Change in inclusion criteria for PPCI

There will be a slight change in the inclusion criteria for people requiring PPCI where Basildon is the closest Hospital with PPCI speciality. This change will only be for patients going to Basildon, all other PPCI centres will not be adopting this change at present.

The change in criteria will come into effect from 9am on 17th October 2022. Until this date continue to refer your STEMI patients as you do now.

The ambition for the algorithm change is to deliver the correct cardiac arrest patient to the right treatment centre, with minimal secondary transfers, and simplify the triage decision making for pre hospital clinicians.

The Essex Cardiothoracic Centre (ECAC) is asking for any out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who are presenting rhythm of VT/VF or the presence of STEMI on a post ROSC ECG directly to the ECAC.

For patients with an initial non-shockable rhythm an no evidence of STEMI, they are asking pre-hospital care providers to take them to the nearest DGH ED, as they currently do.

The ECAC will be closely monitoring this change through our cardiac arrest registry, with data inputted across the region on a daily basis and access via data sharing agreement to directly gathered EEAST information (with CAG approval).

Published 11th October 2022