Review: The significance of cognitive representations of symptoms of acute coronary syndrome and coping responses to the symptoms in predicting prehospital delay in Omani patients

摘要

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a comparatively new pandemic with roots in Western Europe and North America but with the incidence and prevalence rising elsewhere in the world. Risk factors for CHD are well known and the role of social risk factors is known to be fundamental. Papers reporting on individuals with CHD and why they delay when experiencing the symptoms associated with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been published since the 1970s, when it was first highlighted that there were difficulties in establishing 'absolute definitions of onset or to measure patient delay' (Maclean, 1975: 23). Analysis of this phenomenon continued with the advent of thrombolytic therapy as the length of time between onset of symptoms and therapy increases, the less effective treatment becomes. However, it was recognised during the 1990s that this was irrelevant if an individual did not attend hospital within 2 h of the onset of symptoms and research designed to identify the factors that influenced the decision to seek care or delay were begun.