ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction Care Research Articles

Door-to-Balloon Time in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Patients Undergoing Primary Angioplasty in Myocardial Infarction (PAMI): An Observational Study From a Tertiary Care Centre.

Background ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) requires swift intervention, with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) being essential to limit myocardial damage. The key factor affecting PCI effectiveness is the door-to-balloon (DTB) time. This observational study evaluated DTB times in STEMI patients at a tertiary care center who underwent primary angioplasty, examining adherence to benchmarks and identifying factors contributing to delays. Methodology This prospective observational study was conducted from March 2017 to August 2018 at Fortis Hospital Mulund, Mumbai, India. It included 171 STEMI patients aged 18 and older who underwent primary angioplasty. Patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), those who received thrombolysis, or had medical contraindications to primary angioplasty were excluded. Data on key time intervals were collected via direct observation and then analyzed using SPSS for Windows, Version 15 (Released 2006; SPSS Inc., Chicago, United States). Qualitative data were summarized using frequency and percentages, whereas quantitative data were presented as mean (±SD). T-test was applied to compare the mean duration between the two groups, i.e., DTB time ≤90 minutes and DTB time >90 minutes, and a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The participants had a mean age of 56.5 (±13.1) years and were predominantly male (78.4%). The mean DTB time was 70.21 (±29.16) minutes, with 79.5% achieving ≤90 minutes. Patient-related delays (48.6%) were mainly due to consent issues (31.4%), which was the most predominant cause. Hospital-related delays (51.4%) included catheterization laboratory occupancy (14.3%) and diagnostic delays (14.3%). Patients with DTB times >90 minutes had significantly longer durations in all procedural steps except door-to-ECG time. Conclusion This study underscores the complex challenges in achieving timely DTB times for STEMI patients undergoing primary angioplasty. Overcoming these barriers through targeted interventions is essential for optimizing management and enhancing outcomes. Insights into delay factors inform evidence-based strategies to improve the timeliness and effectiveness of STEMI care delivery.

Evaluation of the ODISEA APP for improving a STEMI regional network

BackgroundThe use of technological innovations in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care networks has been shown to be effective in improving information flow and coordination, and thus reducing the time to reperfusion. We developed a smartphone application called ODISEA to improve our STEMI care network and evaluated the results of its use. MethodQuasi-experimental study that compared the outcomes of STEMI suspected patients with an alert and indication for transfer to a cath lab during a previous period and a period in which the ODISEA APP was used. The main objective was to examine differences in reperfusion time and the proportion of patients with a final diagnosis other than acute coronary syndrome. ResultsA total of 699 patients were included (415 before and 284 during the ODISEA-APP period). No differences were observed in patient characteristics, infarct type, or acute complications. We observed a reduction in the time from diagnostic ECG to wire crossing with the use of the ODISEA APP (117 vs 102 min, p < 0.001) and a reduction in the percentage of patients with a final diagnosis other than acute coronary syndrome (17.1% vs 9.5%, p = 0.004). ConclusionsThe use of the ODISEA APP in the management of patients with suspected STEMI may be useful for reducing the time from diagnostic ECG to wire crossing and the percentage of patients with a final diagnosis other than acute coronary syndrome.

Attention to STEMI patients in our region: what is the adherence to the quality indicators from a population perspective?

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements None. Introduction The use of quality indicators (QI) proposed by the Association for Acute Cardiovascular Care (ACVC) for processes carried out in cardiology services represents an excellent internal quality control of their operation. Purpose The aim is to assess adherence to the main QI in the care of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in our region, according to data from the population-based registry of myocardial infarction in that area. Methods Evaluation of adherence to the main QI proposed by the ESC Association for ACVC, by retrospective analysis (data from in-hospital and out-of-hospital care) of patients with STEMI from our regional Infarction Registry attended between 2017 and 2020, in both tertiary and secondary hospitals of the public and private care network, providing data with a population-based character. Results QI were analysed in 1355 patients categorised as STEMI in our regional Infarction Registry between 2017 and 2020. 71% of patients were male. The number of STEMI per year ranged from 358 in 2019 to 316 in 2020. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed in 87% of patients. In 53% the first medical contact occurs in out-of-hospital care, while 25% occur in emergency departments (ED) of PCI capable hospitals and 12% in emergency departments of non-PCI hospitals. Forty-two percent of patients firstly attended out-of-hospital or in non-PCI centres achieve revascularisation in less than 90 minutes, but less than 30% of patients seen in PCI centres achieve revascularisation in less than 60 minutes. Radial access was used in 92% of cases. LVEF was assessed during admission in 98% and LDL-cholesterol was determined in 87%. Ninety-one per cent of patients were discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy, 96% on statins and a large proportion of patients with left ventricular dysfunction received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (78%) and beta-blockers (88%). Conclusion There is good overall adherence to major QI related to care of patients with STEMI in our region. However, there are indicators that could be optimised, particularly those related to timely primary reperfusion. Networked care thanks to the local Infarction Code means a significant reduction in reperfusion times, avoiding unnecessary referrals to Emergency Departments.

Improving myocardial infarction emergency care: a joint intervention study of the Berlin Brandenburg Myocardial Infarction Registry (B2HIR) and emergency medical services (QS-Notfall)

Abstract Background Rapid myocardial reperfusion is needed to improve clinical outcome after a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Missed early explicit STEMI diagnoses were shown to unfavourably delay STEMI care. A networked approach between emergency medical systems (EMS) and cardiology hospital departments is useful to establish early valid pre-hospital STEMI diagnoses. Purpose The publicly funded "QS-Notfall" joint health services research study intended to improve STEMI care in Berlin (BE) and Brandenburg (BB) by implementing pre-hospital tele-ECG transmission and online ECG training for EMS personnel. Methods As part of B2HIR, 21 cardiology hospital departments (19 in BE, 2 in BB) together with EMS (BE firefighters and regional BB EMS), supported by the Berlin Medical Chamber, established 2 joint interventions to accelerate STEMI care. All EMS and hospitals implemented GDPR compliant telemedical transmission and structured handling of pre-hospital ECGs from patients with chest pain. In addition, we developed an ECG e-learning for emergency physicians and EMS personnel ("STEMI einfach erkennen") and communication between EMS and hospitals was enforced. Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and symptom onset ≤24h were enrolled. Symptom onset, first medical contact, time of hospital admission ("door"), time of guidewire passage into the coronary artery (reperfusion), and respective care delays were assessed. First obtained ECGs were blindly validated by 3 expert cardiologists. We compared a reference period to a 12-month intervention period with regard to care delays. In addition, STEMI care was analyzed according to the actual use of telemedical ECG transmission and according to the validity of ECG diagnoses. Results N=7303 cases were enrolled (reference period 3657, intervention period 3646, age 66.9y, 27.1% female, STEMI 49.4%). The usage of ECG transmission varied notably between hospitals (7.5%–74%). Tele EMS ECG usage in STEMI was associated with shorter door to reperfusion time (BB 11min, p&amp;lt;0.04, BE 12min, p&amp;lt;0.001) compared to STEMI care w/o ECG transmission. The difference was more pronounced during hospital off-hours (BB 30min, p=0.003 and BE 14min, p&amp;lt;0.001). An unmistaken EMS STEMI diagnosis related to a shorter door to reperfusion time (BE: by 106min; BB: by 49min) compared to an unsettled STEMI diagnosis (p&amp;lt;0.001). The rate of ECG transmission for STEMI patients in BE was 21.4%, in BB 55.7%. Accordingly, we found no significant difference in STEMI door to reperfusion delays between the reference period and the intervention period in BE (+1min) and a shorter reperfusion delay (by 11min) in BB (p=0.049). Conclusions The universal implementation of a joint intervention to improve STEMI care in a complex system of various EMS and hospital departments is challenging. Telemedical ECG transmission and an unmistaken early STEMI diagnosis are associated with a significantly shorter time delay to myocardial reperfusion.

Abstract 13573: Association of Increased Eicosapentaenoic Acid to Arachidonic Acid Ratio With Early Restoration of Coronary Blood Flow in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background: Early restoration of coronary blood flow is important to reduce myocardial damage in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Cardiovascular protection of increased levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to arachidonic acid (AA) has been shown in recent clinical trials. Therefore, this study examined whether increased EPA / AA ratio was related to early restoration of coronary blood flow in STEMI patients underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Serum levels of EPA, AA, and EPA/AA ratio were measured in consecutive 216 STEMI patients. The angiographic findings of TIMI-flow grade in the infarct related artery before PCI were compared between patients with and without increased EPA / AA ratio (&amp;gt;0.291). Results: TIMI-flow grade 3 before PCI were obtained in 25 (11.6%) of all study patients. Smaller enzymatic infarct size was obtained in patients with TIMI-flow grade 3 before PCI compared with TIMI-flow grade 0-2 before PCI (Peak CK-MB; 358 &amp;plusmn; 252 mg/dL, vs. 280 &amp;plusmn; 260 mg/dL, p &amp;lt;0.05). There were significant differences between 2 groups in the distribution of TIMI-flow grade (p&amp;lt;0.05). Moreover, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with increased EPA/AA ratio was significantly associated with the presence of TIMI-flow grade 3 before PCI after adjustment for conventional risk factors (OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.92-12.8, p&amp;lt;0.01). Conclusions: Increased levels of EPA /AA ratio is independently associated with early restoration of coronary blood flow, leading to reduced myocardial damage in patients with STEMI. These results might support the new strategy of administration of EPA before PCI in STEMI care.

Abstract 15431: Barriers to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Sub Saharan Africa: A Call to Action

Introduction: Myocardial infarction incidence is rising in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Currently, 80% of the world cardiovascular disease mortality burden is by low- and middle-income countries. SSA countries have limited access to trained interventional cardiologists and medical centers where Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is performed. Methods: In this review, Google Scholar and PubMed were used to search literature on PCI in SSA. Selection criteria were manuscripts published between 2013-2023, written in English language, and addressed the hurdles with PCI. Results: Between April 2010 and March 2019, patients presenting to a PCI-capable center in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire had a median delay of 20 hours from onset of symptoms to admission. This was 53.2 hours in Senegal, 4.35 days in Burkina-Faso, and 6.6 days in Tanzania, while it was between 2.3 to 3.6 hours in South Africa. In terms of availability of PCI-capable centers in East and Central Africa; Kenya, Ethiopia Tanzania, and Uganda 5, 3, 2, and 1 center (s) respectively. In West Africa; Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon had 6, 4, 2, 1, and 1 center(s), respectively. The average cost of an uncomplicated PCI of a single vessel occlusion costs up to $3500 (R65,000/1,612,000). In SSA, due to limited access to medical insurance, the proportion of direct out-of-pocket payments in total health expenditure remains above 40%. Conclusions: Minimizing ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction care and PCI delay should be a public health priority, as it a matter of public health interest and global health equity. There is a need for research into understanding better ways to improve access to STEMI care in Africa.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Care Indicators at a Public Hospital in Brazil

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Care Indicators at a Public Hospital in Brazil

PPCI OUTCOMES

Objectives: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the standard of care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) worldwide. Recommended by the latest guidelines (1). In Pakistan only a handful centres offer PPCI services, many others rely on thrombolysis as the reperfusion strategy for STEMI patients which has been shown to be inferior to primary PCI (2). In our province the PPCI facility is even harder to offer where infrastructure and economic conditions of the public is lagging behind many areas in the country. Ours is a study from a public sector hospital in its infancy. We present our data of a single centre and believe that it will help shape the policy of the government in favour of expanding PPCI facilities. To share the primary PCI data of our centre.&#x0D; Methodology: It was a retrospective observational study. All comers who underwent PPCI for STEMI in Peshawar Institute of Cardiology from March 2022 to August 2022were enrolled. All procedures were performed by experienced interventional cardiologists or their fellows under their direct supervision.&#x0D; Results: A total of 337 patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 53 ± 16 years. 73 % (n = 246) were males. Most commonly involved culprit artery was LAD (47%) followed by RCA (34%). 16.9% (n = 57) patients had triple vessel disease, 35 % (n = 119) double vessel disease and 47.7% (n = 161) had only one vessel disease. LMS disease was diagnosed in 18 (5.3%) patients, out of which 4 (1.1%) were stented during the index procedure. In-hospital mortality was 3% (n = 10), out of which 6 (1.8 %) patients were in cardiogenic shock and all were on inotropic support. Four patients (1.1%) needed intubation and balloon pump was used in another 4 (1.1 %) patients. Second and third generation DES were used in 86% (n = 290), POBA in 08% (n = 27), urgent surgical referral was done in 03 % (n = 10) while in 03% (n = 10) patients no stenting was done. Intravascular ultrasound was used in 4 (1.1%) cases.&#x0D; Conclusion: Primary PCI can be offered in public sector hospital to our population. The need of the hour is to delegate more resources to this life saving procedure.

Artificial intelligence-guided, single-lead EKG may be a game-changer for symptom-to-balloon time reduction in ST-elevated myocardial infarction

Abstract Background Over decades, efforts to shave off life-saving minutes from ST-Elevated Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) care centred on reducing door-to-needle and door-to-balloon times. We firmly believe that symptom-to-balloon time should prove a better focus to this end. Challenges come with this goal as it heavily relies on a patient's perception and initiative to seek care, which we deem intelligent and wearable Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven Single Lead EKG technologies as an attractive solution in modern-day cardiology. Purpose To provide an accurate, accessible, and cost-effective AI-driven Single Lead STEMI detection algorithm that can be embedded into wearable devices and employed in a self-administered fashion. Methods Database: EKG records from Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil from April 2014 to December 2019. Dataset: A total of 11,567 12-lead EKG records of 10[s] length with a sampling frequency of 500 Hz, including the following balanced classes: angiographically confirmed and unconfirmed STEMI, branch blocks, non-specific ST-T abnormalities, normal and abnormal (200+ CPT codes, excluding those mentioned above). Cardiologists manually checked the label of each record to ensure precision. Pre-processing: We discard the first and last 250 samples as they may contain a standardisation pulse. The study applied a digital low pass filter of order 5 with a frequency cut-off of 35 Hz. The mean was subtracted from each Lead. Classification: The determined classes were “STEMI” (Including STEMI in different locations of the myocardium – anterior, inferior, and lateral); and “Not-STEMI” (Combination of randomly sample, branch blocks, non-specific ST-T changes, and abnormal records – 25% of each). Training and Testing: A 1-D Convolutional Neural Network was trained and tested with a dataset proportion of 90/10, respectively. A different model was trained and tested for each Lead, using the central 4,500 samples of the records. The last dense layer outputs a probability for each report of being STEMI or Not-STEMI. Lead V2 showed the best overall results. The model was further tested through the same methodology using the best Lead with a subset of the previous data, excluding the unconfirmed STEMI EKG records (Total 7,230 12-lead EKG records for Confirmed Only STEMI dataset). Performance metrics were reported for each experiment and compared. Results Combined STEMI data: Accuracy: 91.2%; Sensitivity: 89.6%; Specificity: 92.9%. Confirmed STEMI Only dataset: Accuracy: 92.4%; Sensitivity: 93.4%; Specificity: 91.4% (Figure 1). Conclusion By assiduously improving the quality of the model's input, we continue to assess our algorithm's performance and reliability for future clinical validation as a potential remote monitoring and early STEMI detection device. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Better Cardiac Care (BCC) Data Linkage Project: utilising cross-jurisdictional data to improve patient-flow capture.

ObjectivesThe BCC project aims to describe the burden of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and access to cardiac procedures and care for New South Wales (NSW), Australia residents. For patients experiencing AMI, particularly ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), timely revascularisation is important to optimise prognosis.&#x0D; ApproachThe AMI patient journey often involves presentation to the closest appropriate facility and transfers between hospitals, including across jurisdictions. The BCC dataset consists of cross-jurisdictional linked ambulance, emergency, hospital, outpatient, deaths, Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme records for residents of NSW. For NSW residents hospitalised for STEMI between 2013 to 2018, we compared the number of STEMI hospitalisations, the proportion of patients receiving revascularisation procedures, and the time to procedures using only NSW records versus records from all jurisdictions and Medicare Benefits Scheme. This dataset will be updated annually.&#x0D; ResultsThe BCC dataset comprises 332 million records, from 18 datasets, across 6 jurisdictions. Compared with NSW hospital data, including data from other jurisdictions increased the ascertainment of STEMI hospitalisations by 8.0% (from 15,420 to 16,659) and procedures by 11.2% (from 13,219 to 14,701) for NSW residents. This increase was greatest for residents living near state borders, increasing the number of STEMI hospitalisations by up to 210% and the percentage receiving procedures by up to 70%.&#x0D; ConclusionsCross-jurisdictional data is essential to understand patient journeys of residents who live in border areas and to evaluate patient care for STEMI and AMI more broadly. The BCC dataset is a vital asset that enables a more comprehensive view of care for AMI than has been possible to date.

Strengthening emergency care systems to improve patient care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) at a high-volume tertiary care centre in India

BackgroundST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a highly time-sensitive and life-threatening condition. Early recognition and timely management are challenging in a busy emergency department (ED), especially in low/middle-income countries where emergency...

Prehospital STEMI Referral Systems and Sex-Related Bias in Canada: A National Survey

BackgroundPrehospital electrocardiographic ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) diagnosis and prehospital cardiac catheterization laboratory activation have been shown to significantly reduce average treatment delay, and further standardization of such systems may help reduce sex-related treatment and outcome gaps. However, what types of prehospital STEMI activation systems are in place across Canada, and to what extent sex-based STEMI treatment disparities are tracked, is unknown. MethodsWe conducted a national survey of catheterization laboratory directors between October 11 and December 25, 2021. Seventeen catheterization laboratory directors representing 6 community and 11 academic centres completed the survey (40% response rate). Results: All responding centres use a prehospital STEMI diagnosis and cardiac catheterization laboratory activation system, and the majority (59%) rely on real-time physician oversight. Slightly less than half (47%) of percutaneous coronary intervention centres reported prospectively tracking sex-related differences in STEMI care, and only one respondent believed that a significant systemic sex-related bias was present in their prehospital STEMI referral system. Patient factors (symptom description or time to presentation; 23.5%) and limitations of electrocardiogram diagnosis of STEMI in women (23.5%) were cited most frequently as contributing to sex-related bias in STEMI referral systems. In contrast, implicit bias in the referral algorithm, prehospital provider bias, and physician bias were not considered important contributing factors. ConclusionsAlthough all responding centres employ prehospital activation systems, less than half tracked sex-related differences, and most respondents believed that no sex-related bias existed in their prehospital STEMI system.

Specific characteristics of STEMI in COVID-19 patients andtheir practical implications.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is one of the cardiac emergencies whose management has been most challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients presenting with the "lethal combo" of STEMI and concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection have faced dramatic issues related to the need for self-isolation, systemic inflammation with multi-organ disease and difficulties to obtain timely diagnosis and treatment. The interplay between these and other factors has partly neutralized the major advances in STEMI care achieved in the last decades, significantly impairing prognosis in these patients. In the present review article, we will provide an overview on mechanisms of myocardial injury, specific clinical and angiographic characteristics and contemporary management in different settings of STEMI patients with COVID-19, alongside the inherent implications in terms of in-hospital mortality and short-term clinical outcomes.

A Review of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Patients with COVID-19.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a significant increase in worldwide morbidity and mortality. Patients with COVID-19 are at risk for developing a variety of cardiovascular conditions including acute coronary syndromes, stress-induced cardiomyopathy, and myocarditis. Patients with COVID-19 who develop ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are at a higher risk of morbidity and mortality when compared with their age- and sex-matched STEMI patients without COVID-19. We review current knowledge on the pathophysiology of STEMI in patients with COVID-19, clinical presentation, outcomes, and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall STEMI care.

STEMI India: reimagining STEMI networks in low- and middle-income countries: Reimagining STEMI.

Effective treatment for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) includes the 24/7 availability of reperfusion therapy, which is crucial for good clinical outcomes. In low- and middle-income countries, this is hindered by disparities in resource utilisation, irregularities in access to health care and organisational gaps. Due to the inaccessibility of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for most patients, the more feasible and practical approach of pharmacoinvasive management must be incorporated into the systems of care for STEMI. This review focuses on the development of STEMI India, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to advance the field of STEMI management by imparting and disseminating the latest information from around the world on STEMI management to all those involved in STEMI care. The STEMI India model system of care includes a 3-model framework, based on infrastructure and workforce availability, and tailored to meet the needs of the society it caters to. After the successful implementation of the "Tamil Nadu STEMI" project, a nationwide system of care for STEMI has been developed, which has been endorsed by the Cardiological Society of India (CSI) and the Association of Physicians of India (API).

How to set up regional STEMI networks: a "Stent - Save a life!" initiative.

Clinical guidelines recommend the development of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) networks at community, regional and/or national level to ideally offer primary coronary angioplasty, or at least the best available STEMI care to all patients. However, there is a discrepancy between this clinical recommendation and daily practice, with no coordinated care for STEMI patients in many regions of the world. While this can be a consequence of lack of resources, in reality it is more frequently a lack of organisational power. In this paper, the Stent - Save a Life! Initiative (www.stentsavealife.com) proposes a practical methodology to set up a STEMI network effectively in any region of the world with existing resources, and to develop the STEMI network continuously once it has been established.

Worrisome trends of ST-elevation myocardial infarction during the Covid-19 pandemic: Data from Portuguese centers

IntroductionDuring the Covid-19 pandemic there has been a general belief that hospital admissions for non-infectious causes, especially cardiovascular diseases, have fallen. ObjectivesTo assess the impact of the pandemic on admissions for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during the first pandemic wave. MethodsWe performed a multicenter retrospective analysis of consecutive patients presenting with STEMI in two Portuguese hospital centers in two sequential periods – P1 (March 1 to April 30) and P2 (May 1 to June 30). Patient's clinical data and hospital outcomes were compared between the years 2017 to 2019 and 2020 for both periods. ResultsDuring P1 in 2020, a reduction in the number of STEMI patients was observed in comparison with previous years (26.0±4.2 vs. 16.5±4.9 cases per month; p=0.033), as well as an increase in the number of mechanical complications (0.0% vs. 3.0%; p=0.029). Percutaneous coronary interventions in the setting of failed thrombolysis were more frequent (1.9% vs. 9.1%; p=0.033). An overall trend for longer delays in key timings of STEMI care bundles was noted. Mortality was higher during P1 compared to previous years (1.9% vs. 12.1%; p=0.005). ConclusionsDuring the first Covid-19 wave fewer patients presented with STEMI at the catheterization laboratory for percutaneous coronary intervention. These patients presented more mechanical complications and higher mortality.

Impact of SARS-CoV2 pandemic onto acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction care and patient outcomes in a large tertiary cardiac center

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background SARS-CoV2 pandemic has caused major impact on patient care worldwide. We experienced a surge of cases beginning March 2020 leading to the government imposing a movement control order, more commonly known as ‘lockdown’ starting 18th March 2020. As such, various changes were implemented by our center to the clinical pathway for STEMI patients including using thrombolysis as the preferred initial treatment modality. Purpose We aim to determine the impact of SARS-CoV2 pandemic on the clinical outcome of acute STEMI patients in our center which is a large regional tertiary hospital for cardiology. Methods and results: This is a single center retrospective cross-sectional study from 1st January 2020 until 31st May 2020. We compared clinical outcomes of patients admitted for acute STEMI before (group 1) and after (group 2) 15th March 2020 which is the date our center implemented changes to our STEMI care pathway. A total of 172 cases of acute STEMI was admitted to our center during this period. Admission for STEMI was noticeably lower after the lockdown implementation (group 1, n = 97 vs group 2, n = 75). The median time from symptom to presentation at our center did not differ between the two groups being 4.15h[2.78,7.28] vs 4.42h[2.97,8.01] p = 0.702, suggesting no out-of-hospital delays in management. Majority of the patients in group 1 (n = 75, 77.2%) received primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) vs only 17 (22.7%) in group 2. Most in group 2 (n = 54, 72%) received thrombolytic therapy and subsequently underwent coronary intervention within the same admission. This shows a shift in the preferred initial treatment modality for STEMI at our center during this period. The door to balloon time for patients undergoing primary PCI during this period was also numerically higher in group 2 but the difference was not statistically significant at 46min [38,63] vs 59min [45,72], p = 0.063, most likely due to the additional preparation needed in terms of SARS-CoV2 testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) prior to the procedure. The primary composite endpoint of in-hospital mortality and cardiogenic shock between the two groups (17.5% vs 24.3%, p = 0.275) did not show any significant difference. The incidence of in-hospital mortality and cardiogenic shock were 4.1% vs 6.7% (p = 0.458) and 15.5% vs 21.9% (p = 0.281) respectively. Conclusions This study suggests that thrombolysis as the preferred initial treatment modality for STEMI could be a reasonable temporary measure during the initial phase of a global pandemic to reduce infection risk of healthcare providers without compromising patient outcomes until adequate PPE and testing modalities are available for primary PCI to be performed safely. A follow-up study is needed to determine the long-term outcome of these patients.

Abstract 12267: Impact of a Comprehensive ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Protocol on Key Process Metrics in African American STEMI Patients

Background: Optimizing STEMI care processes for African Americans is a critical matter with important public health implications. We aimed to study if a comprehensive ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) protocol (CSP) could improve key process metrics in the African American (AA) population. Methods: We developed a 4-step CSP which included, 1) Emergency Department catheterization lab activation; (2) STEMI Safe Handoff Checklist; (3) immediate catheterization lab transfer; (4) and radial-first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Baseline characteristics and procedural characteristics were compared between all consecutive STEMI patients who underwent PCI at the Cleveland Clinic main campus between January 1, 2011, to July 14, 2014 (pre-CSP group) and July 15, 2014, to July 15, 2019 (post-CSP group). Results: There were a total of 208 AA patients in the pre-CSP group compared to 271 AA patients in the post-CSP group. Baseline characteristics were quite similar between the two groups except for a lower rate of MI in the post-CSP group (45% vs 30%, P=0.001). After implementation of our CSP, guideline-directed medical therapy increased from 71.6% to 81.9% (P=0.011), radial utilization went up from 14.4% to 73.8% (P&lt;0.001), door to balloon time decreased from 90 minutes (median IQR 64-120) to 70 minutes (median IQR 45-95) (P&lt;0.001), fluoro dose decreased from 1610 mGy (median IQR 980.25-2592.25) to 1147 mGy (median IQR 742-1844) (P&lt;0.001), and contrast dose decreased from 197.07 ml to 152.98 ml (P&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Implementing a CSP was able to significantly improve the key STEMI process metrics for African American patients. Optimizing key STEMI process metrics is an important initiative to ensure equitable STEMI care.

Clinical profile of ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients from a tertiary care hospital in Northern India

Background: Our aim was to the study clinical and epidemiological profile of patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Methods: We did a single centre cross-sectional observational study of 200 patients presented with STEMI to a tertiary referral centre in Northern India from January 2016 to November 2017. All patients above 18 years of age admitted with diagnosis of STEMI were included in the study.Results: The mean age of study population was 55.75±12.5. The most common chief compliant was chest pain (95.1%). The anterior wall myocardial infarction (AWMI) accounted for 60.5% of all STEMI patients. The median duration from onset of symptoms to presentation to hospital was 7.93±6.58 hours. Cardiogenic shock was observed in 10.5% patients. Most common risk factor noted was smoking (63%). Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was less in AWMI (47±9.09) as compared to inferior wall myocardial infarction (IWMI) (50.72±7.14) (p&lt;0.05). Among 200 cases studied, 11.5% cases developed post MI-Angina. Among arrhythmic complications, sinus bradycardia was most common (17.5%).Conclusions: Our study represents the predominance of AWMI as the initial acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presentation with a considerable delay in first medical contact. Complications like cardiogenic shock, arrhythmia were frequently observed. The biggest barrier to uniform STEMI care in developing nations is nonexistence of regional systems of care and this need to be improved.