The American journal of emergency medicine
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Review Case Reports
The prehospital 12-lead electrocardiogram: impact on management of the out-of-hospital acute coronary syndrome patient.
The electrocardiogram (ECG), when applied in the prehospital setting, has a significant effect on the patient with chest pain. The potential effect on the patient includes both diagnostic and therapeutic issues, including the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the indication for thrombolysis. ⋯ In AMI patients with ST-segment elevations, it has been conclusively demonstrated that information obtained from the prehospital ECG reduces the time to hospital-based reperfusion treatment. Importantly, these benefits are encountered with little increase in EMS resource use or on-scene time.