Missed acute myocardial infarction: an underrecognized problem that contributes to poor patient outcomes
Chun Shing Kwok1,2, Christian D Mallen1
1School of Medicine, Keele University.
Insights
Missed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains a global health concern, increasing complication and mortality risks. This review examines factors contributing to missed AMI and strategies for reducing its occurrence.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of global mortality.
- While advancements have reduced acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality, missed diagnoses persist.
- Missed AMI is linked to higher complication rates and mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the rates and contributing factors of missed acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
- To discuss challenges in diagnosing AMI and potential strategies for improvement.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on missed acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
- Analysis of variability in reported missed AMI rates based on methodology and population.
Main Results:
- Missed AMI rates vary significantly due to differences in evaluation settings, populations, definitions, and timing.
- Patient, clinician, and institutional factors all contribute to missed diagnoses.
- Heterogeneity in study methodologies complicates the understanding of missed AMI prevalence and associated factors.
Conclusions:
- Addressing missed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
- Standardizing evaluation methods and understanding contributing factors are key to reducing missed diagnoses.
- Further research is needed to develop effective strategies to minimize missed AMI events.
Abstract:
Ischemic heart disease is the number one killer in the world. While improvements in the management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have resulted in lower mortality rates, there are still cases where AMI is missed with rates varying depending on the setting where the evaluation took place, the population sample, the definition of missed AMI and timing of evaluation. There is consistent evidence that missed AMI is associated with increased risk of complications and mortality. Many factors contribute to missed AMI which include patient factors, clinician factors and institutional factors. While several studies have been conducted to evaluate missed AMI, there is considerable heterogeneity in methodology, which has resulted in variable rates of missed AMI and the factors associated with missed AMI. In this review, we provide an overview on missed AMI discussing rates reported in the literature, why it is important, reasons why it occurs, some of the challenges in evaluating missed AMI and what could potentially be done to reduce these undesirable outcomes for patients.
Related Concept Videos
Acute Coronary Syndrome I: Introduction
Acute Coronary Syndrome II: Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations
Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
Acute Coronary Syndrome IV: Interprofessional Care
Introduction Cardiac Emergencies
Acute Coronary Syndrome V: Nursing Management


