Impact of the prehospital activation strategy in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous revascularization: a single center community hospital experience.

The strategy of prehospital activation by the emergency medical system (EMS) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been poorly adopted among the US hospitals that currently offer 24/7 primary percutaneous coronary intervention. In this study, we report a single center experience after the implementation of this strategy. From 2008 to 2011, we identified a total 188 STEMI patients (age 65 ± 15 years) presenting via EMS for primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Use of the Impella 2.5 system alone, after and in combination with an intra-aortic balloon pump in patients with cardiogenic shock: case description and review of the literature.

Cardiogenic shock remains a serious complication of acute myocardial infarction as it is associated with very poor prognosis. Despite the historical clinical benefits of the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), in some patients additional mechanical cardiac support is necessary. The recent introduction of the percutaneous Impella® 2.