Time also plays a vital role in the management of myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack. The faster treatment is given, the better the prognosis. To accelerate medical procedures and save lives, the HUG has set up a pre-hospital alarm system or STEMI (STElevation Myocardial Infarction) alarm in 2006, which speeds up the patient's care and allows direct access to the cath lab, without going through the ER.
Thanks to the pre-hospital alarm, more than 95% of patients are treated within 90 minutes of admission to the HUG, a time frame in line with international recommendations. At the end of their treatment, patients have access to various rehabilitation programs set up by cardiology teams.
In Switzerland, myocardial infarction causes death every thirty minutes and is the direct cause of 40% of deaths in people over 65.