Mobile cardiac unit. Experience from a West Midland town.

The successful operation of coronary care units resulting in early detection and control of lifethreatening post-infarction arrhythmias has so far produced a gratifying and instructive impact on the management of acute myocardial infarction. The first few hours after an attack are, however, the most critical. Yater et al. (I948) showed that 60 per cent of the deaths from coronary heart disease occur within an hour of the onset of the pain and 85 per cent within 24 hours. Nixon (I968) reported that 47 per cent of the coronary deaths occurred before the arrival of an ambulance and I3 per cent during transportation. This prompted the concept of moving the cardiac care unit out of the hospital to the patient's side as soon as possible after the attack of myocardial infarction to prevent and control the fatal early-occurring arrhythmias. The mobile cardiac unit started operations from our hospital in December 197i, and the purpose of this paper is to describe our experience.