Behavior of the acute myocardial infarction in Intensive Care Services. Diagnostic Integral Center Simón Bolivar. Venezuela

Abstract

Introduction: the acute coronary syndrome is one of the most interest process in emergency areas and the most frequent cause of death in America, both in men and in women.
Objective: to describe the behavior of the acute myocardial infarction.
Material and methods: a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in patients with acute myocardial infarction who entered the Diagnostic Integral Center Simón Bolivar, municipality García de Hevia, Tachira State, in the period May 2008-May 2011. One hundred and eighty patients with cardiovascular disease formed the universe and 32 patients admitted in the ward with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction fulfilling the inclusion criteria were the sample.
Results: we achieved a decrease of 15.62 % in the number of patients admitted due to acute myocardial infarction. Male sex predominated, with 75 %. 34.38 % of the patients were 50-59 years old. The most frequent risk factor was arterial hypertension, with 78.13 %. Twenty-eight patients were discharged and only 12.5 % died.
Conclusions: the number of cases admitted in the intensive care unit decreased during the studied period. Patients aged 50-59 years showed the higher incidence, prevailing the male sex. The most predominant risk factor was arterial hypertension, and mortality caused by this disease decreased.