Need for Centers to Care for Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes

Abstract

cute myocardial infarction (MI) characterized by ST-segment elevation on the ECG has been the subject of more randomized trials and outcome studies than any other area of medicine.Recently, non-STelevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS) have taken an equal position in terms of clinical study and clinical relevance.Additionally, through a series of frustrations 1 and triumphs, 2 the critical nature of prehospital management of ACS has been underscored.This attention is appropriate, given the dominance of coronary artery disease (CAD) as the leading global cause of death and disability.Despite this abundance of evidence, however, ample studies have reported the common failure to deliver the standard of care in clinical practice.We believe that the establishment of regional centers for ACS, if linked with the communities in which they exist and if approached in a reasonable fashion with appropriate financial incentives, would result in much more effective and efficient care of this dominant public health problem.

Keywords

Affiliated Institutions

• University of Chicago US
• Clinical Research Institute US
• Duke Medical Center US
• Duke University Hospital US

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