Driving Time to the Nearest Percutaneous Coronary Intervention-Capable Hospital and the Risk of Case Fatality in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction in Beijing

Timely arrival at a hospital capable of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is critical in treating acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We examined the association between driving time to the nearest PCI-capable hospital and case fatality among AMI patients. A total of 142,474 AMI events during 2013–2019 from the Beijing Cardiovascular Disease Surveillance System were included in this cross-sectional study. The driving time from the residential address to the nearest PCI-capable hospital was calculated. Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of AMI death associated with driving time. In 2019, 54.5% of patients lived within a 15-min drive to a PCI-capable hospital, with a higher proportion in urban than peri-urban areas (71.2% vs. 31.8%, p < 0.001). Compared with patients who had driving times ≤15 min, the adjusted odds ratios (95% CI, p value) for AMI fatality risk associated with driving times 16–30, 31–45, and >45 min were 1.068 (95% CI 1.033–1.104, p < 0.001), 1.189 (95% CI 1.127–1.255, p < 0.001), and 1.436 (95% CI 1.334–1.544, p < 0.001), respectively. Despite the high accessibility to PCI-capable hospitals for AMI patients in Beijing, inequality between urban and peri-urban areas exists. A longer driving time is associated with an elevated AMI fatality risk. These findings may help guide the allocation of health resources.