IJCS | Volume 31, Nº2, March / April 2018

DOI: 10.5935/2359-4802.20170093 Introduction Myocardial ischemia and, consequently, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are mentioned as one of the main causes of worldwide morbimortality. Estimated at around 30% in the 1950s, hospital mortality due to AMI showed a significant decline in the last decades, both in Europe and the United States, as well as in Brazil. 1-3 Currently, with the use of thrombolytics or primary angioplasty, its occurrence is estimated at between 8 and 10%, mainly due to the benefits of early recanalization of the coronary artery related to the event. The Delta Time (∆-T) between the onset of the first symptoms and the arrival at the emergency service is directly related to the disease morbimortality, and rapid specialized care is essential. However, it is estimated that only 20% of individuals with chest pain reports reach the emergency unit within 2 hours of symptom onset. 4 Among the prehospital factors that hinder the early care of AMI are: the patient's lack of awareness of chest pain symptoms as being a sign of infarction; attributing the symptoms to other conditions or to a 107 International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences. 2018;31(2)107-113 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Mailing Address: Andressa Sardá Maiochi Takagui Rua Olívio Domingos Brugnago, 195 − Vila Nova. Postal Code: 89259-260, Jaraguá do Sul, SC – Brazil E-mail: dessa_maiochi@hotmail.com ; andressa.s.maiochi@gmail.com Correlation between Clinical and Educational Factors and Delayed Hospital Arrival in Myocardial Infarction Andressa Sardá Maiochi Takagui, 1 Daniel Medeiros Moreira, 1,2 Ana Teresa Glaser Carvalho, 1 Thays Fraga Duarte, 1 Roberto Léo da Silva, 1 Tammuz Fattah 1 Instituto de Cardiologia de Santa Catarina (ICSC), 1 Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL), 2 Florianópolis, SC – Brazil Manuscript received February 08, 2017, revised manuscript June 01, 2017, accepted July 11, 2017. Abstract Background: Acute myocardial infarction is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the world, and one of the factors with the greatest prognostic impact is early specialist care, but there are still many factors that delay patient's arrival at the hospital. Objective: To correlate social, educational, cognitive and clinical factors with time to hospital arrival after the onset of acute myocardial infarction's first symptoms. Methods: Time interval to search for medical care was measured by patient's report of the onset of infarction's first symptoms and hospital admission verified through electronic medical data of the emergency service. The correlation between delta-T and other variables was performed through Kendall's correlation. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: There was no correlation between delta-T and scholarity, or between delta - T and Mini Mental State Examination performance, as well as no association between the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, family history, sedentary lifestyle or smoking with arrival time at the hospital. Comparisons between delta-T and marital status were also not statistically significant. Transfer from another health service and city of origin were the most determinant delay factors in our population's arrival at the hospital. Conclusion: The present study suggests that, in our population, educational, social and cognitive factors are not directly related to the delay in arriving at the hospital. (Int J Cardiovasc Sci. 2018;31(2)107-113) Keywords: Myocardial Infarction; Indicators of Morbidity and Mortality; Myocardial Ischemia; Chest Pain; Emergency Medical Services; Risk Factors.