The impact of transferring patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction to percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospitals on clinical outcomes.

Background: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is recommended for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients even when the patient must be transported to a PCI-capable hospital. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of STEMI patients who were transferred for primary PCI compared to patients who arrived directly to PCI-capable hospitals.

Methods: A total of 3,576 STEMI patients with less than 12 h of symptom onset-to-door time from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry were divided into transfer (n = 2,176) and direct-arrival (n = 1,400) groups according to their status.