Transportation of patients with acute myocardial infarction for primary percutaneous coronary intervention by helicopter ambulance

Ministery of Health has been established air ambulance system in Turkey. Fifteen provinces throughout Turkey has been determined as centers of the system. One-hour flight distances from these centers altogether cover whole country. Since October 2008, two helicopter ambulances has been deployed continously in our hospital as part of this nationwide system. Prompt use of reperfusion therapy improves survival of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. Accordingly rapidly transporting the patient to a hospital is very important. Two components of the delay from the onset of AMI to reperfusion therapy includes prehospital and interhospital transportation. Two cases with (AMI) were transferred to our hospital by helicopter ambulances for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In this report AMI care systems for PCI and and the role of air transportation has been discussed.