title: [Symptom Clusters in Korean Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) leads to death if the patient does not receive emergency treatment. Thus it is very important to recognize the symptoms in the early stage. The purpose of this study was to identify clusters of symptoms that represent AMI in Koreans.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a retrospective, descriptive design with secondary data analysis. Data were abstracted from 725 medical records of AMI patients admitted from June 1, 2006 to August 15, 2014 at a university hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of the AMI symptoms revealed five symptom clusters; Cluster 1 (n=140): middle chest pain (100%), shortness of breath, and cold sweating, Cluster 2 (n=256): substernal pain (100%), cold sweating, and shortness of breath, Cluster 3 (n=47): substernal pain (95.7%), left arm pain, shortness of breath, cold sweating, left shoulder pain, right arm pain, and the lower neck pain, Cluster 4 (n=212): shortness of breath (28.3%), left chest pain, and upper abdominal pain, and Cluster 5 (n=70): cold sweating (100%), left chest pain, shortness of breath, left shoulder pain, and upper abdominal pain. Length of hospital stay and mortality rate were significantly different according to symptom clusters (F=2.52, p=.040; F=3.62, p=.006, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Symptom clusters of AMI from this study can be used for AMI patients in order to recognize their symptoms at an early stage. The study findings should be considered when developing educational prevention programs for Koreans with AMI.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eunjin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing Science · East-West Nursing Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea. leejia@khu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013577:Syndrome
keywords: Coronary artery; Disease; Symptom