The American Journal of Medicine
Volume 121, Issue 3 , Pages 212-218 , March 2008

Delays in Seeking Medical Care in Hospitalized Patients with Decompensated Heart Failure

  • Robert J. Goldberg, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
    • Corresponding Author InformationRequests for reprints should be addressed to Robert J. Goldberg, PhD, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655.
    • ,
  • Jordan H. Goldberg

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
    • ,
  • Sean Pruell

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
    • ,
  • Jorge Yarzebski, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
    • ,
  • Darleen Lessard, MS

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
    • ,
  • Frederick A. Spencer, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
    • Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
    • ,
  • Joel M. Gore, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester

References 

  1. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Morbidity and Mortality: 2004 Chart Book on Cardiovascular, Lung, and Blood Diseases. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; 2004;
  2. American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2007 Update. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association; 2007;
  3. Braunwald E. Shattuck lecture—cardiovascular medicine at the turn of the millennium: triumphs, concerns, and opportunities. N Engl J Med. 1997;337:1360–1369
  4. Poole-Wilson PA. Treatment of acute heart failure: out with the old, in with the new. JAMA. 2002;287:1578–1580
  5. Burnett RE, Blumenthal J, Mark DB, et al. Distinguishing between early and late responders to symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 1995;75:1019–1022
  6. Dracup K, Alonzo A, Atkins J, et al. The physician’s role in minimizing delay in patients at high risk for acute myocardial infarction: recommendations from the National Heart Attack Alert Program. Ann Intern Med. 1997;126:645–651
  7. McGinn AP, Rosamond WD, Goff DC, et al. Trends in prehospital delay time and use of emergency medical services for acute myocardial infarction: experience in 4 communities from 1987-2000. Am Heart J. 2005;150:392–400
  8. DeLuca G, Suryapranata J, Ottervanger J, et al. Time delay to treatment and mortality in primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction: every minute of delay counts. Circulation. 2004;109:1223–1225
  9. Goldberg RJ, Yarzebski J, Lessard D, Gore JM. Decade-long trends (1986-1997), and factors associated with, time to hospital presentation in patients with acute myocardial infarction (The Worcester Heart Attack Study). Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:3217–3223
  10. Goff DC, Feldman HA, McGovern PG, et al. Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment (REACT) Study Group Prehospital delay in patients hospitalized with heart attack symptoms in the United States: the REACT trial. Am Heart J. 1999;138:1046–1057
  11. Goldberg RJ, Steg PG, Sadiq I, et al. Extent of, and factors associated with, delay to hospital presentation in patients with acute coronary disease (the GRACE Registry). Am J Cardiol. 2002;89:791–796
  12. Goldberg RJ, Spencer FA, Farmer C, et al. Incidence and hospital death rates associated with heart failure: a community-wide perspective. Am J Med. 2005;118:728–734
  13. Goldberg RJ, Spencer FA, Farmer C, et al. Use of disease modifying therapies in patients hospitalized with heart failure: a population-based perspective. Am J Med. 2007;120:98.e1–98.e8
  14. Luepker R, Raczynski J, Osganian S, et al. Effect of a community intervention on patient delay and emergency medical services use in acute coronary heart disease: the Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment (REACT) Trial. JAMA. 2000;274:60–67
  15. Kainth A, Hewitt A, Sowden A, et al. Systematic review of interventions to reduce delay in patients with suspected heart attack. Emerg Med J. 2004;21:506–508
  16. Rich MW, Beckham V, Wittenberg C, et al. A multidisciplinary intervention to prevent the readmission of elderly patients with congestive heart failure. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:1190–1195
  17. Stewart S, Vandenbroek AJ, Pearson S, Horowitz JD. Prolonged beneficial effects of a home-based intervention on unplanned readmissions and mortality among patients with congestive heart failure. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159:257–261
  18. Rich MW, Vinson JM, Speery JC, et al. Prevention of readmission in elderly patients with congestive heart failure: results of a prospective, randomized pilot study. J Gen Intern Med. 1993;8:585–590
  19. Parshall MB, Welsh JD, Brockopp DY, et al. Dyspnea duration, distress, and intensity in emergency department visits for heart failure. Heart Lung. 2001;30:47–56
  20. Schiff GD, Fung S, Speroff T, McNutt RA. Decompensated heart failure: symptoms, patterns of onset, and contributing factors. Am J Med. 2003;114:625–630
  21. Friedman M. Older adults’ symptoms and their duration before hospitalization for heart failure. Heart Lung. 1997;26:169–176
  22. Evangelista LS, Dracup K, Doering LV. Treatment-seeking delays in heart failure patients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2000;19:932–938
  23. Tsuyuki RT, McKelvie RS, Arnold JM, et al. Acute precipitants of congestive heart failure exacerbations. Arch Intern Med. 2001;161:2337–2342
  24. Yarzebski J, Goldberg R, Gore J, et al. Temporal trends and factors associated with extent of delay to hospital arrival in patients with acute myocardial infarction: the Worcester Heart Attack Study. Am Heart J. 1994;128:255–263

 This research was made possible through funding support provided by the National Institutes of Health (R37 HL69874).

PII: S0002-9343(07)01177-1

doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2007.10.032

The American Journal of Medicine
Volume 121, Issue 3 , Pages 212-218 , March 2008

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