First Medical Contact in Patients with STEMI and Its Impact on Time to Diagnosis; an Explorative Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal BMJ Open

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2015 Apr 23

PMID 25900460

Citations 22

Authors

Ingela Thylen

Maria Ericsson

Karin Hellstrom Angerud

Rose-Marie Isaksson

Sofia Sederholm Lawesson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: It is unknown into what extent patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) utilise a joint service number (Swedish Healthcare Direct, SHD) as first medical contact (FMC) instead of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and how this impact time to diagnosis. We aimed to (1) describe patients' FMC; (2) find explanatory factors influencing their FMC (ie, EMS and SHD) and (3) explore the time interval from symptom onset to diagnosis.

Setting: Multicentred study, Sweden.

Methods: Cross-sectional, enrolling patients with consecutive STEMI admitted within 24 h from admission.

Results: We included 109 women and 336 men (mean age 66±11 years). Although 83% arrived by ambulance to the hospital, just half of the patients (51%) called EMS as their FMC. Other utilised SHD (21%), contacted their primary healthcare centre (14%), or went directly to the emergency room (14%). Reasons for not contacting EMS were predominantly; (1) my transport mode was faster (40%), (2) did not consider myself sick enough (30%), and (3) it was easier to be driven or taking a taxi (25%). Predictors associated with contacting SHD as FMC were female gender (OR 1.92), higher education (OR 2.40), history of diabetes (OR 2.10), pain in throat/neck (OR 2.24) and pain intensity (OR 0.85). Predictors associated with contacting EMS as FMC were history of MI (OR 2.18), atrial fibrillation (OR 3.81), abdominal pain (OR 0.35) and believing the symptoms originating from the heart (OR 1.60). Symptom onset to diagnosis time was significantly longer when turning to the SHD instead of the EMS as FMC (1:59 vs 1:21 h, p<0.001).

Conclusions: Using other forms of contacts than EMS, significantly prolong delay times, and could adversely affect patient prognosis. Nevertheless, having the opportunity to call the SHD might also, in some instances, lower the threshold for taking contact with the healthcare system, and thus lowers the number that would otherwise have delayed even longer.

Citing Articles

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Treatment and Care of Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction-What Challenges Remain after Three Decades of Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention?.

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