Home care in myocardial infarction.
Details are given of a prospective study of 131 patients with definite acute myocardial infarction, seen by general practitioners in Victoria from 1972 to 1974. This number was divided into 91 who were treated initially at home and subsequently referred to hospital, and 40 who were treated totally at home; this decision being made by the doctor after the infarct was diagnosed. There was no statistical difference between these two groups with regard to age or sex. The group treated totally at home had a lesser incidence of past history of myocardial disease, was seen later by the doctor of first contact, and had a lesser incidence of arrhythmias when first seen. With regard to mortality and morbidity, those selected patients kept at home fared no worse.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors