Zahler D, Rozenfeld KL, Pasternak Y, et al. - Researchers aimed at ascertaining the importance of the time delay between symptom onset and balloon inflation in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients by examining the impact of prolonging pain-to-balloon times (PBT) on in-hospital outcomes and mortality in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

• In STEMI, pain-to-balloon time is the time from symptoms to interventional treatment.

• A total of 2,345 STEMI patients (age 61 ± 13 years, 82% men) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention were retrospectively studied.

• According to PBT, patients were grouped into 3: ≤ 120 minutes, 121 to 360 minutes, and > 360 minutes.

• The occurrence of in-hospital complications, 30-day, and 1-year mortality was determined by assessing patients' records.

• Analysis revealed correlation of rising pain-to-balloon times with increased 1-year mortality.

• Time from pain onset until hospital arrival causes the major delay.

• Overall findings support the importance of performing coronary reperfusion as early as possible based on the onset of pain.