A Survey on the Choice of Transportation to come to Emergency Department among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome of A Community in Malaysia
- Author:
Keng Sheng Chew
;
Wan Masliza Wan Mohd Annuar
;
Nik Hisamuddin Nik Abdul Rahman
;
Mohd Hashairi Fauzi
;
Abdull Wahab Shaik Farid
;
Tuan Hairulnizam Tuan Kamauzaman
;
Mohammad Zikri Ahmad
;
Zurkurnai Yusof
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Ambulance use;
transportation;
pre-hospital;
chest pain;
acute;
coronary syndrome;
patient education
- MeSH:
Acute Coronary Syndrome;
Emergency Service, Hospital
- From:
The Medical Journal of Malaysia
2015;70(1):6-11
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background: Good coronary care begins from the patient's
home, including early transportation. As such, it is
recommended that the patients activate ambulances, rather
than to use their own transportations to reach the hospitals.
It is not known whether Malaysian patients prefer to use
private transportations or ambulances when they develop
chest pain.
Objectives: This study is conducted to explore the question
of the choice of transportation modes among patients with
acute coronary syndrome and the reasons behind their
choices.
Methods: This is a structured interview survey on patients
diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in
emergency department of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia
from April 2012 to September 2012.
Results: Out of the 110 patients surveyed, 105 (95.5%)
patients chose to use own transportation when they
developed symptoms suggestive of ACS. Only 3 patients
(2.7%) came to the emergency department within 1 hour of
onset, and all these 3 patients chose to use ambulances as
their modes of transportation. None of the patients who
chose own transportation came within the first hour of
symptoms onset. This is shown to be statistically significant
(p<0.001). The level of education as well as past history of
ischemic heart disease did not significantly influence the
patients’ choice of transportation.
Conclusion: The admonishment by various international
resuscitation councils that patients with chest pain should
be transported via ambulances may not be as
straightforward as it seems. Numerous local and regional
socio-cultura and logistic factors may need to beaddressed.
- Full text:P020150724515141157200.pdf
