Increased prescription of thrombolytic treatment to elderly patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction associated with audit.
OBJECTIVE
To assess prescription of thrombolytic treatment to elderly patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction and the incidence of side effects.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of prescriptions during five months (first audit) followed by prospective analysis of uptake of treatment during five months after interventions in clinical management; prospective assessment of adverse events during thrombolytic treatment.


METHODS
Coronary care unit of large district general hospital.


METHODS
110 patients aged greater than or equal to 65 with subsequently proved acute myocardial infarction admitted in first audit and 119 admitted in the second.


METHODS
Site of infarct, prescription of thrombolysis treatment, reasons for nonprescription, complications.


RESULTS
Before intervention thrombolytic treatment was prescribed to 13/110 (12%) patients with subsequently confirmed myocardial infarction and after intervention to 55/119 (46%) patients (p less than 0.01). In the first audit no patients with angina received thrombolytic treatment whereas 13/79 (16%) were treated in the second audit. Increased prescription of thrombolytic treatment in the second audit was associated with significantly fewer exclusions owing to dyspepsia (p less than 0.05) and unstated or unsatisfactory reasons (p less than 0.01) Streptokinase infusions were completed uneventfully in 75% (48/64) and 77% (10/13) of patients with infarction and angina respectively. Side effects of treatment were more common in patients with inferior than with anterior infarcts (16/42 (30%) v 3/24 (13%), p less than 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Low rates of prescription of thrombolytic treatment to elderly patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction were identified and corrected. Streptokinase treatment was associated with transient arrhythmias or hypotension in about a third of these patients with infarcts, particularly those with electrocardiographic changes in inferior leads.
Hendra
T J
TJ
Department of Cardiology, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.
Marshall
A J
AJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013300:Streptokinase / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
D013300:Streptokinase; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator