Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a cardiovascular emergency that needs immediate diagnosis and treatment. utilizing incorrect strategies during a MI may lead to adverse consequences and complications. This study was conducted to explore the process of prehospital management of patients with MI. METHODS: This study was conducted using the grounded theory design. fifteen patients with MI and six family members were purposefully and theoretically selected from a leading hospital in Kashan, Iran. Data were collected using unstructured and semi-structured interviews and were analyzed through the constant comparison method proposed by Corbin and Strauss (2015). The length of the interviews was 40-60 min and data collection were kept on to reach data saturation. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 70.06 years, and 53.3% of them were male. The findings were categorized into three major categories and nine subcategories. The three major categories of "fighting between awareness and preference," "taking problematic arbitrary measures," and "consulting lay people" emerged from the participants' experiences, along with the theme of "inefficient self-management." CONCLUSION: Complex situation, unfamiliarity with MI and its management makes MI management very difficult for patients and family members. Therefore, MI-specific educations are needed to improve patients' self-management abilities.