Pre-hospital attitudes adopted by patients faced with the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction

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.

Tempos de acesso a serviços de saúde face ao infarto do miocárdio

Resumo Objetivo Analisar os tempos relacionados ao acesso de homens e mulheres com infarto do miocárdio a hospitais referência em cardiologia e a correlação entre eles. Métodos Pesquisa transversal, com 100 pessoas com infarto entrevistadas em hospitais referência em cardiologia. Dados analisados por estatística descritiva e inferencial, adotando-se significância estatística. Resultados Os tempos foram elevados (decisão para atendimento, chegada ao primeiro serviço de saúde, permanência na rede de atenção e admissão em hospitais referência em cardiologia), exceto o de transporte, sobretudo para mulheres. Houve maior contribuição do tempo de decisão na composição do tempo de chegada ao primeiro serviço de saúde e do tempo de permanência na rede na composição do tempo de chegada aos hospitais referência em cardiologia. Conclusão A longa espera por atenção especializada reflete a falta de estrutura dos serviços de saúde, e o tempo de decisão elevado reflete a falta do não reconhecimento do infarto pelos participantes.

Understanding the process of living as signified by myocardial revascularization surgery patients

OBJECTIVE

To understand the meanings for the process of living, for patients undergoing myocardial revascularization surgery, and to construct an explanatory theoretical model.

METHOD

Grounded Theory was used, with data collection undertaken between October 2010 and May 2012, in a health institution which specializes in cardiac surgery, located in the south of Brazil. Thirty-three subjects were interviewed (patients, health care professionals and family members), distributed in four sample groups.

RESULT

The explanatory theoretical model was comprised of 11 categories and the central phenomenon. The specialized service and the cardiac rehabilitation program formed the context, the discovery of the cardiac disease and the feelings experienced during the perioperative period were the cause and intervening conditions in the process of experiencing the myocardial revascularization surgery. The strategies were relying on the family's support, having faith and hope, and participating in the rehabilitation program. This process's main consequences were the confrontation of the changes and the resulting limitations, difficulties and adaptations to the new lifestyle after surgery.

CONCLUSION

The process of experiencing the myocardial revascularization surgery constitutes an opportunity for maintaining the patient's life associated with the needs for confronting the significant changes in lifestyle.