Prehospital delay factors in myocardial infarction: a literature review

Abstract

Considering the economic and social impact of the acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the need to reduce mortality rate and morbidity entailed by such illness, the present study aimed at reviewing the literature on factors connected with pre-hospital delay (in both seeking medical attention and the elapsed time between the beginning of the symptoms and the arrival at an emergency medical care center). The database accessed was the PUBMED, indexed by the MEDLINE, from 2005 through 2009, using as descriptors: pre-hospital delay, acute myocardial infarction and factors of pre-hospital delay. After assessing 34 papers by reading their abstracts, 15 studies were considered to be linked to the object of the present study, and thus selected. The analysis pointed out that the factors of pre-hospital delay are of socioeconomic, clinical, environmental, cognitive and emotional nature. As a result, the study offers relevant information for a reflection on nursing care practices, by means of the Education in Health, in order to allow the immediate arrival of people with symptoms suggesting AMI at an emergency medical service.