Transtelephonic electrocardiography in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome

Abstract Background The efficacy of the transtelephonic ECG system (TTECG) in the management of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was examined with regard to the ambulance service- and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-related delay times, the prehospital medical therapy and the in-hospital mortality rate. Methods The study was conducted as a collaborative effort between the University of Debrecen and the Hungarian National Ambulance Service. Altogether 397 patients were recruited in the TTECG group, while 378 patients transported to the PCI centre without TTECG served as controls. Results More accurate prehospital medical therapy was achieved in the TTECG group. The PCI-related delay times were significantly shorter, while the in-hospital mortality rate was significantly lower in the TTECG group than among the controls. Conclusions The findings illustrate that TTECG is a valuable tool which may potentially improve the regional management of STEMI patients.