Pre-hospital coronary care: review of a system in its fifth year.

The present "coronary" ambulance service in Sydney is poorly utilized, covers a small fraction of the city's population and operates at a cost which is less than 0-25% of the hospital care of patients admitted with suspected cardiac emergencies. A survey suggests that such a service could with benefit be replaced by a general emergency ambulance service, staffed by well trained paramedical personnel, strategically located throughout the city and responding to all emergency calls.