Background: In patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred reperfusion method over fibrinolysis, if it is performed in a timely fashion by an experienced team in a centre with on-site primary PCI service. Treatment delay due to patient transfer to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory is an important limitation of mechanical reperfusion in STEMI patients.

Aim: To analyse treatment outcomes in STEMI patients hospitalised in a regional hospital in Tarnow before and after introduction of a 24/7 primary PCI service.

Methods: Enrolment into the registry continued for 12 months before introduction of a 24/7 primary PCI service (Period I: 19.04.2004–19.04.2005) and 15 months after introduction of a 24/7 primary PCI service (Period II: 8.08.2005–19.10.2006). Overall, 226 STEMI patients were analysed, including 115 patients in Period I and 111 patients in Period II. STEMI patients in Period I received conservative treatment (n = 59), pharmacoinvasive treatment (a half dose of alteplase, a full dose of abciximab, and transfer to a 24/7 primary PCI reference centre: n = 32) or fibrinolysis with streptokinase (n = 24), while all patients in Period II underwent primary PCI on the first day of hospitalisation. Occurrence of cardiovascular deaths, non-fatal recurrent infarctions, and revascularisation with PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting was evaluated in the two groups during 1-year follow-up.

Results: Reperfusion therapy was used in 48.7% of STEMI patients in Period I (pharmacoinvasive treatment in 27.8% and fibrinolysis in 20.9%), and all patients in Period II underwent primary PCI. In-hospital mortality among STEMI patients in Period I was significantly higher than in Period II (23.5% vs. 5.4%, p < 0.001), and it was 23.7% in patients managed conservatively. The hazard ratio for Period II compared to Period I was 0.14 (95% CI 0.03–0.62, p = 0.009). A benefit of invasive treatment was seen during 1 year of follow-up (mortality 26.1% in Period I vs. 9.0% in Period II, p = 0.001). Invasive treatment was also associated with a shorter hospital stay.

Conclusions: Introduction of a 24/7 primary PCI regional service (STEMI network) led to improved accessibility of invasive diagnosis and treatment and increased reperfusion treatment rates, resulting in reduced in-hospital and 1-year mortality among STEMI patients.