BMJ  2007;335:669 (29 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.39342.693252.47

Practice

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Patients with cardiac chest pain should call emergency services

Will T Roberts, research fellow, Adam D Timmis, professor of clinical cardiology

Department of Cardiology, London Chest Hospital, London E2 9JX

Correspondence to: A Timmis adamtimmis@mac.com

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction


Key points

  • In acute myocardial infarction the most important means of saving life is to get the patient to a defibrillator and to start reperfusion therapy as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms
  • The time it takes patients with chest pain to seek help accounts for up to 75% of the total delay before treatment
  • Ambulance transport is the most effective means of accessing medical help, yet up to half of all patients with myocardial infarction do not use the emergency services
  • Healthcare professionals who deal with at-risk groups should educate them about how to recognise symptoms and the need to act quickly in the event of cardiac chest pain by calling for help from emergency services, rather than consulting general practitioners or medical helplines


The clinical problem

In acute myocardial infarction, the risk of ventricular fibrillation (and the capacity for external defibrillation or reperfusion therapy to reduce mortality) is highest in the . . . [Full text of this article]

The evidence for change

Barriers to change

How should we change our practice?


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