Date Released: July 15, 2009
Termination Date: July 15, 2010

Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes

• Please review and complete the online patient case study prequel prior to partcipating in the webinar. Your CME certificate will appear upon completion of the prequel.

Dear Colleague:

The following case study demonstrates the complexities of managing a patient with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and emphasizes the need to customize care based on individual patient factors. Optimal management of STEMI requires rapid, accurate diagnosis and timely delivery of guideline-recommended life-saving therapies. The quality of care that is received initially in the prehospital setting and emergency department, and subsequently in the coronary care unit and catheterization laboratory, is pivotal to patient outcomes.

This patient case is being provided as a prelude to the upcoming ACS CME/CE Webinar series. It previews the critical clinical questions and decisions involved in the management of a patient with STEMI that will be addressed during the live lecture. The rationale for selection of the various treatment options employed in this case, as supported by current guidelines and results of recent clinical trials, will be discussed during the lecture.

This activity is designed to be interactive with questions posed at various critical decision points. Please answer the questions based on your current practice and/or the protocol usually employed at your institution. Your participation in this preview activity will allow you to experience a more engaging lecture and provide you with a better opportunity to prepare specific questions for the program faculty. Physicians will receive a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for participating in this activity.

Thank you for participating in both the case study preview and the Webinar. I hope that these CME activities will help you optimize management of your patients with STEMI.

Sincerely,

Christopher P. Cannon, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
TIMI Study Group, Cardiovascular Division
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts

This activity is supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U.S. Inc.