Abstract
Objective: To identify the level of knowledge of the lay population of a Higher Education Institution about Acute Myocardial Infarction. Methods: Cross-sectional, prospective and observational study, carried out in a Higher Education Institution in the State of Piauí. The sample consisted of 340 (three hundred and forty) students from the human and exact areas and the analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics. Results: 15% of respondents said they did not know what Acute Myocardial Infarction is, 64% did not know the time to check the pulse and identify a cardiac arrest and only 9% knew how to answer the correct place to place the External Automated Defibrillator electrodes. Conclusion: The studied population, despite being characterized as young and with a higher educational level, failed more than half of the time to identify risk factors, such as signs and symptoms, as well as the conduct indicated in these cases. The study showed that the level of knowledge of the interviewees is still considered insufficient, revealing the need for intervention.