A decade of improvement in the management of New Zealand ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients: results from the New Zealand Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) Audit Group national audits of 2002, 2007 and 2012
John Elliott, Tom Kai Ming Wang, Greg Gamble, Michael Williams, Philip Matsis, Richard Troughton, Andrew Hamer, Gerry Devlin, Stewart Mann, Mark Richards, John French, Harvey White, Chris Ellis
The presentation with a STEMI heart attack is a dangerous medical event. Even by 2012, approximately 7% of those who reach hospital die. The 2002 National heart attack and unstable angina audit was run by cardiologists and specialist physicians who wanted to record the low levels of service available. This audit shocked the Health Ministry into action, with subsequent audits from 2007 and 2012 demonstrating ongoing improvements in services available to manage patients, which the paper describes. However, the paper also describes the need for ongoing improvements from 2012, especially in the rapid access to a cardiac angiogram, with a stent or cardiac surgery for those who need this treatment. This should occur within 24 hours.