ABSTRACT
Potential ischemic heart disease is the third most common cause of Emergency Department (ED) visits, after trauma and upper respiratory infection. There were over 5.8 million ED visits with a primary diagnosis of acute chest pain in 2003 (1). Approximately 18 million electrocardiograms (ECG) are obtained on ED patients in the United States annually (1). This chapter will focus on the specific role of the prehospital provider and the emergency physician in identification, risk stratification, and timely treatment of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Because the steps taken by all health care providers who evaluate patients with STEMI are similar, this chapter is organized by the approach to the evaluation and treatment of patients with STEMI, rather than by the location of the health care provider (prehospital or ED).
