Thrombolysis for patients with acute
myocardial infarction (AMI) is of greatest benefit
when treatment is commenced as soon as possible
after symptom onset. The British Heart Foundation
(BHF) recently set a benchmark recommending that
eligible patients with AMI receive thrombolytic
therapy less than 90 min after calling for medical
assistance. The purpose of this study was to compare the
performance of an urban emergency service to this
benchmark. A secondary objective was to determine
whether patients treated outside this time were at a
greater risk of mortality.