title: Follow-up of a 1-year media campaign on delay times and ambulance use in suspected acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: In order to reduce the delay times from onset of symptoms to arrival in hospital, and increase the use of ambulance in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a media campaign was initiated in an urban area. An initial 3-week intense campaign was followed by a maintenance phase of 1 year. Delay times and ambulance use during the campaign were compared with the previous 21 months. Among patients admitted to a coronary care unit (CCU) due to suspected AMI, the median delay time was reduced from 3 h to 2 h 40 min and the mean delay time was reduced from 11 h 33 min to 7 h 42 min (P less than 0.001). Among patients with confirmed AMI the median delay time was reduced from 3 h to 2 h 20 min and the mean delay time from 10 h to 6 h 27 min (P less than 0.001). We conclude that a 1-year media campaign can reduce delay times in suspected AMI, and that this effect appears to continue at 1 year, but ambulance use seems to be more difficult to influence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, Sahlgrenska Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herlitz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blohm
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartford
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Karlson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luepker
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holmberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Risenfors
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wennerblom
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000552:Ambulances / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome