Characterization in the emergency care of the acute myocardial infarct

Abstract

In Cuba, the heart diseases have been the main cause of death for more than forty years. Currently, more than 20 000 people die every year, mainly for the high lethality of the acute myocardial infarct. We carried out a multicenter, epidemiologic, observational, cross-sectional descriptive research in the province of Matanzas, with the objective of characterizing the acute myocardial infarct and the medical emergency care in the health services of policlinics and hospitals, in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. The research included all the cases discharged from hospitals from June 1st to August 31st 2010. An inquire was applied to the patients and their relatives by the hospital epidemiologist. The Epi-Info program was used. The results were a predomination of the male sex, of people aged more than 60 years old; and the main associated risk factors were arterial hypertension, smoking and overweight. Most of the patients arrived before 6 hours had passed; the percentage of typical pain, the Killip Kimbal I and the elevation of ST segment were higher. The usage of the thrombolytic treatment is low, especially in the primary health care, and it is high the no-medical indication in the hospitals. The indication of the beta blockers and the inhibitors of the angiotensin-conversion enzymes are low; there is a deficit of cardiac serum enzymes and equipment for exercise tests and echocardiograms. The lethality was adequate, better in the thrombolyzed patients than in those who were non thrombolyzed. The medical advices and the indication of rehabilitation were poor.