Association Between Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Pre-Activation and Reperfusion Timing Metrics and Outcomes in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Report From the ACTION Registry.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of pre-hospital cardiac catheterization laboratory activation and its association with reperfusion timeliness and in-hospital mortality. BACKGROUND: For patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction diagnosed in the field, catheterization laboratory pre-activation may lead to more timely reperfusion and improved outcomes. METHODS: A total of 27,840 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction transported via emergency medical services to 744 percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospitals in the ACTION Registry from January 2015 to March 2017 were evaluated, excluding patients with cardiac arrest or requiring pre-percutaneous coronary intervention intubation. Catheterization laboratory pre-activation was defined as activation >10 min prior to hospital arrival. RESULTS: Catheterization laboratory pre-activation occurred in 41% of patients (n = 11,379), with minor presenting differences between those with and without catheterization laboratory pre-activation. Compared with no catheterization laboratory pre-activation, pre-activation patients were more likely to be directly transported to the catheterization laboratory on hospital arrival (23.3% vs. 5.3%), to have shorter hospital arrival-to-catheterization laboratory arrival time (median 17 min [interquartile range (IQR): 7 to 25 min] vs. 28 min [IQR: 18 to 39 min]), to have shorter door-to-device time (40 min [IQR: 30 to 51 min] vs. 52 min [IQR: 41 to 65 min]), and to have a greater likelihood of achieving first medical contact-to-device time ≤90 min (76.6% vs. 68.6%) (p < 0.001 for all). Pre-activation was associated with lower in-hospital mortality (2.8% vs. 3.4%; p = 0.01). Patients treated at hospitals in the lowest tertile of pre-activation rates had higher mortality than those treated at hospitals in the highest tertile before and after adjustment (3.6% vs. 2.7%; adjusted odds ratio: 1.33; 95% confidence interval: 1.08 to 1.63). CONCLUSIONS: In the United States, catheterization laboratory pre-activation occurred in fewer than one-half of emergency medical services-transported patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Its association with faster reperfusion and lower mortality supports greater use of this strategy.

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.

Direct Transport to a Percutaneous Cardiac Intervention Center and Outcomes in Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: Practice guidelines recommend regional systems of care for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, whether emergency medical services should bypass nonpercutaneous cardiac intervention (non-PCI) facilities and transport out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients directly to PCI centers despite longer transport time remains unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival with geocoding of arrest location, we identified out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with prehospital return of spontaneous circulation and evaluated the association between direct transport to a PCI center and outcomes in North Carolina during 2012 to 2014. Destination hospital was classified according to PCI center status (catheterization laboratory immediately accessible 24/7). Inverse probability-weighted logistic regression accounting for age, sex, emergency medical services response time, clustering of county, transport time to nearest PCI center, initial heart rhythm, and prehospital ECG information was performed. Of 1507 patients with prehospital return of spontaneous circulation, 1359 (90.2%) were transported to PCI centers, of whom 873 (57.9%) bypassed the nearest non-PCI hospital and 148 (9.8%) were transported to non-PCI hospitals. Discharge survival was higher among those transported to PCI centers (33.5% versus 14.6%; adjusted odds ratio, 2.47; 95% confidence interval, 2.08-2.92). Compared with patients taken to non-PCI hospitals, odds of survival were higher for patients taken to the nearest hospital with PCI center status (odds ratio, 3.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.90-4.97) and for patients bypassing closer hospitals to PCI centers (odds ratio, 3.02; 95% confidence interval, 2.01-4.53). Adjusted survival remained significantly better across transport times of 1 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 30, and >30 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Direct transport to a PCI center is associated with better outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, even when bypassing nearest hospital and regardless of transport time.

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.

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.

Diagnostic accuracy of coronary artery calcium for obstructive disease: results from the ACCURACY trial.

BACKGROUND: Although numerous trials have demonstrated the diagnostic accuracy of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning for prediction of obstructive disease, virtually all studies have been performed using Electron Beam CT (EBCT). We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of CAC by 64-row CT to detect obstructive coronary stenosis compared to quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) in the ACCURACY multicenter trial. METHODS: 16 sites prospectively enrolled 230 patients (pts) [59.5% males, 57yrs] with chest pain referred for invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Pts underwent CAC scan and CT angiography prior to ICA. Total CAC scores were correlated with angiographically documented stenoses using common cutpoints of CAC >0, >100 and >400. Significant obstructive disease was defined as >50% luminal stenosis by QCA. RESULTS: The per-patient accuracy of CAC by 64-row CT compared to QCA demonstrates a high sensitivity and low specificity for the presence of obstructive disease (>50% stenosis on QCA). With CAC >0, >100 and >400, the sensitivities to predict stenosis were 98%, 88%, and 60%, whereas the specificities were 42%, 71%, and 88%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Most previous CAC studies have focused on the fact that significant calcium places patients into a higher risk group in terms of future events, and should lead to more aggressive treatment with preventative therapies. This prospective multicenter results comparing 64-row CAC to QCA demonstrate that CAC using 64-row CT scanner, similar to previously published reports using EBCT, is highly sensitive and moderately specific test to predict significant coronary artery stenosis. The presence of abnormal levels of calcium may place patients into a higher risk group in terms of future events, and lead to more aggressive treatment with preventative therapies. However, the detection of calcium does not always help with a clinical diagnosis particularly in the presence of diffuse moderate coronary atheroma. Whether this information is complementary to CTA data remains to be validated.

Systems of care for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction: a report From the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline.

BACKGROUND: National guidelines call for participation in systems to rapidly diagnose and treat ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In order to characterize currently implemented STEMI reperfusion systems and identify practices common to system organization, the American Heart Association surveyed existing systems throughout the United States. METHODS AND RESULTS: A STEMI system was defined as an integrated group of separate entities focused on reperfusion therapy for STEMI within a geographic region that included at least 1 hospital that performs percutaneous coronary intervention and at least 1 emergency medical service agency. Systems meeting this definition were invited to participate in a survey of 42 questions based on expert panel opinion and knowledge of existing systems. Data were collected through the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline website. Between April 2008 and January 2010, 381 unique systems involving 899 percutaneous coronary intervention hospitals in 47 states responded to the survey, of which 255 systems (67%) involved urban regions. The predominant funding sources for STEMI systems were percutaneous coronary intervention hospitals (n = 320, 84%) and /or cardiology practices (n = 88, 23%). Predominant system characteristics identified by the survey included: STEMI patient acceptance at percutaneous coronary intervention hospital regardless of bed availability (N = 346, 97%); single phone call activation of catheterization laboratory (N = 335, 92%); emergency department physician activation of laboratory without cardiology consultation (N = 318, 87%); data registry participation (N = 311, 84%); and prehospital activation of the laboratory through emergency department notification without cardiology notification (N = 297, 78%). The most common barriers to system implementation were hospital (n = 139, 37%) and cardiology group competition (n = 81, 21%) and emergency medical services transport and finances (n = 99, 26%). CONCLUSIONS: This survey broadly describes the organizational characteristics of collaborative efforts by hospitals and emergency medical services to provide timely reperfusion in the United States. These findings serve as a benchmark for existing systems and should help guide healthcare teams in the process of organizing care for patients with STEMI.

Treatment pathways and quality improvement for patients with acute myocardial infarction at a tertiary care center.

The timely diagnosis and treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have become paramount to improving outcomes in this population. Many states, including North Carolina, have established systems to guide regional emergency providers in caring for STEMI. We describe the current pathway for diagnosis and treatment of STEMI for providers referring patients to Duke University Hospital, including a system for expedited patient transport and activation of the cardiac catheterization laboratory from a wide referral base. There is also a structured process for review of cases and quality improvement, which incorporates physicians, administrators, and emergency medical personnel.