Abstract
Background: Myocardial infarction, or heart attack, occurs when there is prolonged total occlusion of coronary arterial blood flow. The larger the necrotic area is, the more serious the damage. Aim: of the study was to assess patients’ knowledge and perception regarding myocardial infarction. Subject and Methods: A descriptive research design was used to conduct this study. A convenient sample of 90 patients who have myocardial infarction through 6 months and attended intensive care unit and outpatient clinic in Specialized Hospital and coronary care unit and outpatient clinic in El- Azhar Hospital in Damietta. Tools were used to collect data: includes Sociodemographic characteristics, patient personal medical history, patients' knowledge questionnaire and patients' perception questionnaire. Result: The results revealed that the most of the studied patient had unsatisfactory knowledge about nature and causes of, myocardial infarction symptoms, risk factors of myocardial infarction (71.1%, 93.3%, 54.4% respectively). Also more than three quarter (81.1%) of the studied patients had highly positive perception regarding myocardial infarction. While, there was highly statistical significant relation between total patients' perception and knowledge of myocardial infarction. Conclusion: the most of studied patients had highly positive perception about myocardial infarction and there no statistical significant relation between age, level of education and patient's perception
Highlights
Myocardial infarction is one of the leading cause of death in the world
According to patients' knowledge about risk factors of myocardial infarction, The results in the present study indicated that the studied subjects had unsatisfactory knowledge about risk factors of myocardial infarction
In relation to perception of symptoms seriousness, the findings in the current study indicated that all studied patients had positive perception related to myocardial infarction
Summary
Acute myocardial infarction occurs when the blood supply to any part of heart is interrupted. This is most commonly due to occlusion of coronary artery following the rupture of a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, resulting in ischemia and oxygen shortage. If this condition is left untreated for a sufficient period of time, it can cause damage and death of heart muscle (myocardium) (Lewis et al, 2013). There was highly statistical significant relation between total patients' perception and knowledge of myocardial infarction. Conclusion: the most of studied patients had highly positive perception about myocardial infarction and there no statistical significant relation between age, level of education and patient's perception
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