Impact of late hospital admission on the prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

The objective of this study is to determine the time elapsed from the onset of pain in patients with AMI to their hospital admission (pain to door time) and fibrinolytic administration (door to needle time). The objective is also to determine whether there is a difference between the frequency of fibrinolytic administration to patients and the survival rate of patients with AMI with respect to the location they are transported from. This prospective clinical study included patients manifesting clear clinical, electrocardiographic and biochemical evidence of AMI, according to criteria of ECS (European Society of Cardiology), and who were admitted to the Coronary Care Unit of Split Clinical Hospital in the period from 1 January to 31 December 1999. On the basis of their residence, the patients were divided into three groups: 1. patients from Split and the surrounding area distant up to 15 km from the city; 2. patients from the surrounding area within 15 km from Split, 3. patients living on the islands of Central Dalmatia. 409 patients with AMI were admitted to hospital in the period in question. The first group consisted of 207, the second of 163, and the third of 39 subjects (254:39; p < 0.001). The median time from the onset of pain to hospital admission for all patients with AMI was 7.3 hours, for patients from the islands 13 hours, whereas for those coming from locations distant more than 15 km from Split it amounted to 7.6 hours (p < 0.001). The number of patients that were administered fibrinolysis is extremely low (17.1%) and there is no significant difference in the frequency of fibrinolytic administration between certain patient groups (p > 0.05). Similarly, the mortality rate prior to hospital discharge is high (18.8%) and does not vary among the three studied groups (p > 0.05). The results of this study are in opposition to the assumption that the mortality rate will be lower in patients living in Split and the immediate surroundings when compared to the mortality rate of patients living on the islands of Central Dalmatia (21.7%: 15.4%).