PMC:2652658 / 144-1522 JSONTXT

{"project":"testtesttest","denotations":[{"id":"T1","span":{"begin":716,"end":723},"obj":"Body_part"}],"attributes":[{"id":"A1","pred":"uberon_id","subj":"T1","obj":"http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/UBERON_0000914"}],"text":"Background\nPre-hospital delays in patients experiencing acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remain unacceptably long.\n\nAims\nTo examine simultaneously a wide range of clinical, sociodemographic and situational factors associated with total pre-hospital delay and its two components.\n\nMethods\nPre-hospital delay data were collected from 228 patients with ACS using patient's medical notes and semi-structured interviews. Total pre-hospital delay (symptom onset to hospital admission) was divided into 2 components: decision time (symptom onset to call for medical help), and home-to-hospital delay (call for help to hospital admission).\n\nResults\nShorter total pre-hospital delays and decision times were associated with ST segment myocardial infarction (STEMI), recognizing symptoms as cardiac in origin, being married, symptom onset outside the home and the presence of a bystander. Shorter home-to-hospital delays were more likely among younger patients, those experiencing an STEMI, and patients reporting a greater number of symptoms. Initial contact with emergency medical services was related to shorter total delays and decision times.\n\nConclusions\nDifferent factors were associated with shorter times in the 2 component phases. Greater understanding of the factors impacting on the component phases may help target interventions more effectively and reduce pre-hospital delays."}