Public knowledge of the symptoms of myocardial infarction: a street survey in Birmingham, England.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of death in the UK. A good clinical outcome depends on rapid treatment following the onset of symptoms. A person's knowledge of typical symptoms determines how quickly they present to the medical services.

Objectives: To investigate knowledge of MI symptoms among the general population and the relationship between age, gender and socio-economic status with knowledge.

Methods: Street survey of 302 participants in Birmingham, UK, using an interviewer-assisted questionnaire.

Results: Of seven symptoms accepted in the medical literature as typical of an MI, central chest pain was the most frequently identified (75% of the sample), followed by arm pain or numbness (40%), shortness of breath (35%), fainting or dizziness (21%) and sweating (21%). Feeling or being sick and neck or jaw pain were mentioned by 8.1% and 5.9%, respectively, while an atypical or inapplicable symptom, collapse (9.9%) was mentioned more often than these. Over half the sample knew only two or fewer MI symptoms. The mean number of typical symptoms identified was 2.2 (SD = 1.28). Respondents from professional occupations and those with previous experience of MI, whether direct or indirect, showed better awareness.

Conclusions: The study demonstrated a paucity of knowledge of MI symptoms among the general public. Such findings provide a baseline to guide public health campaigns targeting awareness of MI.