Treatment of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Essay -- Medic

This paper will critique a quantitative research study (Lesnecki, 2010) that examined influences of individuals that delayed seeking treatment during an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The article examined psychosocial and environmental influences that may have played a role for the period of AMI symptom onset to actually obtaining medical treatment. The research study will be reviewed looking at background, study purpose, design and methodology, data analysis, results, discussion, limitations, and applications for nursing practice. Background Lesnecki (2010) gave a brief literature review and described the magnitude of the problem with treatment delay in patients with AMI. She touched on the prevalence of treatment delay in the United States, â€Å"310,000 people a year die of coronary heart disease in an emergency department or before reaching a hospital† (p. 185). Other research was highlighted that linked the variables of age, gender, and race to a delay in seeking treatment when having an AMI. The author discussed the importance for this type of research and emphasized â€Å"to preserve heart muscle, time is crucial† (p. 185). The author hoped to discover additional variables that could help nurses educate the public to seek prompt medical treatment when having AMI symptoms. Purpose The researcher (Lesnecki, 2010) clearly stated the purpose of the study to â€Å"identify cognitive, social, and emotional influences of individuals delaying treatment when having symptoms of an AMI† (p. 186). Variables proposed to be related to delay in seeking treatment were closely examined and the amount of influence the variables had in relation to that decision, made by the patient, were considered. Method Design ... ...d practice (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders. Burns, N. & Groves, S. K. (2009). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (6th ed.). St. Louis: Saunders Elsevier. Dracup, K. & Moser, D. K. (1997). Beyond sociodemographics: Factors influencing the decision to seek treatment for symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Heart & Lung, 26(4), 253-262. du Prel, J. B., Hommel, G., Rohrig, B., & Blettner, M. (2009). Confidence interval or p-value? Deutsches Arzteblatt International, 106(19), 335-339. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2009.0335 Knapp, T. R. (1998). Quantitative nursing research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Lesnecki, L. (2010, November). Factors influencing treatment delay for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Applied Nursing Research, 23(4), 185-190. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2008.09.004