Ambulance utilization by patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Fifty-five per cent (73/133) of myocardial infarction (MI) patients on Cape Cod during a three-month period reached the hospital by ambulance. the 45 per cent (60/133) not using ambulances were compared to users to identify a subpopulation to which public health programs might be directed to increase appropriate use of cardiac ambulances. Univariate analyses showed a distnce of more than ten miles from the hospital, and a prior history of MI distinguished ambulance users from non-users. Demographic/economic status, delay in seeking care, presenting symptoms, Killip class, and in-hospital mortality rates were not signigicantly different. Step-wise discriminant analysis identified four predictive variables in rank order: distance from the hospital, past history of MI, symptoms of fainting, and negative history for hypertension which correctly classified 72 per cent of our population with respect to ambulance utilization.
D000368:Aged; D000552:Ambulances; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D013575:Syncope / Q000150:complications