Heart Attack Care in Men and Women

[Guest guest]

13 Sep 2005

 

 

 

 

 

Women who suffer heart attacks wait longer to be assessed, admitted

and receive treatment than men with the same condition, according to

a paper in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

 

890 patients admitted to coronary care units via casualty departments

in six major teaching hospitals in Dublin were studied in detail by a

team led by Dr Sharon O'Donnell from the City's Trinity College. The

study of 613 men and 277 women shows that:

 

-- On average, women were medically assessed 30 minutes after

arriving in casualty departments, compared with 20 minutes for men.

 

-- 92 per cent of women received aspirin, after an average of 55

minutes, compared with 95 per cent of men, after an average of 33

minutes.

 

-- Women waited an average of 70 minutes for reperfusion therapy -

which restores blood flow to the heart - compared with 52 minutes for

men.

 

-- Only 35 per cent of women received reperfusion therapy, compared

with 43 per cent of men. 40 per cent of women and 25 per cent of men

did not receive the therapy, because healthcare staff stated it

was " too late " to be clinically effective.

 

-- The average time it took for women to be transferred to the

coronary care unit from the casualty department was three hours and

56 minutes - 54 minutes longer than men.

 

" Treatment delays experienced by women may limit their potential to

achieve maximum benefit from reperfusion therapies, which have been

clinically proven to work more effectively when administered early "

says Dr O'Donnell.

 

" This could result in women being exposed to a greater rate of life-

threatening complications and less favourable outcomes than their

male counterparts.

 

" The image of the typical male heart attack victim must be corrected

in the minds of triage nurses - who carry out initial assessments in

casualty departments - and other healthcare staff.

 

" Better healthcare training and clinical awareness are needed if

women who have heart attacks are to receive the same care as men. "

 

Approximately 120 nurses working across the six coronary care units

in Dublin, Southern Ireland, took part in the study, completing a 25-

item questionnaire for each patient admitted during the one-year

study.

 

The questionnaire used was designed with input from a panel of

experts and tested out during two pilot studies.

 

Only patients who were admitted via the hospitals' casualty

departments, who had a confirmed diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction

(heart attack) and who were sent to the hospitals' coronary care

units were included in the study.

 

" Our findings do not give reasons for assessment or treatment delays,

but they do present factual yet unexplained accounts of the

differences experienced by male and female patients " adds Dr

O'Donnell.

 

" We accept that certain Myocardial Infarction presentations are more

difficult to assess and that practical, everyday resources and

funding issues may exacerbate treatment and decision-making delays.

 

" However this study does raise important concerns about equitable

healthcare practice and we hope that it will prompt further

investigation and discussion, particularly on the issues surrounding

women who suffer heart attacks. "

 

The research was funded by the Ireland's Health Research Board.

 

• In-hospital care pathway delays: gender and myocardial infarction.

Sharon O'Donnell (Trinity College, Dublin), Sarah Condell (National

Council for Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery,

Dublin), Cecily Begley (Trinity College, Dublin) and Tony Fitzgerald

(St James's Hospital, Dublin). Journal of Advanced Nursing, volume

52.1, pages 14 to 21 (published September 2005).

 

• Founded in 1976, Journal of Advanced Nursing is read by experienced

nurses, midwives, health visitors and advanced nursing students in

over 80 countries. It informs, educates, explores, debates and

challenges the foundations of nursing health care knowledge and

practice worldwide. Edited by Professor Alison Tierney, it is

published 24 times a year by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, part of the

international Blackwell Publishing group.

 

journalofadvancednursing.com

[Guest guest]

I so agree. My mom went without correct diagnosis for quite a while. She kept telling her doc that she thought it was a heart attack and he kept saying that it was pnomonia. She finally ended up in the hospital where they finally correctly diagnosed it and wanted to do emergency multi bi-pass. When I was having heart trouble, my doc wouldn't believe me for most of the year. By the time I had the stent done, I had 85% blockage in one place and I still have 50% in another. Isn't heart disease the #1 killer of women? Even above cancer.

 

There's a commercial I think is very effective. There is a woman talking about her friend who faithfully had her mammo according to schedule, the woman then says that she lost her friend last year at age 45 to heart disease. Of course vegan diet makes a huge dif in both diseases. In our family we don't say if we have to have a masectomy, but when we do, same with heart attack. My mom's generation was the first to survive breast cancer, I think mine will be the first to not even need a mammo and I sure plan on skipping that heart attack!heartwerk <heartwork wrote:

13 Sep 2005Women who suffer heart attacks wait longer to be assessed, admitted and receive treatment than men with the same condition, according to a paper in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing. 890 patients admitted to coronary care units via casualty departments in six major teaching hospitals in Dublin were studied in detail by a team led by Dr Sharon O'Donnell from the City's Trinity College. The study of 613 men and 277 women shows that: -- On average, women were medically assessed 30 minutes after arriving in casualty departments, compared with 20 minutes for men. -- 92 per cent of women received aspirin, after an average of 55 minutes, compared with 95 per cent of men, after an average of 33 minutes. -- Women waited an average of 70 minutes for reperfusion therapy - which

restores blood flow to the heart - compared with 52 minutes for men. -- Only 35 per cent of women received reperfusion therapy, compared with 43 per cent of men. 40 per cent of women and 25 per cent of men did not receive the therapy, because healthcare staff stated it was "too late" to be clinically effective. -- The average time it took for women to be transferred to the coronary care unit from the casualty department was three hours and 56 minutes - 54 minutes longer than men. "Treatment delays experienced by women may limit their potential to achieve maximum benefit from reperfusion therapies, which have been clinically proven to work more effectively when administered early" says Dr O'Donnell. "This could result in women being exposed to a greater rate of life-threatening complications and less favourable outcomes than their male counterparts. "The image of the typical male heart attack victim

must be corrected in the minds of triage nurses - who carry out initial assessments in casualty departments - and other healthcare staff. "Better healthcare training and clinical awareness are needed if women who have heart attacks are to receive the same care as men." Approximately 120 nurses working across the six coronary care units in Dublin, Southern Ireland, took part in the study, completing a 25-item questionnaire for each patient admitted during the one-year study. The questionnaire used was designed with input from a panel of experts and tested out during two pilot studies. Only patients who were admitted via the hospitals' casualty departments, who had a confirmed diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) and who were sent to the hospitals' coronary care units were included in the study. "Our findings do not give reasons for assessment or treatment delays, but they do present

factual yet unexplained accounts of the differences experienced by male and female patients" adds Dr O'Donnell. "We accept that certain Myocardial Infarction presentations are more difficult to assess and that practical, everyday resources and funding issues may exacerbate treatment and decision-making delays. "However this study does raise important concerns about equitable healthcare practice and we hope that it will prompt further investigation and discussion, particularly on the issues surrounding women who suffer heart attacks." The research was funded by the Ireland's Health Research Board. • In-hospital care pathway delays: gender and myocardial infarction. Sharon O'Donnell (Trinity College, Dublin), Sarah Condell (National Council for Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery, Dublin), Cecily Begley (Trinity College, Dublin) and Tony Fitzgerald (St James's Hospital, Dublin). Journal of

Advanced Nursing, volume 52.1, pages 14 to 21 (published September 2005). • Founded in 1976, Journal of Advanced Nursing is read by experienced nurses, midwives, health visitors and advanced nursing students in over 80 countries. It informs, educates, explores, debates and challenges the foundations of nursing health care knowledge and practice worldwide. Edited by Professor Alison Tierney, it is published 24 times a year by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, part of the international Blackwell Publishing group. journalofadvancednursing.comJonnie

[Guest guest]

the top three causes of death amongst womyns are

heart disease

cancer(with lung cancer at the top of cancer deaths i think)(followed by breast..and..i forget)

and stroke Jonnie Hellens Sep 14, 2005 10:42 AM Re: Heart Attack Care in Men and Women

I so agree. My mom went without correct diagnosis for quite a while. She kept telling her doc that she thought it was a heart attack and he kept saying that it was pnomonia. She finally ended up in the hospital where they finally correctly diagnosed it and wanted to do emergency multi bi-pass. When I was having heart trouble, my doc wouldn't believe me for most of the year. By the time I had the stent done, I had 85% blockage in one place and I still have 50% in another. Isn't heart disease the #1 killer of women? Even above cancer.

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can still do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

[Guest guest]

Hi Jonnie

 

I think it is the no 1 killer of women. I think it is misdiagnosed so often because women's symptoms seem to be different to men's.

 

Good health for the future.

 

Jo

 

-

Jonnie Hellens

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 6:42 PM

Re: Heart Attack Care in Men and Women

 

I so agree. My mom went without correct diagnosis for quite a while. She kept telling her doc that she thought it was a heart attack and he kept saying that it was pnomonia. She finally ended up in the hospital where they finally correctly diagnosed it and wanted to do emergency multi bi-pass. When I was having heart trouble, my doc wouldn't believe me for most of the year. By the time I had the stent done, I had 85% blockage in one place and I still have 50% in another. Isn't heart disease the #1 killer of women? Even above cancer.

 

There's a commercial I think is very effective. There is a woman talking about her friend who faithfully had her mammo according to schedule, the woman then says that she lost her friend last year at age 45 to heart disease. Of course vegan diet makes a huge dif in both diseases. In our family we don't say if we have to have a masectomy, but when we do, same with heart attack. My mom's generation was the first to survive breast cancer, I think mine will be the first to not even need a mammo and I sure plan on skipping that heart attack!

[Guest guest]

And lucky us, heart disease, lung cancer and breast cancer all run heavily strong in our familes. A while back my doc wanted to test me for the gene responsible for breast cancer to see if I was gonna get it. She said then they would do a masectomy and asked if that was ok. Hey, I'm still me I figger. Anyhow, the insurance co refused to do any sort of prevention such as that.fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote:

 

the top three causes of death amongst womyns are

heart disease

cancer(with lung cancer at the top of cancer deaths i think)(followed by breast..and..i forget)

and stroke Jonnie Hellens Sep 14, 2005 10:42 AM Re: Heart Attack Care in Men and Women

I so agree. My mom went without correct diagnosis for quite a while. She kept telling her doc that she thought it was a heart attack and he kept saying that it was pnomonia. She finally ended up in the hospital where they finally correctly diagnosed it and wanted to do emergency multi bi-pass. When I was having heart trouble, my doc wouldn't believe me for most of the year. By the time I had the stent done, I had 85% blockage in one place and I still have 50% in another. Isn't heart disease the #1 killer of women? Even above cancer.

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can still do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.Jonnie

for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

[Guest guest]

Not only that but each woman's symptom is often different from another. In this case I knew my mom knew she was having heart problems, but her doc convinced her otherwise. Then when I was having problems, I wouldn't let my doc do that. It took a long time before the bloodwork backed up my statement, before she believed me.Jo Cwazy <heartwork wrote:

 

Hi Jonnie

 

I think it is the no 1 killer of women. I think it is misdiagnosed so often because women's symptoms seem to be different to men's.

 

Good health for the future.

 

Jo

 

-

Jonnie Hellens

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 6:42 PM

Re: Heart Attack Care in Men and Women

 

I so agree. My mom went without correct diagnosis for quite a while. She kept telling her doc that she thought it was a heart attack and he kept saying that it was pnomonia. She finally ended up in the hospital where they finally correctly diagnosed it and wanted to do emergency multi bi-pass. When I was having heart trouble, my doc wouldn't believe me for most of the year. By the time I had the stent done, I had 85% blockage in one place and I still have 50% in another. Isn't heart disease the #1 killer of women? Even above cancer.

 

There's a commercial I think is very effective. There is a woman talking about her friend who faithfully had her mammo according to schedule, the woman then says that she lost her friend last year at age 45 to heart disease. Of course vegan diet makes a huge dif in both diseases. In our family we don't say if we have to have a masectomy, but when we do, same with heart attack. My mom's generation was the first to survive breast cancer, I think mine will be the first to not even need a mammo and I sure plan on skipping that heart attack!Jonnie

for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.