A 48-year-old man presents to the emergency department 3 hours after onset of severe chest pain. ECG shows ST elevation in V1-V4. According to current guidelines, what is the acceptable door-to-balloon time for primary PCI?
- A 30 minutes
- B 60 minutes
- C 90 minutes ✓
- D 120 minutes
Correct answer: C. 90 minutes
Explanation
ACC/AHA and ESC guidelines recommend a door-to-balloon time of ≤90 minutes for primary PCI in STEMI. If PCI cannot be achieved within 120 minutes of first medical contact, fibrinolysis should be administered instead (within 30 minutes of hospital arrival). The 90-minute target is a quality metric and a Class I recommendation.
Reference: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 21st ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.