Does St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Wait for The Vacation to End?

Abstract

Objective: This is an epidemiological study of patients diagnosed with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Fethiye, one of Turkey's most popular destinations for domestic and foreign tourists. It aimed to determine a tourist group at risk for STEMI and needs attention for a holiday region that does not have a catheter laboratory and is two hours away from the nearest catheter laboratory.Materials and Methods: The study was retrospective. Patients diagnosed with STEMI in all hospitals in the district, one state, and two private hospitals during the summer holiday period between June 1, 2021, and October 1, 2021, were examined. The most common STEMI dates and time intervals in tourists admitted to the emergency department were examined. Demographic characteristics and comorbidities of patients, including residents and tourists, were compared.Results: A total of 331 STEMI patients were observed. 76.7 % (n =254) of the patients were Turkish residents, 1.8 % (n =6) resident foreigners, 19.3 % (n =64) domestic tourists, and 2.1% (n =7) foreign tourists. The average age of the residents was statistically significantly higher than the tourist group (64.15 vs. 57.83, [p=0.01]). A statistically significant difference was found only with hypertension as a comorbidity (P = 0.034).Conclusion: In STEMI, no situation differs from the local people in the tourist group. Considering that elderly tourists with health problems will be encountered more frequently with the prolongation of human lifespan, efforts should continue to facilitate access to catheter laboratories in holiday regions, mainly for situations that require urgent intervention such as STEMI.