Background: Myocardial infarction is the main reason to death in Sweden. Statistics have shown that death rate has decreased the last decade at the onset of acute myocardial infarction. Even though the death rate has decreased it is important to understand patients' experiences, this is something that previous studies not have enlightened enough. As a nurse in prehospital care, it is a necessity to understand how the patient experience the infarction and give individual care to each patient.

Aim: The aim was to describe patients' experiences of seeking care at the acute onset of myocardial infarction.

Method: A method to contribute to evidence-based nursing with ground in analysis of qualitative research was performed. An analysis of seven qualitative articles was carried out.

Results: The analysis resulted in three categories; denial, to seek medical care or not, and I did not think it was a myocardial infarction with nine subcategories. A delay in searching help was common. Women were more prominent to use self-medicating methods for their symptoms then men. Men would search help when their problems were either life threatening or relatives pushed them to do it. Both men and women had low or non-knowledge about symptoms that did not include chest or arm pain.

Conclusion: The conclusions was that regardless of symptoms, it was important that the nurse acknowledged the patients' problems and had to acknowledge social, physical and psychological aspects in the care of every patient. An important aspect in the help seeking process was to not be ignored by health professionals.