Outcome of patients with post acute myocardial infarction ischemia hospitalized in intensive cardiac care units with and without on-site catheterization laboratories.
BACKGROUND
This study addresses the impact of availability of on-site catheterization laboratories on the 1-year survival of patients with post-acute myocardial infarction ischemia (P-AMI-I), a high-risk subgroup of AMI patients.


METHODS
A prospective 5 month national survey was conducted in 1996 in all operating intensive care units (ICCUs) in Israel (N=26) and included 2377 patients. Four hundred and three (17%) had P-AMI-I, 317 of them were admitted to 18 ICCUs with on-site catheterization laboratories (CATH+) and 86 patients to 8 ICCUs without such facilities (CATH-). A retrospective analysis was performed comparing the in-hospital course and 7 day, 1 month and 1 year mortality data of CATH+ vs. CATH- patients.


RESULTS
Patient characteristics in both groups were similar with regard to age, gender AMI location, risk factors, hemodynamic parameters on admission and rate of thrombolytic therapy. Of patients in CATH+, 79% were catheterized before hospital discharge vs. 42% in CATH- (P<0.0001), 45 vs. 15% had PTCA (P<0.0001) and 19 vs. 9% had CABG (P<0.05). At 30 days, patients in CATH+ still had significantly more revascularization procedures (71 vs. 48%, P<0.001). Patients hospitalized in ICCUs with CATH+ and CATH- facilities had similar cardiac mortality rates at 7 days (2.0 vs. 2.3%), 30 days (5.7 vs. 4.7%) and at 1 year (7.6 vs. 7.0%).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite a more invasive strategy used during the index hospitalization of patients with P-AMI-I hospitalized in CATH+ ICCUs, their survival was similar to CATH- patients at 7 days, 30 days and at 1 year follow-up.
Blondheim
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Department of Cardiology, Sieff Government Hospital, Safed, Israel. blond@netvision.net.il
Gottlieb
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Behar
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Marmor
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D000368:Aged; D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital; D002404:Catheterization; D003325:Coronary Care Units; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome