Oral antithrombotic use among myocardial infarction patients.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the use of oral antithrombotics (i.e., antiplatelet agents, oral anticoagulants) after myocardial infarction (MI) in the Netherlands from 1988 to 1998.


METHODS
Retrospective follow-up of 3800 patients with MI, using data from the PHARMO Record Linkage System.


RESULTS
From 1988 to 1998, oral antithrombotic treatment increased significantly from 54.0% to 88.9%. In 1998, only 75.8% of patients who experienced a MI in the late 1980s received oral antithrombotic treatment compared with 94.4% of those who experienced a recent MI.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral antithrombotics were considerably underused in patients with a past history of MI. Therefore, these patients should be reviewed for antithrombotic therapy to assess whether their failure to use oral antithrombotics was right or wrong, and whether treatment should be initiated if possible.
van der Elst
Menno E
ME
Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands. m.e.vanderelst@pharm.uu.nl
Cisneros-Gonzalez
Nelly
N
de Blaey
Cornelis J
CJ
Buurma
Henk
H
de Boer
Anthonius
A
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004363:Drug Utilization; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000925:Anticoagulants; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors