A study to explore the factors related to treatment seeking delay among adults diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction at KMCH, Coimbatore

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of the study was to explore the factors causing delay in seeking treatment among adult patients diagnosed with CAAs acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and compare the factors between timely and late treatment seeking groups. METHOD: A total of 93 subjects were included in the study diagnosed with AMI interviewed within 48 h of hospitalization. Data were collected from onset of symptoms to arrival at hospital on demography, clinical profile, clinical factors, cognitive factors and social support factors. Subjects were categorized in two study groups i.e. timely treatment seeking group (<120 min from onset of symptoms) and delayed treatment seeking group (>120 min from onset of symptoms). RESULTS: The minimum and maximum time took by subjects to seek treatment was 10 and 5450 min, respectively. The mean pain score of subjects who sought delayed treatment (2.2619) is less than those who sought timely treatment (3.3725). The mean knowledge score (12.2754), mean symptom perception (3.6667), mean perceived seriousness (4.7647) is more in subjects who sought timely treatment than those who sought delayed treatment (5.7381), (1.3095), (1.8333) respectively. The mean family support score (57.4492), mean non-family support score (24.902), mean social support score (48.3002) is more in timely treatment group than in delayed treatment seeking group (42.6829), (4.7619), (29.2138) respectively. CONCLUSION: Decreased pain, knowledge about AMI, symptom perception, perceived seriousness respectively and inadequate family & non-family support i.e. social support were the factors related to treatment seeking delay among adults diagnosed with AMI.