Question

A 46‑year‑old male miner working in a remote area of Western Australia presents to a small rural emergency facility with crushing chest pain of 30 minutes' duration. ECG shows 2 mm ST elevation in leads II, III and aVF. There is no onsite thrombolysis capability and retrieval to a PCI centre is estimated at 3 hours. According to rural emergency care principles, what is the most appropriate immediate action by the rural clinician?

Accepted Answer

Activate retrieval and administer pre‑hospital thrombolysis with appropriate monitoring

Answer

Arrange road transfer without treatment and await retrieval team

Answer

Administer aspirin, commence oxygen and analgesia only

Answer

Wait for cardiologist telephone review before giving any treatment

Answer

Discharge if pain improves with sublingual glyceryl trinitrate

Practice question