Impact of Doctor Car with Mobile Cloud ECG in Reducing Door-to- Balloon Time of Japanese ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients

Abstract

Early reperfusion by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the current standard therapy for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). To achieve better prognoses for these patients, reducing the door-to-balloon time is essential. As we reported previously, the Kitasato University Hospital Doctor Car (DC), an ambulance with a physician on board, is equipped with a novel mobile cloud 12-lead ECG system. Between September 2011 and August 2013, there were 260 emergency dispatches of our Doctor Car, of which 55 were for suspected acute myocardial infarction with chest pain and cold sweat. Among these 55 calls, 32 patients received emergent PCI due to STEMI (DC Group). We compared their data with those of 76 STEMI patients who were transported directly to our hospital by ambulance around the same period (Non-DC Group). There were no differences in patient age, gender, underlying diseases, or Killip classification between the two groups. The door-to-balloon time in the DC group was 56.1 ± 13.7 minutes and 74.0 ± 14.1 minutes in the Non-DC Group (P < 0.0001). Maximum levels of CPK were 2899 ± 308 and 2876 ± 269 IU/L (P = 0.703), and those of CK-MB were 292 ± 360 and 295 ± 284 ng/mL (P = 0.423), respectively, in the 2 groups. The Doctor Car system with the Mobile Cloud ECG was useful for reducing the door-to-balloon time.