Key result
Typical AMI symptoms, higher pain scores (>6), and awareness of AMI symptoms were associated with significantly shorter prehospital delay times (overall mean 7.3 ± 2.4 h, median 2.2 h).
Why the study?
Do specific AMI symptoms and symptom awareness reduce prehospital delay time in patients with acute myocardial infarction?
Observational (n=116)
Do specific AMI symptoms and symptom awareness reduce prehospital delay time in patients with acute myocardial infarction?
Typical AMI symptoms, higher pain scores, and symptom awareness are associated with significantly shorter prehospital delay times, highlighting the need for public education.
Supports AMI symptom education efforts; hypothesis-generating, needs prospective confirmation before practice change.
OBJECTIVE: To improve time to treatment, the effects of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) symptoms on prehospital delay time (PDT) were investigated. METHODS: Patients with AMI completed a questionnaire on their AMI symptoms and their general knowledge of AMI symptoms. RESULTS: In total, 116 patients completed questionnaires. The mean PDT was 7.3 ± 2.4 h; the median PDT was 2.2 h. Each patient experienced a mean of 3.6 symptoms during their AMI. PDT was significantly shorter in the following groups: patients with chest compression pain/chest discomfort, profuse sweating or dyspnoea than in patients with other symptoms; patients presenting with typical rather than atypical symptoms; patients with pain scores >6 compared with scores ≤6; patients who were aware rather than unaware of AMI symptoms. Patients actually having AMI symptoms and patients being aware of AMI symptoms were inversely correlated with PDT. There was a linear relationship between pain scores and PDT. CONCLUSION: Public awareness of AMI symptoms should be enhanced, in order to shorten PDT and improve AMI survival rates.
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Gao et al. (2013) conducted an observational in Acute myocardial infarction (n=116). AMI symptoms and awareness vs. Atypical symptoms and unawareness was evaluated on Prehospital delay time. Typical AMI symptoms, higher pain scores (>6), and awareness of AMI symptoms were associated with significantly shorter prehospital delay times (overall mean 7.3 ± 2.4 h, median 2.2 h).
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