Abstract
Recent large-scale clinical investigations have shown the overwhelming importance of early intervention in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), thereby underlining the crucial role of emergency medical technician-paramedics (EMT-Ps) in helping to assess and treat heart attack victims. Some of these studies have included administration of thrombolytic drugs by paramedics. Emergency medical service teams equipped with 12-lead ECGs, diagnostics, checklists, and 2-way communications are becoming the standard in many communities in developed countries and help reduce in-hospital delays in diagnosis. Together with newer diagnostic hardware and software, novel thrombolytics that are rapid and easy to administer will help paramedics overcome current bottlenecks to the expeditious delivery of life-saving care to AMI victims. Public awareness programs as suggested by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines are essential to enlist support for government funding of emergency medical services that can frequently mean the difference between life and death.
References
Jan 1, 1979·Journal of Community Health·J M EisenbergH Rawnsley
Nov 1, 1977·Circulation·K A ReimerR B Jennings
Sep 5, 1992·BMJ : British Medical Journal
Apr 1, 1990·Journal of the American College of Cardiology·A RothE Kaplinsky
Oct 1, 1990·The American Journal of Cardiology·L KaragounisJ L Anderson
Dec 15, 1990·The American Journal of Cardiology·J SchoferF H Sheehan
Apr 1, 1990·Journal of the American College of Cardiology·W D WeaverM K Copass
Jul 5, 1989·The American Journal of Cardiology·A D CastaigneP Vernant
Nov 28, 1985·The New England Journal of Medicine·G KorenM H Luria
Mar 1, 1983·Circulation·R SchröderK Wegscheider
Jun 1, 1995·Journal of General Internal Medicine·A M Fendrick
Nov 1, 1993·Journal of the American College of Cardiology·T LindererJ Wagner
Jan 1, 1994·Journal of the American College of Cardiology·J Rawles
Feb 1, 1994·Annals of Emergency Medicine
Aug 5, 1993·The New England Journal of Medicine·UNKNOWN European Myocardial Infarction Project Group
Sep 8, 1993·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·W D WeaverM Eisenberg
Jan 27, 1996·BMJ : British Medical Journal·J Rawles
Jun 1, 1996·Journal of the American College of Cardiology·L K NewbyF Van de Werf
Nov 1, 1996·Journal of the American College of Cardiology·T J RyanW D Weaver
Jan 10, 1998·Clinical Cardiology·R Becker
Jan 10, 1998·Clinical Cardiology·J M Rawles
Jan 10, 1998·Clinical Cardiology·K Newby