title: Patients with acute chest pain - experiences of emergency calls and pre-hospital care.
abstract: Acute chest pain is a common reason why people call an emergency medical dispatch (EMD) centre. We examined how patients with acute chest pain experience the emergency call and their pre-hospital care. A qualitative design was used with a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. Thirteen patients were interviewed, three women and 10 men. The patients were grateful that their lives had been saved and in general were satisfied with their pre-hospital contact. Sometimes they felt that it took too long for the emergency operators to answer and to understand the urgency. They were in a life-threatening situation and their feeling of vulnerability and dependency was great. Time seemed to stand still while they were waiting for help during their traumatic experience. The situation was fraught with pain, fear and an experience of loneliness. A sense of individualized care is important to strengthen trust and confidence between the patient and the pre-hospital personnel. Patients were aware of what number to call to reach the EMD centre, but were uncertain about when to call. More lives can be saved if people do not hesitate to call for help.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nursing Science, Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden. kerstin.forslund@orebroll.se
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Forslund
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kihlgren
authors.forename: Ingela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ostman
authors.forename: Venke
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sørlie
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D004631:Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems / Q000592:standards; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards*; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction