title: [Second and Third Annual Report of the German Society of Coronary Angiography and Interventions in Private Practice (BNK) concerning quality assurance in invasive cardiology].
abstract: Since 1995, the German Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions in Private Practice (BNK) has been intensely involved in quality assurance; since 1996, it has registered relevant data for diagnostic left heart catheterization (DIAG) and coronary interventions (PTCA). The following data are based on a total of 72,777 cardiac catheters, of which 54,513 were DIAG and 18,264 were PTCA (DIAG in 1996: 10,316; in 1997: 15,692 and in 1998: 28,505. PTCA in 1996: 2,597; in 1997: 5,600 and in 1998: 10,067). The mean patient age was 61.9 years for males and 65.3 years for females (31%). DIAG was performed on an out-patient basis in 60% of the cases. The proportion of self-referrals is circa one-third and has not increased over time. A s/p PTCA was present in 21% of the DIAG patients; those after coronary bypass surgery showed a steadily increasing trend towards a follow-up DIAG (8% of the patients). There was a distinctive decrease in the use of contrast medium from an average of 164 ml (1996) to 138 ml (1998). The symptoms leading to DIAG did not substantially change in the years from 1996 to 1998; the angiographic range of the coronary disease and the degree of an impaired myocardial function have remained virtually unchanged. The treatment recommendations appear to tend towards medical therapy with decreasing indications for PTCA (20%) and open heart surgery (16%). The mean duration of a PTCA procedure decreased from 57 +/- 8 (1996) to 44.6 +/- 25 (1998) minutes. The success rates remained unchanged for coronary stenoses as well as for recanalization of chronic total occlusions. PTCA complications: the incidence of abrupt coronary occlusions was 2% and of emergency bypass surgery 0.4%; mortality was 0.1%.
authors.affiliation: Herzkatheterlabor der Kardiologischen Gemeinschaftspraxis, Klinik Dr. Müller, München. ssilber@med.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silber
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levenson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schräder
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaltenbach
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000592:standards*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000592:standards*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011331:Private Practice; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012955:Societies, Medical; D012984:Software