Heart attack victims 'too embarrassed to call ambulance'
Some 7% of Dublin men who suffered a heart attack drove themselves to hospital emergency units, a new study revealed today.
The research, by experts at Trinity College, Dublin, found many men were too embarrassed to call an ambulance but were on the verge of collapsing by the time they made it to A&E.
The study, published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, said most men believed they were well enough to drive even though they were having a heart attack.
Of the 890 people surveyed, the study showed 4% of men and 3% of women travelled to hospital by bus, train or tram – many were too embarrassed to go in an ambulance. Only 1% of women drove themselves.
Dr Sharon O’Donnell, lead researcher at Trinity College, said people needed to be aware of the dangers of driving during a heart attack.
“Driving during a heart attack is obviously extremely dangerous for the both the driver and the general public,” she said.
“People who drove themselves to the hospital said they did it because it was the quickest way to get to the hospital, they felt well enough to make the journey and would have pulled over if necessary.
“However, many also reported that they felt they were going to collapse when they arrived in the casualty department.”
The study also showed that it took women almost 14 hours to get to hospital after first feeling the symptoms of a heart attack, compared to just 2.8 hours for men.
“Even when their symptoms got bad, it still took women 3.1 hours to get there, compared with 1.8 hours for men,” added Dr O’Donnell.
She said women often did not recognise the symptoms of a heart attack, blaming indigestion for feeling unwell.
About 120 nurses working across the six coronary care units in Dublin answered a questionnaire for 890 patients – 277 women and 613 men – during the one-year study.
Previous research into treatment of heart attack patients in Dublin by experts at Trinity found women had to wait longer than men to be assessed and treated.
On arrival in A&E, women had to wait an average of half an hour to be assessed, a full 10 minutes longer than men in the same condition.
Following assessment, 92% of women received aspirin after a 55-minute wait. However, 95% of men were given aspirin and they only had to wait an average of 33 minutes.
Other key findings of the study included:
:: 49% of women and 30% of men were referred to the hospital by their family doctor in an average of five hours from the onset of initial symptoms.
:: People who referred themselves took an average of 1.7 hours from experiencing initial symptoms to arriving at casualty.
:: Only 63% of women and 60% of men travelled by ambulance. Many said they were too embarrassed to go in an ambulance or that they should be used for more urgent cases.
:: 7% of men and 1% of women drove themselves to the hospital and a further 4% of men and 3% of women used public transport. Some 33% of women and 29% of men were driven to the hospital.
“It is essential that people are warned of the dangers of driving when they are obviously unwell and encouraged to call an ambulance immediately if they suspect they are having a heart attack,” said Dr O’Donnell.
