly improve quality of care. Further research is needed to ensure that programs that result in improved application of reperfusion treatments will lead to reductions in mortality and morbidity from STEMI.

Improvement in Care and Outcomes for Emergency Medical Service-Transported Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) With and Without Prehospital Cardiac Arrest: A Mission: Lifeline STEMI Accelerator Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) may benefit from direct transport to a percutaneous cardiac intervention (PCI) hospital but have previously been less likely to bypass local non-PCI hospitals to go to a PCI center. METHODS AND RESULTS: We reported time trends in emergency medical service transport and care of patients with STEMI with and without OHCA included from 171 PCI-capable hospitals in 16 US regions with participation in the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Accelerator program between July 1, 2012, and March 31, 2014. Time trends by quarter were assessed using logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to account for hospital clustering. Of 13 189 emergency medical service-transported patients, 88.7% (N=11 703; 10.5% OHCA) were taken directly to PCI hospitals. Among 1486 transfer-in patients, 21.7% had OHCA. Direct transport to a PCI center for OHCA increased from 74.7% (July 1, 2012) to 83.6% (March 31, 2014) (odds ratio per quarter, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.14), versus 89.0% to 91.0% for patients without OHCA (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.07; interaction P=0.23). The proportion with prehospital ECGs increased for patients taken directly to PCI centers (53.9%-61.9% for those with OHCA versus 73.9%-81.9% for those without OHCA; interaction P=0.12). Of 997 patients with OHCA taken directly to PCI hospitals and treated with primary PCI, first medical contact-to-device times within the guideline-recommended goal of ≤90 minutes were met for 34.5% on July 1, 2012, versus 41.8% on March 31, 2014 (51.6% and 56.1%, respectively, for 9352 counterparts without OHCA; interaction P=0.72). CONCLUSIONS: Direct transport to PCI hospitals increased for patients with STEMI with and without OHCA during the 2012 to 2014 Mission: Lifeline STEMI Accelerator program. Proportions with prehospital ECGs and timely reperfusion increased for patients taken directly to PCI hospitals.

Impact of Regional Systems of Care on Disparities in Care Among Female and Black Patients Presenting With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: The American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline STEMI (ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction) Systems Accelerator program, conducted in 16 regions across the United States to improve key care processes, resulted in more patients being treated within national guideline goals (time from first medical contact to device: <90 minutes for direct presenters to hospitals capable of performing percutaneous coronary intervention; <120 minutes for transfers). We examined whether the effort reduced reperfusion disparities in the proportions of female versus male and black versus white patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: In total, 23 809 patients (29.3% female, 82.3% white, and 10.7% black) presented with acute STEMI between July 2012 and March 2014. Change in the proportion of patients treated within guideline goals was compared between sex and race subgroups for patients presenting directly to hospitals capable of performing percutaneous coronary intervention (n=18 267) and patients requiring transfer (n=5542). The intervention was associated with an increase in the proportion of men treated within guideline goals that presented directly (58.7-62.1%, P=0.01) or were transferred (43.3-50.7%, P<0.01). An increase was also seen among white patients who presented directly (57.7-59.9%, P=0.02) or were transferred (43.9-48.8%, P<0.01). There was no change in the proportion of female or black patients treated within guideline goals, including both those presenting directly and transferred. CONCLUSION: The STEMI Systems Accelerator project was associated with an increase in the proportion of patients meeting guideline reperfusion targets for male and white patients but not for female or black patients. Efforts to organize systems of STEMI care should implement additional processes targeting barriers to timely reperfusion among female and black patients.

Association of Public Health Initiatives With Outcomes for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest at Home and in Public Locations.

Importance: Little is known about the influence of comprehensive public health initiatives according to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) location, particularly at home, where resuscitation efforts and outcomes have historically been poor. Objective: To describe temporal trends in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first-responder defibrillation for OHCAs stratified by home vs public location and their association with survival and neurological outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational study reviewed 8269 patients with OHCAs (5602 [67.7%] at home and 2667 [32.3%] in public) for whom resuscitation was attempted using data from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2014. The setting was 16 counties in North Carolina. Exposures: Patients were stratified by home vs public OHCA. Public health initiatives to improve bystander and first-responder interventions included training members of the general population in CPR and in the use of automated external defibrillators, teaching first responders about team-based CPR (eg, automated external defibrillator use and high-performance CPR), and instructing dispatch centers on recognition of cardiac arrest. Main Outcomes and Measures: Association of resuscitation efforts with survival and neurological outcomes from 2010 through 2014. Results: Among home OHCA patients (n = 5602), the median age was 64 years, and 62.2% were male; among public OHCA patients (n = 2667), the median age was 68 years, and 61.5% were male. After comprehensive public health initiatives, the proportion of patients receiving bystander CPR increased at home (from 28.3% [275 of 973] to 41.3% [498 of 1206], P < .001) and in public (from 61.0% [275 of 451] to 70.5% [424 of 601], P = .01), while first-responder defibrillation increased at home (from 42.2% [132 of 313] to 50.8% [212 of 417], P = .02) but not significantly in public (from 33.1% [58 of 175] to 37.8% [93 of 246], P = .17). Survival to discharge improved for arrests at home (from 5.7% [60 of 1057] to 8.1% [100 of 1238], P = .047) and in public (from 10.8% [50 of 464] to 16.2% [98 of 604], P = .04). Compared with emergency medical services-initiated CPR and resuscitation, patients with home OHCA were significantly more likely to survive to hospital discharge if they received bystander-initiated CPR and first-responder defibrillation (odds ratio, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.01-2.38). Patients with arrests in public were most likely to survive if they received both bystander-initiated CPR and defibrillation (odds ratio, 4.33; 95% CI, 2.11-8.87). Conclusions and Relevance: After coordinated and comprehensive public health initiatives, more patients received bystander CPR and first-responder defibrillation at home and in public, which was associated with improved survival.

Association of Rapid Care Process Implementation on Reperfusion Times Across Multiple ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Networks.

BACKGROUND: The Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator program, implemented in 16 US metropolitan regions, resulted in more patients receiving timely reperfusion. We assessed whether implementing key care processes was associated with system performance improvement. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hospitals (n=167 with 23 498 ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients) were surveyed before (March 2012) and after (July 2014) program intervention. Data were merged with patient-level clinical data over the same period. For reperfusion, hospitals were grouped by whether a specific process of care was implemented, preexisting, or never implemented. Uptake of 4 key care processes increased after intervention: prehospital catheterization laboratory activation (62%-91%; P<0.001), single call transfer protocol from an outside facility (45%-70%; P<0.001), and emergency department bypass for emergency medical services direct presenters (48%-59%; P=0.002) and transfers (56%-79%; P=0.001). There were significant differences in median first medical contact-to-device times among groups implementing prehospital activation (88 minutes implementers versus 89 minutes preexisting versus 98 minutes nonimplementers; P<0.001 for comparisons). Similarly, patients treated at hospitals implementing single call transfer protocols had shorter median first medical contact-to-device times (112 versus 128 versus 152 minutes; P<0.001). Emergency department bypass was also associated with shorter median first medical contact-to-device times for emergency medical services direct presenters (84 versus 88 versus 94 minutes; P<0.001) and transfers (123 versus 127 versus 167 minutes; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Accelerator program increased uptake of key care processes, which were associated with improved system performance. These findings support efforts to implement regional ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction networks focused on prehospital catheterization laboratory activation, single call transfer protocols, and emergency department bypass.

Bypassing the emergency department and time to reperfusion in patients with prehospital ST-segment-elevation: findings from the reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction in Carolina Emergency Departments project.

BACKGROUND: Among patients identified prehospital with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, emergency medical service transport from the field directly to the catheterization laboratory, thereby bypassing the emergency department (ED), may shorten time to reperfusion. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 1687 patients identified prehospital with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction from the Reperfusion in Acute Myocardial Infarction in Carolina Emergency Departments (RACE) project, transported via emergency medical service directly to 21 North Carolina hospitals for primary percutaneous coronary intervention between July 2008 and December 2009. Treatment time intervals were compared between patients evaluated in the ED (ED evaluation) and those transported directly to the catheterization laboratory (ED bypass). Emergency medical service transported 1401 (83.0%) patients to the ED, whereas the ED was bypassed for 286 (17.0%) patients. Overall, first medical contact to device activation within 90 minutes was achieved in 913 (54.1%) patients. Among patients evaluated in the ED, median time (25th-75th percentiles) from ED arrival to catheterization laboratory arrival was 30 (20-41) minutes. First medical contact to device activation occurred faster (75 [59-93] versus 90 [76-109] minutes; P<0.001) and was more frequently achieved within 90 minutes (74.1% versus 50.1%; P<0.001) among ED bypass patients. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients identified prehospital with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and transported directly to a percutaneous coronary intervention hospital, only 1 in 2 achieve device activation within 90 minutes. A median of 30 minutes is spent in the ED, contributing significantly to the failure to achieve timely reperfusion. The strategy to bypass the ED is used infrequently and represents a potential opportunity to improve reperfusion times.

Transport time and care processes for patients transferred with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction: the reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction in Carolina emergency rooms experience.

BACKGROUND: For patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction transferred for primary percutaneous coronary intervention, guidelines have called for device activation within 90 minutes of initial presentation. Fewer than 20% of transferred patients are treated in such a timely fashion. We examine the association between transfer drive times and door-to-device (D2D) times in a network of North Carolina hospitals. We compare the feasibility of timely percutaneous coronary intervention using ground versus air transfer. METHODS AND RESULTS: We perform a retrospective analysis of the relationship between transfer drive times and D2D times in a 119-hospital ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction statewide network. Between July 2008 and December 2009, 1537 ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients underwent interhospital transfer for reperfusion via primary percutaneous coronary intervention. For ground transfers, median D2D time was 93 minutes for drive times ≤30 minutes, 117 minutes for drive times of 31 to 45 minutes, and 121 minutes for drive times >45 minutes. For air transfers, median D2D time was 125 minutes for drive times of 31 to 45 minutes and 138 minutes for drive times >45 minutes. Helicopter transport was associated with longer door-in door-out times and, ultimately, was associated with median D2D times that exceeded guideline recommendations, no matter the transfer drive time category. CONCLUSIONS: In a well-developed ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction system, D2D times within 90 to 120 minutes appear most feasible for hospitals within 30-minute transfer drive time. Helicopter transport did not offer D2D time advantages for transferred STEMI patients. This finding appears to be attributable to comparably longer door-in door-out times for air transfers.