Relationship of the Distance Between Non-PCI Hospitals and Primary PCI Centers, Mode of Transport, and Reperfusion Time Among Ground and Air Interhospital Transfers Using NCDR’s ACTION Registry-GWTG: A Report From the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline Program

BACKGROUND—ST-segment myocardial infarction patients frequently present to non-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospitals and require interhospital transfer for primary PCI. The effect of distance and mode of transport to the PCI center and the frequency that recommended primary PCI times are met are not clear. METHODS AND RESULTS—Data from the ACTION Registry-GWTG™ were used to determine the distance between the Non-PCI and PCI center and first door time to balloon time based on transfer mode (ground and air) for patients having interhospital transfer for primary PCI. From July 1, 2008, to December 31, 2012, 17 052 ST-segment myocardial infarction patients were transferred to 413 PCI hospitals. The median distance from the non-PCI hospital to the primary PCI center was 31.9 miles (Q1, Q319.1, 47.9; ground 25.2 miles; air 43.9 miles; P