Aim: To evaluate peculiarities of medical care provided for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) depending on sex and age in Kaunas in 1996.
Methods: Kaunas community-based ischemic heart disease register conducted according to the WHO MONICA Project methodology was the source of the data.
Results: Number of diagnosed acute myocardial infarctions among Kaunas population aged 25-84 years in 1996 was 1269. Only 28 day AMI survivors were considered in the present study (n=626). During first 4 hours from onset of chest pain male patients sought for medical assistance as frequently as female AMI patients: 38.1% and 34.0%, respectively. A mobile team provided first medical aid in 62.3% of cases. Thrombolytics were used in each 11th men and in 3% of women. Percutaneous coronary angioplasty was carried out in 4.9 and 1.2% of men and women, respectively. Coronary angiography and angioplasty were more often performed in men (13.1 and 4.9%, respectively) than in women (2.7 and 1.2, respectively).