ASSESSMENT OF WINDOW PERIOD KNOWLEDGE AMONG STEMI PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, PUDUCHERRY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Background: The rising cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemic in South Asia, including India, is alarming. ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) requires urgent treatment, yet only 0.8% of patients in India seek care within the crucial rst hour. Most delays are over 12 hours, leading to preventable complications like arrhythmia and heart failure. This highlights the need for greater public awareness about the importance of timely hospital arrival. Material and Methods: The present study was cross-sectional study carried out among STEMI patients both new and old cases more than 18 years. The data was collected in a semi-structured questionnaire after informed consent. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics. Results: This study analyzed 90 participants with a mean age of 51.01 years, comprising 54 men (60%) and 36 women (40%). The age groups included 10% aged 30-39 years, 14.4% aged 40-49 years, 34.4% aged 50-59 years, 33.3% aged 60-69 years, and 7.8% aged 70-79 years. Educational attainment showed 8.9% were illiterate, 41.1% had completed college, and 50% had some schooling. Knowledge of how to respond to chest pain was observed in 54.4%, and 67.8% were aware of emergency services, with the 70-79 age group demonstrating the highest awareness (p<0.05). However, only 55% understood the urgency of responding to chest pain, with 75% of illiterate participants lacking this knowledge. Regarding the optimal window for seeking care, 35.6% identied 1-2 hours, and 31.1% chose 3-5 hours, with men favoring the shorter window (46.3%) and women the longer (52.8%) (p<0.001). Higher education correlated with faster careseeking (p<0.001). Awareness that chest pain is not always gas-related was seen in 63.3% of STEMI patients. Understanding of heart attack diagnosis was good in 42%, and 71.4% of the 70-79 group showed strong knowledge. The role of ECG was recognized by 57.8%, while 58.9% acknowledged that heart muscle deteriorates rapidly during a heart attack. Conclusion: Delay in treatment for acute coronary syndromes is a major contributor to the morbidity burden of cardiovascular disease. Hence awareness is critical for the general public to know about the window period of STEMI and timely arrival to the hospital for early management.