Search

The article discusses research on the use of intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) in hospitals among high risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients and its impact on mortality. High risk PCI has many features, including unprotected left main artery as the primary target. Variaion in the use of IABP did not have impact on in-hospital mortality.

Background: Anemia is common among patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction and is associated with poor outcomes. Less is known about the incidence, correlates, and prognostic implications of acute, hospital-acquired anemia (HAA).Methods and Results: We identified 2909 patients with acute myocardial infarction who had normal hemoglobin (Hgb) on admission in the multicenter TRIUMPH registry and defined HAA by criteria proposed by Beutler and Waalen. We used hierarchical Poisson regression to identify independent correlates of HAA and multivariable proportional hazards regression to identify the association of HAA with mortality and health status. At discharge, 1321 (45.4%) patients had HAA, of whom 348 (26.3%) developed moderate-severe HAA (Hgb <11 g/dL). The incidence of HAA varied significantly across hospitals (range, 33% to 69%; median rate ratio for HAA, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 1.23, adjusting for patient characteristics). Although documented bleeding was more frequent with more severe HAA, fewer than half of the patients with moderate-severe HAA had any documented bleeding. Independent correlates of HAA included age, female sex, white race, chronic kidney disease, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, acute renal failure, use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, in-hospital complications (cardiogenic shock, bleeding and bleeding severity), and length of stay. After adjustment for GRACE score and bleeding, patients with moderate-severe HAA had higher mortality rates (hazard ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 2.98 versus no HAA) and poorer health status at 1 year.Conclusions: HAA develops in nearly half of acute myocardial infarction hospitalizations among patients treated medically or with percutaneous coronary intervention, commonly in the absence of documented bleeding, and is associated with worse mortality and health status. Better understanding of how HAA can be prevented and whether its prevention can improve patient outcomes is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the use of hierarchical regression models in assessing the rates of risk-standardized mortality and readmission of patients with heart failure in hospitals identified in the "America's Best Hospitals" ranking by the periodical "U.S. News & World Report" and in those non-ranked facilities. The study noted there was a reduced mean rate of in-hospital mortality in ranked hospitals, compared to non-ranked ones. It is said that ranked hospitals have not shown enough evidence of superiority for readmission.

With the proliferation of efforts to report publicly the outcomes of healthcare providers and institutions, there is a growing need to define standards for the methods that are being employed. An interdisciplinary writing group identified 7 preferred attributes of statistical models used for publicly reported outcomes. These attributes include (1) clear and explicit definition of an appropriate patient sample, (2) clinical coherence of model variables, (3) sufficiently high-quality and timely data, (4) designation of an appropriate reference time before which covariates are derived and after which outcomes are measured, (5) use of an appropriate outcome and a standardized period of outcome assessment, (6) application of an analytical approach that takes into account the multilevel organization of data, and (7) disclosure of the methods used to compare outcomes, including disclosure of performance of risk-adjustment methodology in derivation and validation samples.

Background: Concerns have been raised about the appropriateness of spironolactone use in some patients with heart failure. We studied the adoption of spironolactone therapy after publication of the Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study (RALES) in national cohorts of older patients hospitalized for heart failure., Methods and Results: This is a study of serial cross-sectional samples of Medicare beneficiaries > or =65 years old discharged after hospitalization for the primary diagnosis of heart failure and with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The first sample was discharged before (April 1998 to March 1999, n=9758) and the second sample after (July 2000 to June 2001, n=9468) publication of RALES in September 1999. We assessed spironolactone prescriptions at hospital discharge in patient groups defined by enrollment criteria for the trial. Using multivariable logistic regression, we identified factors independently associated with prescriptions not meeting these criteria. Spironolactone use increased >7-fold (3.0% to 21.3% P<0.0001) after RALES. Of patients meeting enrollment criteria, 24.1% received spironolactone, as compared with 17.4% of those not meeting the criteria. Of all prescriptions after RALES, 30.9% were provided to patients not meeting enrollment criteria. Spironolactone was prescribed to 22.8% of patients with a serum potassium value > or =5.0 mmol/L, to 14.1% with a serum creatinine value > or =2.5 mg/dL, and to 17.3% with severe renal dysfunction (estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL.min(-1).1.73 m(-2)). In multivariable analyses, factors associated with prescriptions not meeting enrollment criteria included advanced age, noncardiovascular comorbidities, discharge to skilled nursing facilities, and care provided by physicians without board certification., Conclusions: Spironolactone prescriptions increased markedly after the publication of RALES, and many treated patients were at risk for hyperkalemia. Simultaneously, many patients who might have benefited were not treated. These findings demonstrate the importance of balancing efforts to enhance use among appropriate patients and minimizing use in patients at risk for adverse events.

Background: The relationship between admission glucose levels and outcomes in older diabetic and nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction is not well defined., Methods and Results: We evaluated a national sample of elderly patients (n=141,680) hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction from 1994 to 1996. Admission glucose was analyzed as a categorical (< or =110, >110 to 140, >140 to 170, >170 to 240, >240 mg/dL) and continuous variable for its association with mortality in patients with and without recognized diabetes. A substantial proportion of hyperglycemic patients (eg, 26% of those with glucose >240 mg/dL) did not have recognized diabetes. Fewer hyperglycemic patients without known diabetes received insulin during hospitalization than diabetics with similar glucose levels (eg, glucose >240 mg/dL, 22% versus 73%; P<0.001). Higher glucose levels were associated with greater risk of 30-day mortality in patients without known diabetes (for glucose range from < or =110 to >240 mg/dL, 10% to 39%) compared with diabetics (range, 16% to 24%; P for interaction <0.001). After multivariable adjustment, higher glucose levels continued to be associated with a graded increase in 30-day mortality in patients without known diabetes (referent, glucose < or =110 mg/dL; range from glucose >110 to 140 mg/dL: hazard ratio [HR], 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.24; to glucose >240 mg/dL: HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.75 to 2.00). In contrast, among diabetic patients, greater mortality risk was observed only in those with glucose >240 mg/dL (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.17 to 1.50 versus glucose < or =110 mg/dL; P for interaction <0.001). One-year mortality results were similar., Conclusions: Elevated glucose is common, rarely treated, and associated with increased mortality risk in elderly acute myocardial infarction patients, particularly those without recognized diabetes.

Background: Renal impairment is an emerging prognostic indicator in heart failure (HF) patients. Despite known racial differences in the progression of both HF and renal disease, it is unclear whether the prognosis for renal impairment in HF patients differs by race. We sought to determine in HF patients the 1-year mortality risks associated with elevated creatinine and impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and to quantify racial differences in mortality., Methods and Results: We retrospectively evaluated the National Heart Care Project nationally representative cohort of 53,640 Medicare patients hospitalized with HF. Among 5669 black patients, mean creatinine was 1.6+/-0.9 mg/dL, and 54% had an eGFR < or =60, compared with creatinine 1.5+/-0.7 mg/dL and 68% eGFR < or =60 in 47,971 white patients. Higher creatinine predicted increased mortality risk, although the magnitude of risk differed by race (interaction P=0.0001). Every increase in creatinine of 0.5 mg/dL was associated with a >10% increased risk in adjusted mortality for blacks, compared with >15% increased risk in whites (interaction P=0.0001), with the most striking racial disparities at the highest levels of renal impairment. Depressed eGFR showed similar racial differences (interaction P=0.0001)., Conclusions: Impaired renal function predicts increased mortality in elderly HF patients, although risks are more pronounced in whites. Distinct morbidity and mortality burdens in black versus white patients underscore the importance of improving patient risk-stratification, defining optimal therapies, and exploring physiological underpinnings of racial differences.

Background: Although ACE inhibitors are underprescribed for heart failure, factors associated with their use are not well described. Furthermore, the effectiveness of ACE inhibitors has been questioned in some populations, potentially contributing to underuse. Our objectives were to assess the correlates of ACE inhibitor use and the relationship between ACE inhibitor prescription and mortality in older patients with heart failure., Methods and Results: We studied a national sample aged > or =65 years who had survived hospitalization for heart failure between April 1998 and March 1999 or July 2000 and June 2001, restricting the analysis to patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and without a documented contraindication to use of ACE inhibitors (n=17 456). Factors associated with ACE inhibitor prescription at discharge and the relationship between ACE inhibitor prescription and death within 1 year were assessed with hierarchical logistic models. Secondary analyses assessed therapeutic substitution with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). ACE inhibitors were prescribed to only 68% of this ideal cohort, and 76% received either an ACE inhibitor or an ARB. Patient, physician, and hospital factors were weak predictors of prescription, except for serum creatinine (RR for 133 to 221 micromol/L=0.87, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.89; RR for > or =222 micromol/L=0.53, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.57 compared with < or =132 micromol/L). ACE inhibitor prescription was associated with lower crude 1-year mortality (33.0% versus 42.1%, P<0.001), lower risk of death after adjustment (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.90), and lower mortality regardless of patient gender, age, race, or serum creatinine level., Conclusions: ACE inhibitors were widely underprescribed despite evidence of a favorable impact on survival in a broad range of patients with heart failure. These results emphasize the importance of ongoing efforts to translate clinical trial results into practice.

Objective: To evaluate the association between annual hospital coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery volume and in-hospital mortality., Summary Background Data: The Leapfrog Group recommends health care purchasers contract for CABG services only with hospitals that perform >or=500 CABGs annually to reduce mortality; it is unclear whether this standard applies to current practice., Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample database for patients who underwent CABG in 1998-2000 (n = 228738) at low (12-249 cases/year), medium (250-499 cases/year), and high (>or=500 cases/year) CABG volume hospitals. Crude in-hospital mortality rates were 4.21% in low-volume hospitals, 3.74% in medium-volume hospitals, and 3.54% in high-volume hospitals (trend P < 0.001). Compared with patients at high-volume hospitals (odds ratio 1.00, referent), patients at low-volume hospitals remained at increased risk of mortality after multivariable adjustment (odds ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval = 1.15-1.39). The mortality risk for patients at medium-volume hospitals was of borderline significance (odds ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.21). However, 207 of 243 (85%) of low-volume and 151 of 169 (89%) of medium-volume hospital-years had risk-standardized mortality rates that were statistically lower or comparable to those expected. In contrast, only 11 of 169 (6%) of high-volume hospital-years had outcomes that were statistically better than expected., Conclusions: Patients at high-volume CABG hospitals were, on average, at a lower mortality risk than patients at lower-volume hospitals. However, the small size of the volume-associated mortality difference and the heterogeneity in outcomes within all CABG volume groups suggest individual hospital CABG volume is not a reliable marker of hospital CABG quality.

Background: Aggressive risk factor modification decreases cardiovascular events and mortality in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Little is known regarding the use of secondary prevention in older patients undergoing CABG during hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI)., Methods and Results: Medical records were reviewed for a sample of 37,513 patients hospitalized with AMI in the United States between April 1998 and March 1999. Patients >or=65 years of age who underwent CABG after AMI (n=2,267 [8%]) were evaluated for the prescription of 4 therapies at discharge: aspirin, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and lipid lowering, in eligible patients without contraindications to therapy and compared with patients who did not undergo CABG (n=26,484 [92%]). Patients undergoing CABG had higher rates of aspirin than patients who did not undergo CABG (88.0% versus 83.2%, P=0.0002). However, CABG patients were less likely to receive beta-blockers (61.5% versus 72.1%, P<0.0001), ACE inhibitors (55.5% versus 72.1%, P<0.0001), or lipid lowering (34.7% versus 55.7%, P<0.0001) prescriptions than patients who did not undergo CABG. After adjustment for disease severity, patients undergoing CABG were no longer more likely to receive discharge aspirin, and the magnitude of other differences in care increased., Conclusions: Evidence-based discharge therapies are underutilized in older patients who underwent CABG during hospitalization for AMI. Although national efforts focusing on improving short-term surgical mortality have been successful, strategies should be developed to increase the utilization of therapies known to improve long-term mortality in patients undergoing CABG.