Key Messages
Cardiovascular emergencies contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality in Africa, partly perhaps due to a combination of time-related delays in appreciating symptoms, getting to an intervention-capable facility, and prevailing emergency care systems.
Drawing experiences from across Africa, we discuss unique limitations to prompt and appropriate management of cardiovascular emergencies in the African setting.
Investing in multisectoral collaboration is required to improve the status quo of cardiovascular emergency care.
Community education is important in ensuring that patients who suffer cardiovascular emergencies recognize their symptoms and take early steps to seek prompt, appropriate medical care.
Well-defined emergency systems are required to facilitate the transport of patients with cardiovascular emergencies to appropriate hospitals. This involves improving road networks, training emergency responders, and having ambulances equipped with electrocardiograms and thrombolytic drugs, among others. These services should also be able to directly activate hospital emergency services before arrival, ensuring a seamless continuity of care.
Health care providers on duty should be abreast with recognizing cardiovascular emergencies and the local avenues for optimal care, minimizing hospital-related delays in such patients.
INTRODUCTION
Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).1 Among noncommunicable diseases, the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has increased by about 50% over the last 30 years in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).2 The incidence and outcomes of CVD in LMICs are influenced by factors, including urbanization and related lifestyle changes, belief systems and practices, level of education, and economic and political systems, translating into poor health-seeking behavior and emergency health care systems.1,2 The scope of cardiovascular emergencies includes hypertensive emergencies, acute heart failure (HF), acute coronary syndromes (ACS), stroke, aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism, cardiac tamponade, and cardiac arrest. In 2017, ischemic heart disease accounted for about 5% of all deaths and 40% of cardiovascular …
