Patient awareness of stent type, risk of cardiac events, and symptoms of myocardial infarction among PCI patients: a missed educational opportunity?
BACKGROUND
Timely and successful treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) requires accurate recognition by the patient of the signs and symptoms. As patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain at risk for cardiac events, it is important that they have a basic understanding of their cardiac status.


METHODS
We surveyed 80 consecutive patients following elective PCI using a simple multiple-choice questionnaire. Type of stent (bare metal or drug-eluting), how they perceive the procedure would affect their cardiovascular health, their perceived risk of a future MI, and whether they recalled specific education on how to recognize symptoms of an MI were queried.


RESULTS
45% (n = 36) of patients were unaware of stent type. 10% stated PCI was performed to relieve symptoms of angina, 30% (n = 24) stated it would prevent MI, 56.3% (n = 45) stated that it would both prevent MI and reduce symptoms of angina, while 3.8% stated it would do neither. 86.3% (n = 69) stated they remained at risk for MI despite the procedure. However, 42.5% (n = 34) of patients did not perceive to have received specific education on the signs and symptoms of MI during their hospital stay.


CONCLUSIONS
Patient understanding of stent type, expected cardiovascular outcomes, and recognition of MI post-PCI appears low in the real-world setting. A systematic approach to post-PCI education should be incorporated into routine care, in order to capitalize on the educational opportunity afforded by this high risk population.
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, NY 11501, USA.
Alexis A
AA
D'Elia
Abdul Moiz
AM
Hafiz
Srihari S
SS
Naidu
Kevin P
KP
Marzo
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D003625:Data Collection; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D015607:Stents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires