[Results of the myocardial infarct registers in the German Democratic Republic and their significance for the reduction of early mortality in myocardial infarce].

From preliminary results of the registers of myocardial infarction in the GDR follows that the definitive myocardial infarction (classification of the WHO) occurs in Berlin with an incidence rate of 17 cases per 10,000 inhabitants and annum, in Erfurt 10 and at Pasewalk 11 cases per 10,000 inhabitants and annum. More than three fourths of all cases of myocardial infarction appear outside the hospital. After three months the lethality is 60%, whereby the half of all cases of death appears already in the prehospital phase. More than 8 hours are passing before half of all patients with infarction are admitted into the hospital. The greatest retardation takes place between arrival of the physician and admission into the hospital. In the second place follows the interval onset of the infarction and demand of medical aid. An improvement of the early diagnostics and the transport of the patient as well as an adequate information and collaboration of the patient and his surroundings might contribute to a shortening of the prehospital phase and thus to a decrease of the early mortality in cases of myocardial infarction.