Age-related discrimination in the use of fibrinolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction in Norway.
Age-related use of fibrinolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction was studied for patients admitted to the intensive care unit in four hospitals comprising 10% of the national hospital bed capacity in Norway. Altogether, 446 patients were included. All had validated acute myocardial infarction or acute ischaemic coronary heart disease treated with fibrinolytic medication. The fibrinolytic treatment rate decreased linearly from 74% among patients younger than 50 years to 15% among those older than 80 (p < 0.0001). In a multiple logistic regression, low age, short pre-hospital time and no previous myocardial infarction strongly predicted use of fibrinolytic therapy (p < 0.0001), and male sex was a significant predictor for use of fibrinolytic therapy (p = 0.01).
Pettersen
K I
KI
National Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000075202:Contraindications; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000639:trends*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D018579:Patient Selection; D011287:Prejudice; D012737:Sex Factors; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*