BACKGROUND:The creation of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) management systems is aimed at optimizing the management of patients from early diagnosis to proper and timely treatment. OBJECTIVE: To assess the implantation of an AMI management system in the municipality of Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, and its impact on in-hospital mortality due to AMI. METHODS: The AMI management system was implanted in the municipality of Belo Horizonte between 2010 and 2011, aiming at increasing the access of patients of the public health system to the treatment recommended by the existing guidelines. The teams at the prompt care units were trained, and the system of tele-electrocardiography was implanted in those units. The primary outcomes of this retrospective observational study were the number of admissions and in-hospital mortality due to AMI, from 2009 to 2011. RESULTS: In the period studied, 294 professionals were trained and 563 electrocardiograms (ECGs) transmitted from prompt care units to coronary units. A significant reduction was observed in the in-hospital mortality rate (12.3% in 2009 versus 7.1% in 2011, p < 0.001), while the number of admissions due to AMI remained stable. The mean cost of admission increased (mean R$ 2,480.00 versus R$ 3,501.00; p < 0.001), the proportion of admissions including intensive care unit stay increased (32.4% in 2009 versus 66.1% in 2011; p < 0.001), and the number of patients admitted to tertiary hospitals increased (47.0% versus 69.6%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The AMI management system implantation increased the access of the population to proper treatment, thus reducing in-hospital mortality due to AMI.
Myocardial infarction; Myocardial infarction; Emergency Medical Services; Intensive Care Units
