[Acute myocardial infarction. Experiences of the referral network of the Beaujon and Bichat hospitals (with the collaboration of the Emergency Medical and Resuscitation Service of Beaujon)].
OBJECTIVE
Hospital management of acute myocardial infarction raises many problems in terms of medical care and organization, especially concerning the use or not of emergency corongraphy and angiography. We assessed the pertinence and consequences of a referral network operating between two cardiology units at the Beaujon and Bichat hospitals in Paris. All interventional procedures were performed at the Bichat unit. Prehospital emergency care units were integrated into the exprience and informed of indications for first line coronarography.


METHODS
All cases of myocardial infarction admitted within 6 hours to the two units between 1993 to 1996 were analyzed and compared.


RESULTS
Indications for referral from Beaujon to Bichat for emergency coronarography and possible angioplasy declined from 21% in 1993 to 10% in 1996. This decline was particularly noteworthy for first intention indications suggesting improved prehospital selection since the number of cases of acute myocardial infarction admitted to Beaujon remained unchanged. Certain patient characteristics differed between the two units: age (68.4 +/- 12.9 years at Beaujon versus 60.5 +/- 13.6 years at Bichat in 1996, p < 0.01) and reperfusion attempts (73% versus 90% in 1996 respectively, p < 0.01). The rate of fatal and non-fatal events were not different: 40 and 40% at Beaujon and 38 and 28% at Bichat in 1993 and 1996 respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrate that a management network can operate effectively between two hospital cardiology units and emergency care structures, allowing better patient selection for emergency coronography and possible angioplasty.
Service de Cardiologie, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy.
D
D
Logeart
A
A
Gace
D
D
Himbert
A
A
Ricard-Hibon
A
A
Cohen-Solal
R
R
Gourgon
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002423:Cause of Death; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D010297:Paris / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission; D018579:Patient Selection; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy
Infarctus myocardiques aigus. Expérience de fonctionnement en réseau des hôpitaux Beaujon et Bichat (avec la collaboration du SMUR Beaujon).