Guidelines for the Management of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the United States (Revised Version 2004)

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 a basis for developing regulations and payment policies, the ultimate goal is to improve healthcare quality and maximize patient benefits. 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 those that follow 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 has emphasized some important concepts and recommendations in this guide and listed references that intersect with other guidelines.