ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infaction Alert During the Night Shift, A Misfortune for the Patient or an Overstatement?

BACKGROUND: Conflicting data exist regarding the outcomes of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) based on intervention timings. It is believed that short staffing at night hours may lead to a lapse in the delivery of effective, efficient and timely medical intervention. METHODS: A retrospective single-center study was performed, and a total of 436 patients were randomized into two groups. Group A had 279 patients who had the heart catheterization done during the daytime (between 6 am and 6 pm), while group B had 157 patients who had the same intervention performed at night (between 6 pm and 6 am). RESULTS: Door to balloon (DTB) time during the day was about 16 min shorter than the DTB time at night (81.29 ± 3.26 vs. 97.30 ± 8.54) with no statistical difference (P = 0.051). The mean troponin rise during the day was 1.94 ± 10.60 SEM (95% confidence interval (CI): -22.70 to 18.90) higher than night troponin levels (71.75 ± 7.18 vs. 69.80 ± 7.18), but P value was 0.85. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) fall for daytime was 0.93% vs. 0.90% for night time patients (P = 0.94). CONCLUSION: There is no significant difference in the mean DTB time, the rise in troponin, fall in LVEF, readmission rates, or mortality, and hence no negative effects on patient outcomes based on the patient’s time of presentation between the two groups.