ABSTRACT
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains the leading cause of death in most Western industrialized nations.4 AMI is the leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for a 40% mortality in European nations in patients under the age of 75.1-3
Of the 4 to 6 million patients with chest pain seen in emergency departments in the United States, more than 1 million experience an AMI and approximately 25% die before reaching the hospital.2 Due to the widespread prevalence and high attendant mortality of AMI, this disease remains one of the greatest challenges for prehospital care providers. Despite recent advances in early diagnosis, improved drug therapy, and understanding of the pathophysiology of AMI, the expected reduction in adverse clinical outcomes has yet to be fully realized.5
