Coronary disease & ACS

Presence and type of bystanders on delay time in acute myocardial infarction: a transcultural cross-sectional clinical study with 907 patients in Shanghai and Munich

HeartPublished cross-sectional observational study

Authors' conclusion

Non-family bystanders were associated with markedly shorter prehospital delay but their effectiveness differed by sex and cultural context. These findings support a paradigm shift in public health strategies: alongside patient education, community-wide first-aid training and targeted interventions that enable non-family bystanders to act promptly are critical to improving outcomes.

Study context

Population
Patients with confirmed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Munich and Shanghaipatients with confirmed AMI · MEDEA (Munich) 614 · MEDEA FAR-EAST (Shanghai) 293
Participants
907 patients
Exposure
Prehospital delay time, analysed by bystander presence and type
  • With bystandersn = 636
Outcome
Prehospital delay time
Methodological detailsmulticentre MEDEA FAR-EAST study in Shanghai
  • Multicentre MEDEA FAR-EAST study in Shanghai

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

P = 0.023

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

OutcomeValuesP value
Prehospital delay in womenWomen suffering from AMI all alone 254 (IQR 130–725) min · Women living alone but supported by a bystander 166 (IQR 67–979) min
Prehospital delay by cityShanghai vs Munich · shorter delays in ShanghaiShanghai 150 min · Munich 203 minP < 0.001

Prehospital delay with non-family bystanders

Non-family bystanders consistently facilitated the most rapid responses
128 min

Participant characteristics

Women
216 (24%)
Median age
62 (IQR 54-72) years
Patients who experienced AMI with bystanders
636 (70%)

Original publication

Presence and type of bystanders on delay time in acute myocardial infarction: a transcultural cross-sectional clinical study with 907 patients in Shanghai and Munich. Heart. Published 18 June 2026. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2025-327595

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