The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and long-term outcome for patients suffering from acute chest pain in relation to whether or not they were transported to hospital by ambulance. All patients with acute chest pain who were admitted over a 21-month period to the emergency department at Sahlgrenska Hospital in Göteborg with symptoms of acute chest pain were included in the study. Consecutive patients were prospectively registered and followed with regard to mortality and morbidity over 5 years. In all, 4270 patients took part in the evaluation, of whom 1445 (34%) were transported by ambulance. Patients transported by ambulance were older (p < 0.0001) and had a higher prevalence of previous myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and congestive heart failure (p < 0.0001 for all) than the others. They more frequently developed acute myocardial infarction (28% vs. 11%; p < 0.0001) and there was a final diagnosis of either confirmed or possible myocardial infarction/ischaemia in 69% compared with 38% for patients not transported by ambulance (p < 0.0001). The 5-year mortality among ambulance-transported patients was 41% vs. 16% among those who were not (p < 0.0001). When correcting for dissimilarities at baseline including final diagnosis the adjusted risk ratio for death among ambulance transported patients was 1.44 (95% confidence limit 1.26-1.65). However, we did not correct for severe non-cardiac diseases. It is concluded that among patients admitted to the emergency department with acute chest pain, those transported by ambulance had a much higher mortality during the subsequent 5 years than those who were not transported by ambulance. This was not entirely explained by observed differences at baseline. This information should be considered when ambulance organizations are being constructed.