Time to presentation and 12-month health outcomes in patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms of possible acute coronary syndrome

Factors Responsible for Worse Outcomes in STEMI Patients With Early vs Delayed Treatment Presenting in a Tertiary Care Center in a Third World Country

The aim of the study is to compare the outcomes among ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) cases with early treatment vs delayed treatment. It was a prospective comparative study on 186 patients with consecutive (nonprobability) sampling. Two groups of cases were made as per their time to get admitted to the hospital (ie, within 2 hours of symptom onset = Group A; after 2 hours of symptom onset = Group B). Patients were asked for factors causing a delay in treatment after the onset of symptoms and were monitored for STEMI outcomes. The mean age of all patients was 46.62 ± 9.76 years and there were 140 (75.27%) male and 46 (24.73%) female, and male to female ratio 3:1.Factors significant for delayed treatment vs nondelayed treatment were poor social economic status (65.6% vs 20.4%), history of chronic stable angina (33.3% vs 11.8%), delayed response in the emergency room (20.4% vs 8.6%), delayed ECG acquisition (26.9% vs 8.6%), delayed ECG interpretation (25.8% vs 4.3%), pain at night 12:00-6:00 AM (21.5% vs 9.7%) and belief that the chest pain is noncardiac (26.9% vs 3.2%). Acute heart failure was significantly greater in group B (9.7%) in comparison with group A (2.2%), re-infarction was 18.3% in group B in comparison with 7.5% group A. Similarly sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation and in-hospital mortality were higher in group B (12.9%, 14%, and 12.9% respectively). Due to delayed treatment patients had higher hospital stays, and complications, like acute heart failure, re-infarction, ventricular fibrillation, and in-hospital mortality.

911 Calls for Emergency Medical Services in Heart Failure: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) is a common condition leading to activation of emergency medical services (EMS).

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to describe reasons given by persons with HF, family members, or other caregivers for requesting EMS activation during 911 calls.

METHODS

In this descriptive qualitative study, a content analysis was performed on transcribed audio files of 383 EMS requests involving 383 persons with HF in the community.

RESULTS

One hundred forty-seven calls (38.4%) were placed by the family members, 75 (19.6%) were placed by the patients, 56 (14.6%) were placed by healthcare workers or personnel from living facilities, and the remaining calls (n = 105, 27.4%) were placed by others (eg, friends, neighbors, officers). Three broad categories of symptoms, signs, and events were identified as the reasons for an EMS request. Frequently reported symptoms were breathing problems (55.4%), chest pain (18.3%), and other pain (eg, head, extremities) (16.7%). Signs included decreased consciousness (15.4%), swelling (5.7%), and bleeding (5.0%). The reported events involved falls (8.1%), heart attack (6.3%), hypoxic episodes (6.0%), stroke (5.2%), and post-hospital-discharge complications (4.7%). In most calls (74.9%), multiple reasons were reported and a combination of symptoms, signs, and events were identified. Heart failure diagnosis was mentioned in fewer than 10% of the calls.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, symptoms and signs of HF exacerbation were common reasons to activate 911 calls. Falls were frequently reported. Under the duress of the emergent situations surrounding the 911 call, callers rarely mentioned the existence of HF. Interventions are needed to guide patients with HF and their family members to promote the management of HF to reduce EMS activation as well as to activate EMS quickly for acute changes in HF conditions.

Factors associated with late presentation to the emergency department in patients complaining of chest pain

OBJECTIVE

We investigated which factors predict late presentation (LP) to the emergency department (ED) in patients with non-traumatic chest pain (CP).

METHODS

All CP cases attended at a single ED (2008-2017) were included. LP was considered if time from CP onset to ED arrival was>6 h. We analyzed associations between 42 patient/CP-related characteristics and LP in the whole cohort and in patients with CP due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

RESULTS

The cohort included 25,693 cases (LP=50.6%; ACS=19.0%). Twenty factors were associated with LP, and 8 were also found in patients with ACS: CP of short-duration, aggravated by exertion or breathing/movement, undulating or recurrent CP increased the risk of LP, whereas CP accompanied by diaphoresis, irradiated to the throat, and chronic treatment with nitrates decreased the risk of LP. Exertional and recurrent CP were associated with both, LP and ACS.

CONCLUSION

Some characteristics, mainly CP-related, may lead to LP to the ED. CP aggravated by exercise and recurrent CP were associated with both LP and a final diagnosis of ACS.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Patient educational initiatives should consider these two features as potential warnings for ACS and thereby encourage patients to seek early medical consultation.

Variation in Seeking Care for Cardiovascular Disease and Ambulance Utilization among Migrants in Australia: Time, Ethnicity, and Delay (TED) Study III

Insight into differences in seeking medical care for chest pain among migrant populations is limited. This study aimed to determine ethnic differences in seeking care behaviors and using ambulances among migrants compared to an Australian-born group. A total of 607 patients presenting with chest pain to a tertiary hospital between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2014 were randomly selected. Data from the emergency department dataset and medical record reviews were collected and linked for analysis. The migrant group was stratified into nine ethnic groups for analysis based on the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups. The overall median prehospital delay time was 3.7 (1.5, 10.7) h, which ranged from 2.5 (1.0, 10.7) (Southern and Eastern European group) to 6.0 (2.3, 20.6) (Sub-Saharan African group). The median decision time was 2.0 (0.8, 7.9) h, which ranged from 1.5 (Australian-born group) to 4.5 h (Sub-Saharan African group). Five ethnic groups had significantly longer decision times compared to the Australian-born group. Decision time accounted for 58.4% of pre-hospital delay time. Migrant patients were 60% less likely to seek care for chest pain within one hour (odds ratio 0.40, (0.23–0.68), p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in ambulance utilization between migrant and Australian-born groups. In conclusion, ethnic differences in seeking care for chest pain do exist, and ethnicity plays a vital role in a longer delay in seeking care. To reduce the delays and improve patient outcomes, appropriate health campaigns focusing on ethnic differences among migrant populations and normalizing cultural competency into practice are recommended.

Worse Cardiac Arrest Outcomes During The COVID-19 Pandemic In Boston Can Be Attributed To Patient Reluctance To Seek Care

Delays in seeking emergency care stemming from patient reluctance may explain the rise in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and associated poor health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study we used emergency medical services (EMS) call data from the Boston, Massachusetts, area to describe the association between patients' reluctance to call EMS for cardiac-related care and both excess out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence and related outcomes during the pandemic. During the initial COVID-19 wave, cardiac-related EMS calls decreased (-27.2 percent), calls with hospital transportation refusal increased (+32.5 percent), and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence increased (+35.5 percent) compared with historical baselines. After the initial wave, although cardiac-related calls remained lower (-17.2 percent), out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence remained elevated (+24.8 percent) despite fewer COVID-19 infections and relaxed public health advisories. Throughout Boston's fourteen neighborhoods, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence was significantly associated with decreased cardiac-related calls, but not with COVID-19 infection rates. These findings suggest that patients were reluctant to obtain emergency care. Efforts are needed to ensure that patients seek timely care both during and after the pandemic to reduce potentially avoidable excess cardiovascular disease deaths.

Unusual Fatigue and Failure to Utilize EMS Are Associated With Prolonged Prehospital Delay for Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome

BACKGROUND

Rapid reperfusion reduces infarct size and mortality for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but efficacy is time dependent. The aim of this study was to determine if transportation factors and clinical presentation predicted prehospital delay for suspected ACS, stratified by final diagnosis (ACS vs. no ACS).

METHODS

A heterogeneous sample of emergency department (ED) patients with symptoms suggestive of ACS was enrolled at 5 US sites. Accelerated failure time models were used to specify a direct relationship between delay time and variables to predict prehospital delay by final diagnosis.

RESULTS

Enrolled were 609 (62.5%) men and 366 (37.5%) women, predominantly white (69.1%), with a mean age of 60.32 (±14.07) years. Median delay time was 6.68 (confidence interval 1.91, 24.94) hours; only 26.2% had a prehospital delay of 2 hours or less. Patients presenting with unusual fatigue [time ratio (TR) = 1.71, P = 0.002; TR = 1.54, P = 0.003, respectively) or self-transporting to the ED experienced significantly longer prehospital delay (TR = 1.93, P < 0.001; TR = 1.71, P < 0.001, respectively). Predictors of shorter delay in patients with ACS were shoulder pain and lightheadedness (TR = 0.65, P = 0.013 and TR = 0.67, P = 0.022, respectively). Predictors of shorter delay for patients ruled out for ACS were chest pain and sweating (TR = 0.071, P = 0.025 and TR = 0.073, P = 0.032, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Patients self-transporting to the ED had prolonged prehospital delays. Encouraging the use of EMS is important for patients with possible ACS symptoms. Calling 911 can be positively framed to at-risk patients and the community as having advanced care come to them because EMS capabilities include 12-lead ECG acquisition and possibly high-sensitivity troponin assays.

Psychological and cognitive factors related to prehospital delay in acute coronary syndrome: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

In acute coronary syndrome the time elapsed between the start of symptoms and the moment the patient receives treatment is an important determinant of survival and subsequent recovery. However, many patients do not receive treatment as quickly as recommended, mostly due to substantial prehospital delays such as waiting to seek medical attention after symptoms have started.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis of the relationship between nine frequently investigated psychological and cognitive factors and prehospital delay.

DESIGN

A protocol was preregistered in PROSPERO [CRD42018094198] and a systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines.

DATA SOURCES

The following databases were searched for quantitative articles published between 1997 and 2019: Medline (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Psych Info, PAIS, and Open grey.

REVIEW METHODS

Study risk of bias was assessed with the NIH Quality Assessment Tool for Observational, Cohort, and Cross-Sectional Studies. A best evidence synthesis was performed to summarize the findings of the included studies.

RESULTS

Forty-eight articles, reporting on 57 studies from 23 countries met the inclusion criteria. Studies used very diverse definitions of prehospital delay and analytical practices, which precluded meta-analysis. The best evidence synthesis indicated that there was evidence that patients who attributed their symptoms to a cardiac event (n = 37), perceived symptoms as serious (n = 24), or felt anxiety in response to symptoms (n = 15) reported shorter prehospital delay, with effect sizes indicating important clinical differences (e.g., 1.5-2 h shorter prehospital delay). In contrast, there was limited evidence for a relationship between prehospital delay and knowledge of symptoms (n = 18), concern for troubling others (n = 18), fear (n = 17), or embarrassment in asking for help (n = 14).

CONCLUSIONS

The current review shows that symptom attribution to cardiac events and some degree of perceived threat are fundamental to speed up help-seeking. In contrast, social concerns and barriers in seeking medical attention (embarrassment or concern for troubling others) may not be as important as initially thought. The current review also shows that the use of very diverse methodological practices strongly limits the integration of evidence into meaningful recommendations. We conclude that there is urgent need for common guidelines for prehospital delay study design and reporting.

Psychosocial markers of pre-hospital decision delay and psychological distress in acute coronary syndrome patients

Objectives Both pre-hospital decision delay - the time patients wait before seeking medical attention after symptoms have started - and high psychological distress after the cardiac episode predict poor prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). We aimed to identify psychosocial markers of these prognostic factors. Design A cross-sectional study of 102 consecutive, clinically stable ACS survivors. Methods Participants completed a questionnaire measuring pre-hospital decision delay, psychological distress, and several known psychosocial factors related to cardiovascular health: type D personality, resilience, social support, and concerns during the cardiac event. Multiple linear regression and mediation analyses were conducted. Results Type D personality and fewer concerns about the serious consequences of delaying help-seeking were related to more psychological distress post-ACS, and these relationships were mediated by longer pre-hospital decision delay. In contrast, resilience was related to lower psychological distress. Social support and social concerns about help-seeking were not related to the outcome variables. Conclusions Type D personality may be a risk factor for more delayed help-seeking for an ACS and higher psychological distress after the cardiac event. Resilience, in contrast, emerged as a potential protective factor of patients' mental health after the cardiac event. Pre-hospital decision delay was related to thinking about serious consequences (e.g., complications, protecting one's family) but not about social concerns (e.g., wasting other people's time) during the cardiac episode. Statement of Contribution What is already known on this subject? Longer pre-hospital decision delay, that is waiting longer to seek medical attention after symptoms have started, predicts poor prognosis of acute coronary syndrome patients. High psychological distress post-ACS, such as the development of anxiety and/or depression, also predicts poor prognosis of these patients. What does this study adds? This study identifies several psychosocial markers of longer prehospital decision delay and high psychological distress post-ACS. Prehospital decision delay was related to thinking about serious consequences (e.g., complications, protecting one's family) but not about social concerns (e.g., wasting other people's time) during the cardiac episode. Type D personality and fewer concerns about the serious consequences of delaying help-seeking were related to more psychological distress, and these relationships were mediated by longer prehospital decision delay. Resilience was related to lower psychological distress post-ACS.

Hospitalised patients with unexplained chest pain: incidence and prognosis

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of unexplained chest pain patients provides valuable information for evaluation of health services.

OBJECTIVE

To examine prognosis of unexplained chest pain.

METHODS

Using data from in- and outpatient hospital visits in Norway of patients discharged with a main diagnosis of unexplained chest pain (ICD-10: R072-R074) in 2010-2012, the 1-year incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), any cardio-vascular disease (CVD) and mortality was evaluated. Cases with prior 2-year history of CVD or chest pain were excluded. Cox proportional hazards evaluated outcomes by patient characteristics and standardized mortality ratios evaluated observed versus expected mortality.

RESULTS

Of 59 569 patients identified (20-89 years of age), the majority (86%) were referred to hospital by out-of-hours emergency care centres. Subsequent CHD was noted for 12.5%, 19.5% and 25.0% of men and 7.2%, 11.0%, 14.0% of women aged 45-64, 65-74 and 75-89 years, respectively. The per cent of deaths attributed to CVD were greatest within the first 2 months of postdischarge. Total mortality rates (per 1000 person-years) were 6.6 in men and 4.7 in women aged 45-64 and 69.2 in men and 39.5 in women aged 75-89 years. Relative to the general population, mortality was 53% and 45% higher for men and women under 65 years of age, respectively, attributed primarily to non-CVD causes.

CONCLUSION

Patients in Norway discharged with unexplained chest pain are an at-risk group in terms of incident CHD, any CVD and mortality, including non-CVD mortality during the first-year postdischarge. The results suggest that unexplained chest pain patients may benefit from greater healthcare coordination between medical disciplines.

Prevalence and Predictors of Delay in Seeking Emergency Care in Patients Who Call 9-1-1 for Chest Pain

BACKGROUND

Delay in seeking medical treatment for suspected acute coronary syndrome can lead to negative patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of delay in seeking care in high-risk chest pain patients with or without acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of an observational cohort study of patients transported by Emergency Medical Services for a chief complaint of chest pain. Important demographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from electronic health records. Two independent reviewers adjudicated the presence of ACS. Logistic regression was used to model the predictors of delay in seeking care.

RESULTS

The final sample included 743 patients (99% non-Hispanic). Overall, 24% presented > 12 h from onset of symptoms. Among those with ACS (n = 115), 14% presented > 12 h after onset of symptoms. Race, smoking, diabetes, and related symptoms were associated with delayed seeking behavior. In multivariate analysis, non-Caucasian race (black or others) was the only independent predictor of > 12 h delay in seeking care (odds ratio 1.4; 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.9).

CONCLUSIONS

One in four patients with chest pain, including 14% of those with ACS, wait more than 12 h before seeking care. Compared to non-blacks, black patients are 40% more likely to delay seeking care > 12 h.

Drug-drug interactions in patients with acute coronary syndrome across phases of treatment

The objective of this study is to evaluate potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) and risk factors for pDDIs in three phases of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treatment: from the point of first medical contact to the coronary angiography (first phase), after coronary angiography to the last day of hospitalization (second phase), and at discharge from hospital (third phase). This retrospective observational cohort clinical study was conducted at the Clinic for Cardiology of the Clinical Centre Kragujevac, a public tertiary care hospital in Kragujevac, Serbia. Micromedex^® interaction checker was used to detect pDDIs. This study included 245 ACS patients. All patients were exposed to at least one pDDI in all the phases of treatment. Mean total number of pDDIs was 9.47 ± 6.07, 10.11 ± 6.92, and 6.29 ± 3.66 in first, second, and third phases, respectively. Age, > 6 h from the beginning of the symptoms to admission, primary PCI, STE-ACS, COPD, delirium, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity, systolic blood pressure at admission, TIMI risk score at admission, ALT, LDL, number of physicians who prescribed drugs to a single patient, number of prescribed drugs, and various pharmacological classes increased risk of pDDIs. Mechanical ventilation, dementia, and drug allergy noted in the medical documentation protected against them. Effects of heart failure, diabetes, and aPTT depended on phase of treatment and severity of pDDI. In conclusion, physicians should be vigilant to the possibility of pDDIs in patients harbouring factors that may increase their rate.

Radiation Safety in Emergency Medicine: Balancing the Benefits and Risks

The use of computed tomography (CT) in emergency departments has increased over several decades, as physicians increasingly depend on imaging for diagnoses. Patients and medical personnel are put at risk due to frequent exposure to and higher levels of radiation, with very little evidence of improvements in outcomes. Here, we explore why CT imaging has a tendency to be overused in emergency departments and the obstacles that medical personnel face in ensuring patient safety. The solution requires cooperation from all emergency care stakeholders as well as the continuous education of doctors on how CT scans help in particular cases.