Delay and its related factors in seeking treatment in patients with acute myocardial infarction
Mohsen Taghaddosi1, Mansour Dianati, Javad Fath Gharib Bidgoli
1Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
Insights
Many myocardial infarction patients experience treatment delays due to factors like symptom dismissal and unawareness of heart attack signs. Public education on early symptom recognition and hospital referral is crucial for better outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Myocardial infarction (MI) necessitates prompt diagnosis and treatment to avert severe complications like dysrhythmias and mortality.
- Understanding treatment-seeking delays in MI patients is vital for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the duration of delay in seeking treatment among myocardial infarction patients.
- To identify factors associated with delayed treatment seeking in MI patients.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 200 patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction at a general teaching hospital in Kashan, Iran (April 2004-March 2005).
- Data collected included demographic characteristics, treatment delay duration, and reasons for delay.
Main Results:
- A significant delay in seeking treatment was observed in 69% (131) of the recruited patients.
- Factors influencing delay included gender, age, socioeconomic status, education, prior physician consultation, symptom severity, urban/rural residence, and time of symptom onset.
- Primary reasons for delay were: expecting spontaneous symptom resolution, misattributing symptoms to non-cardiac issues, and symptom disregard.
Conclusions:
- Patient education regarding myocardial infarction symptoms and the importance of immediate hospital referral is essential.
- Addressing common reasons for delay, such as symptom misinterpretation and minimization, can improve timely access to care.
Background:
Early diagnosis and treatment of myocardial infarction can prevent life-threatening complications such as dysrhythmias and death. The aim of this study was to determine the length of delay and its related factors in seeking treatment among a group of patients with myocardial infarction.
Methods:
In a cross-sectional design, all the patients who had referred to a general teaching hospital (Kashan, Iran) for treatment of myocardial infarction from April 2004 to March 2005 were recruited. Demographic characteristics, the amount of delay, and the causes of having delay were recorded.
Results:
Two hundred patients were recruited for this study from which 131 (69%) patients had delay in seeking treatment. Factors such as gender, age, economical status, educational level, referring to a general physician before referring to the hospital, the severity of symptoms, residential place (urban vs. rural), and the time of the onset of the symptoms (day vs. night) were determined to be related to having delay. The most important causes of having delay were: "hoping the symptoms to alleviate spontaneously", "attributing the symptoms to other problems other than heart problems", and "disregarding the symptoms".
Conclusion:
Regarding the most important causes of having delay in this study, the importance of educating people about the symptoms of myocardial infarction and the importance of early referral to the hospitals is clarified.
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