Guidelines for the Management of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the United States: 2004 Revisions

Author: Yan Hongbing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This practical guide aims to assist healthcare professionals in making clinical decisions by introducing widely accepted methods for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of specific diseases. The guide attempts to identify practices that meet the needs of most patients in most situations. The recommendations in this guide reflect the consensus of experts after reviewing existing scientific evidence, with the goal of improving patient care. If this guide is used as the basis for regulations and payment, the ultimate goal is to improve healthcare quality and meet the patients' greatest interests. The final judgment on a patient's medical care must be made by physicians and patients after considering the specific circumstances. Some healthcare environments may differ from following this guide. The purpose of this guide is to highlight the numerous advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of STEMI patients since 1999. This is reflected in the change of the guide's name: "ACC/AHA ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treatment Guidelines." This committee recognizes that there is some overlap between this guide on STEMI patients and the guidelines on unstable angina/NSTEMI patients and other guidelines. Therefore, this committee only emphasizes some important concepts and recommendations in this guide and lists references that intersect with other guidelines.