Mato Grosso protocol slashes heart‑attack response time

An emergency protocol for acute myocardial infarction was launched in Mato Grosso, Brazil, linking the mobile emergency service (SAMU), the fire brigade and the Hospital Central de Alta Complexidade, which is managed by the Einstein Hospital Israelita. In its first month, 46 patients entered the integrated flow; 89% of those with chest pain required cardiology evaluation, and 29 were directed to the Hospital Central. Medical regulation during pre‑hospital care took an average of five minutes, and once at the hospital the diagnosis was confirmed in 4.3 minutes using telemedicine support from São Paulo. Among the 29 patients, 48% were admitted to intensive care, 20% underwent angio‑CT, and 7% died due to the severity of their condition. The protocol aims to filter and route the most critical cases directly to a high‑complexity unit, reducing overall response times well below the ten‑minute threshold recommended by the American Heart Association.