[Demographic aspects of prehospital diagnosis of myocardial infarction].
OBJECTIVE
To assess results of prehospital diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients of different age and gender.


METHODS
The results are available of prehospital diagnosis of MI in 1500 patients in 1992-1996. 49.5 and 32.3% patients (females and males, respectively) were over 75 years of age. In this group of patients MI was atypical and repeated in 34.4 and 60.6% of cases. Atypicity was more frequent in females.


RESULTS
No statistically significant differences were found in frequency of diagnostic errors in different demographic groups of patients. For 5 years there was a trend to hyperdiagnosis of MI, especially in young patients and males. Late diagnosis occurred more rarely in both males and females.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical features of MI in elderly patients and females are essential for the number of diagnostic errors especially in high medical qualification.
Pankin
K S
KS
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012008:Recurrence; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors