2004 ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Management of Patients with STEMI: Class 1 Recommendations Pertinent to the Emergency Department

In August, 2004 the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association 2004 ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) guidelines were published. This treatise presents a comprehensive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of STEMI extending from the first pre-hospital medical contact of the patient with an ambulance, through emergency department care, to the appropriate approach to these patients on hospital discharge and beyond. The Emergency Medicine Cardiac Research and Education Group (EMCREG)-International has provided, through this concise summary of the STEMI guidelines, a practical approach for emergency physicians for this disease process.