There’s no such thing as a textbook heart attack

Nurses need to know the truth about myocardial infarction – it could save patients’ lives

There’s a common misconception, fuelled by the media, that a heart attack is always a sudden and quick event – but this isn’t the case.

A gradual-onset myocardial infarction (MI) can happen over the course of several hours or days.

A study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing found that 57% of patients reported abrupt symptom onset, the remaining 43% experienced gradual symptom onset.

Some remain symptom-free until it’s too late

Coronary heart disease, the major cause of heart attacks, which is caused by atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, takes many years to develop.

Many people