Heart-attack study: Bypass ER, save lives

[Star Tribune, July 22, 2010] If you're having a heart attack, you may not need an emergency room at all, according to a groundbreaking study at United Hospital in St. Paul.

Researchers found that patients get faster care, and are more likely to survive, if an ambulance crew takes them straight to a specialized hospital "cath lab," where doctors can act quickly to open their blocked arteries.