ABSTRACT
Objective A short pre-hospital delay, from the onset of symptoms to rapid initiation of reperfusion therapy, is a crucial factor in determining prognosis of myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate symptoms and presentation delay times in MI patients with and without diabetes. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan over a period of 6 months. The study sample consisted of 280 consenting individuals diagnosed with ST-elevation MI (STEMI) or Non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI), out of which 130 were diabetic and 150 were non-diabetic. Data was collected using a standardized questionnaire, investigating MI symptoms along with causes and duration of pre-hospital delay within 72 hours of admission. Results No significant difference was found in the intensity of chest pain between diabetics and non-diabetics. Atypical symptoms of MI such as anxiety (p < 0.001), cold sweats (p = 0.034) and epigastric pain (p = 0.017) were more frequently reported in diabetics. MI patients with diabetes had a significantly longer presentation delay time with 75% of the patients presenting after elapse of 3 h. Only a few patients reported to the hospital within an hour of onset of symptoms (n = 23, 8.2%), out of which majority were non-diabetics (n = 18). A majority of patients (n = 146, 52%) in both groups did not use emergency medical services. Conclusion This study provides an incentive for further research, aiming to reduce pre hospital delay along with investigating the effectiveness of emergency medical services.