[Secondary prophylaxis in general practice for patients with ischemic heart disease].
BACKGROUND
We examined the extent to which the Danish College of General Practitioners' guidelines of 1998, "Prevention of ischaemic heart disease in general practice--with special focus on dyslipidaemia", are complied with in the secondary preventive care of patients with ischaemic heart disease.


METHODS
Twenty-six general practitioners from Ringkjøbing County registered all patients with ischaemic heart disease consecutively over three weeks in May 1999. One hundred and ten patients had suffered acute myocardial infarction, 141 had ischaemic heart disease without acute myocardial infarction. Blood pressure, total cholesterol, and use of cardiovascular drugs were registered.


RESULTS
In patients with previous acute myocardial infarction, 66% had had their serum cholesterol measured within the past year; 76% were being treated with acetylsalicylic acid, 46% with beta-blockers, and 27% with lipid-lowering drugs. Of the patients with previous myocardial infarction and a serum cholesterol level > or = 5.0 mmol/l, 33% took lipid-lowering drugs.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates that in some areas actual treatment practice does not always comply with the given recommendations. In particular the frequency of cholesterol measuring and treatment with beta-blockers and lipid-lowering drugs show that continued, targeted quality development is required.
Forskningsenheden for Almen Medicin i Odense, Audit Projekt Odense, Syddansk Universitet, Winsløwparken 19, DK-5000 Odense C.
Lena R V
LR
Hamm
Lars
L
Bjerrum
Peter J
PJ
Aarslev
Anders P
AP
Munck
Kirstin
K
Vach
Jakob
J
Kragstrup
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003718:Denmark; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012042:Registries
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D002784:Cholesterol