Prehospital delay is an important risk factor for mortality in community-acquired bloodstream infection (CA-BSI): a matched case–control study

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to identify prehospital and early hospital risk factors associated with 30-day mortality in patients with blood culture-confirmed community-acquired bloodstream infection (CA-BSI) in Sweden.MethodsA retrospective case–control study of 1624 patients with CA-BSI (2015–2016), 195 non-survivors satisfying the inclusion criteria were matched 1:1 with 195 survivors for age, gender and microorganism. All forms of contact with a healthcare provider for symptoms of infection within 7 days prior CA-BSI episode were registered. Logistic regression was used to analyse risk factors for 30-day all-cause mortality.ResultsOf the 390 patients, 61% (115 non-survivors and 121 survivors) sought prehospital contact. The median time from first prehospital contact till hospital admission was 13 hours (6–52) for non-survivors and 7 hours (3–24) for survivors (p<0.01). Several risk factors for 30-day all-cause mortality were identified: prehospital delay OR=1.26 (95% CI: 1.07 to 1.47), p<0.01; severity of illness (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score) OR=1.60 (95% CI: 1.40 to 1.83), p<0.01; comorbidity score (updated Charlson Index) OR=1.13 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.22), p<0.01 and inadequate empirical antimicrobial therapy OR=3.92 (95% CI: 1.64 to 9.33), p<0.01. In a multivariable model, prehospital delay >24 hours from first contact remained an important risk factor for 30-day all-cause mortality due to CA-BSI OR=6.17 (95% CI: 2.19 to 17.38), p<0.01.ConclusionPrehospital delay and inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy were found to be important risk factors for 30-day all-cause mortality associated with CA-BSI. Increased awareness and earlier detection of BSI in prehospital and early hospital care is critical for rapid initiation of adequate management and antibiotic treatment.

Sex-specific differences in total ischemic time coincide with similar cardiovascular outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome: a Swiss multicentre cohort study

Background Previous studies showed prolonged patient and system delay in female patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) which is thought to be a major driver of discrepancies in their cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. Indeed, timely management is particularly important in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), as increased total ischemic time augments infarct size and relates to poor CV survival. However, contemporary evidence on sex-specific differences in ACS management and discrepancies in outcomes is limited and controversial. Purpose We sought to systematically investigate whether a sex-gap in symptom-to-door (STD), door-to-balloon (DTB)/door-to-PCI (DTP) time exists in a prospective ACS cohort and if such differences translate into different rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) at one year. Methods From 2009 to 2019, 4'930 ACS patients with a main diagnosis of NSTEMI (43.3%), STEMI (53.3%) or unstable angina (3.4%) were enrolled in the multicentre, prospective SPUM-ACS study of which 4'671 completed follow-up at one year. STD, DTB and DTP time was analyzed. The primary endpoint, a composite measure of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke and ischemia-driven revascularization, was adjudicated by an independent clinical endpoint committee. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models were used for time-to-event analyses. Results A total of 1'019 (20.7%) women and 3'911 (79.3%) men with a main diagnosis of ACS were included in the study. At presentation, women were older (69.6±12.0 vs. 62.2±12.1 years, P&lt;0.001), more likely to have impaired renal function (median, 81.2 vs. 89.2 ml/min/1.73m2, P&lt;0.001) and a history of hypertension (63.9% vs. 54.3%, P&lt;0.001). STD time was significantly higher in female STEMI (median, 3.2 vs. 2.5 hours, P&lt;0.001) and NSTEMI patients (median, 7.0 vs. 5.0 hours, P=0.015). Importantly, DTB time did not differ between sexes in STEMI patients (1.0 vs. 1.0 hour, P=0.430). Similarly, DTP time of female NSTEMI patients was comparable to males (4.3 vs. 4.4 hours, P=0.855). In the entire cohort, female ACS patients did not show a higher occurrence of the primary endpoint at one year (crude HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.72–1.04; adjusted HR 0.83, 95% CI, 0.66–1.05). In a multivariate-adjusted subgroup analysis, neither female STEMI (adjusted HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.59–1.15) nor NSTEMI patients (adjusted HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.61–1.24) showed higher hazards for the primary endpoint compared to male patients. Conclusions Women with a main diagnosis of STEMI show considerably higher prehospital delay, thus prolonged total ischemic time which is mainly driven by increased STD time. Intriguingly, this does not translate into higher rates of MACE compared to men at one year. Women with ACS may particularly benefit from measures aimed at reducing prehospital delay, as this may further improve long-term prognosis after the acute event. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): Swiss National Science Foundation - SNFFoundation for Cardiovascular Research - Zurich Heart House

Changes in ST segment elevation myocardial infarzzction hospitalisations in China from 2011 to 2015

ObjectiveAccess to acute cardiovascular care has improved and health services capacity has increased over the past decades. We assessed national changes in (1) patient characteristics, (2) in-hospital management and (3) patient outcomes among patients presenting with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 2011–2015 in China.MethodsIn a nationally representative sample of hospitals in China, we created two random cohorts of patients in 2011 and 2015 separately. We weighted our findings to estimate nationally representative numbers and assessed changes from 2011 to 2015. Data were abstracted from medical charts centrally using standardised definitions.ResultsWhile the proportion of patients with STEMI among all patients with acute myocardial infarction decreased over time from 82.5% (95% CI 81.7 to 83.3) in 2011 to 68.5% (95% CI 67.7 to 69.3) in 2015 (p<0.0001), the weighted national estimate of patients with STEMI increased from 210 000 to 380 000. The rate of reperfusion eligibility among patients with STEMI decreased from 49.3% (95% CI 48.1 to 50.5) to 42.2% (95% CI 41.1 to 43.4) in 2015 (p<0.0001); ineligibility was principally driven by larger proportions with prehospital delay exceeding 12 hours (67.4%–76.7%, p<0.0001). Among eligible patients, the proportion receiving reperfusion therapies increased from 54% (95% CI 52.3 to 55.7) to 59.7% (95% CI 57.9 to 61.4) (p<0.0001). Crude and risk-adjusted rates of in-hospital death did not differ significantly between 2011 and 2015.ConclusionsIn this most recent nationally representative study of STEMI in China, the use of acute reperfusion increased, but no significant improvement occurred in outcomes. There is a need to continue efforts to prevent cardiovascular diseases, to monitor changes in in-hospital treatments and outcomes, and to reduce prehospital delay.

Time to Seek Care and Hospital Length of Stay Among Older Adults With Acute Coronary Syndrome During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The prevalence of prehospital delay is high among older adults with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The current study aimed to examine the associated factors of prehospital delay among patients with ACS during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 300 older adults with ACS admitted to the emergency department in Jordan. Data were collected from June 1 to September 1, 2020. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore the predictors of prehospital delay. Being widowed, educational level, pain intensity, the gradual onset of ACS symptoms, symptoms lasting for more than 30 minutes, patients’ feeling anxious about their ACS symptoms, patients’ perceiving their symptoms to be particularly dangerous, history of myocardial infarction (MI), and mode of transportation were associated with the time taken before seeking emergency care. Significant predictors of time to seek help were chief complaint of chest pain or palpitations, abrupt onset of symptoms, the associated symptom of vertigo, and a higher number of chronic illnesses; they explained about 17.9% of the variance in the time to seek care. The average time to seek care among patients with ACS during the COVID-19 pandemic was found to be longer than the average time reported by studies conducted prior the pandemic. Improved understanding of the associations between prehospital delay is crucial for optimal ACS patient outcomes under the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Hesitating and Puzzling”: The Experiences and Decision Process of Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with Prehospital Delay after the Onset of Symptoms

Despite campaigns to increase public awareness of stroke symptoms by advocating FAST (Face-Arms-Speech-Time), some stroke patients still show delays in the recognition of and response to stroke symptoms and miss the golden first 4.5 h to receive rt-PA (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator) treatment. The aim of this study was to explore how acute ischemic stroke patients with prehospital delay seek help and undergo the decision process before arriving at the hospital. A qualitative approach using a grounded theory was applied. There were 24 ischemic stroke patients recruited by purposive sampling. Our main findings were: “Hesitating and puzzling” was the core category to describe and guide the process of acute ischemic stroke patients with prehospital delay. During the process, “Awareness the sudden change of physical sensation and/or function” was the antecedent category. In the prehospital delay experience, the following five interaction categories were identified: (1) “Self-judgment and interpretation according to previous experience,” (2) “Puzzling and doubting—it may only be a minor problem,” (3) “Self-treatment or seeking medical attention nearby,” (4) “Unexpected symptoms getting worse” needing immediate advanced medical help and (5) “Rushing to ER with different transportation—self-alerting that serious disease is coming.” Eventually, the patients “Regret to delay seeking treatment and become a disable person.” The process of prehospital delay provides some hidden cues for patients to increase their knowledge about strokes. The study emphasizes the importance of educating community residents about identifying stroke symptoms, breaking the myth of folk therapy, and seeking medical attention immediately. These results will assist healthcare providers by offering references for designing patient-centric educational strategies for preventing stroke prehospital delay to improve the quality of stroke medical care.

Early Hospital Arrival After Acute Ischemic Stroke Is Associated With Family Members' Knowledge About Stroke

Background and Purpose: Prehospital delay is the major factor limiting intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study aimed to: (1) identify factors related to prehospital delay and (2) determine the impact of recognition and behavior of family members on patient delay.Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted at six teaching hospitals in China between December 1, 2018 and November 30, 2019. Patients who experienced AIS within 7 days of onset were interviewed.Results: Of 1,782 consecutive patients (male, 57.97%; mean age, 66.3 ± 9.65 years) who had an AIS, 267 (14.98%) patients arrived within 4.5 h and 722 (40.52%) patients arrived within 6 h of stroke onset. Among patients who arrived within 4.5 h, 103 (38.6%) received thrombolysis. Age over 65 years (OR, 2.009; 95% CI, 1.014–3.982), prior stroke (OR, 3.478; 95% CI, 1.311–9.229), blurred vision (OR, 3.95; 95% CI, 1.71–9.123), and patients deciding to seek medical help (OR, 3.097; 95% CI, 1.417–6.769) were independently associated with late arrival. In contrast, sudden onset of symptoms (OR, 0.075; 95% CI, 0.028–0.196), the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 7–15 (OR, 0.093; 95% CI, 0.035–0.251), consciousness disturbance (OR, 0.258; 95% CI, 0.091–0.734), weakness (OR, 0.265; 95% CI, 0.09–0.784), arrival by ambulance (OR, 0.102; 95% CI, 0.049–0.211), decision time &lt;30 min (OR, 0.008; 95% CI, 0.003–0.018), and family member understanding stroke requires early treatment (OR, 0.224; 95% CI, 0.109–0.462) were independently associated with early arrival.Conclusions: The prehospital delay in China lags behind Western countries. Recognition and behavior of stroke patients' family members may play a key role in early arrival.