title: [Mortality in 709 patients with acute myocardial infarct treated in the intensive care unit].
abstract: To control the quality of our care and to define the potential for lifesaving early intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction, we analyzed the course of 709 patients (66.4 +/- 10.8 yrs) admitted to the coronary care unit for acute myocardial infarction over a period of 36 months. 77 patients (70.2 +/- 9.3 yrs) died in the coronary care unit, and thus early mortality was 10.9%. Only 8% died from disturbances of cardiac rhythm and 19% from rupture of a ventricle. 73% died in cardiogenic shock, of whom 21 were below 70 years old and represent a potential group for early intervention. In 13 patients of this subgroup possibilities of better management in the pre-hospital phase were found retrospectively. In 5/77 patients the optimal treatment was not achieved during clinical course. Cardiogenic shock is the major cause of death in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction. A further substantial reduction of mortality will be achieved only by reaching more risk patients in the pre-infarction phase and by shortening the pre-hospital phase.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik, Stadtspital Triemli, Zürich.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eichhorn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vuilliomenet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Levis
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bertel
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000401:mortality; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003422:Critical Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006341:Heart Rupture / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012770:Shock, Cardiogenic / Q000401:mortality
vernacular_title: Die Letalität auf der Intensivbehandlungsstation bei 709 Patienten mit akutem Myokardinfarkt.