Time of arrival of patients with acute myocardial infarction to the emergency department

Abstract

Objectives: To characterize the profile of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated at the emergency department and to verify the time of arrival of each patient (ΔT). Identify how the patient was transported and to correlate Delta-T (ΔT) with the treatment and the prognosis of each patient. Methods: Cross-sectional survey involving 52 patients with AMI admitted to the Emergency Department of a Teaching Hospital took part in the study from July to December 2010. Data collection was performed using medical records and interviews. Results: The majority of the patients were male with a mean age of 62.35 ± 14.66 years. The participants were married, with low education levels, family history of heart diseases, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, and a sedentary lifestyle. The symptoms presented were pains in the chest, epigastric region, or a chest discomfort associated to dyspnea and/or sudden sweating. The majority of the patients were transported by ambulance. They were submitted to cardiac catheterization followed by angioplasty. Delta-T found was 9h45min ± 18h9min. In this study, the overall lethality was 3.85%. Conclusions: The perception of signs and symptoms of AMI by the patient was a decisive factor when seeking out specialized treatment. Those with the lowest Delta-T presented better prognosis.