title: Acute coronary syndrome registry at a cardiology emergency center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Describe clinical characteristics of patients (P) admitted to hospital with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS), identifying medical treatment and in-hospital mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluated were 860 patients with ACS from January through December, 2003. We evaluated baseline characteristics, ACS mode of presentation, medication during hospital stay, indication for clinical treatment or myocardial revascularization (MR) and in-hospital mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred and three (58.3%) were male, mean age 62.6 years ( +/- 11.9). Seventy-eight (9.1%) were discharged with the diagnosis of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 238 (27.7%) with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (non-STEMI), 516 (60%) with unstable angina (UA), two (0.2%) with atypical manifestations of ACS and 26 (3%) with non-cardiac chest pain. During hospitalization, 87.9% of patients were given a beta-blocker, 95.9% acetylsalicylic acid, 89.9% anti-thrombin therapy, 86.2% intravenous nitroglycerin, 6.4% glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor, 35.9% clopidogrel, 77.9% angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and 70,9% statin drugs. Coronary arteriography was performed in 72 patients (92.3%) with STEMI, and in 452 (59.8%) with non-STEMI ACS (p< 0.0001). Myocardial revascularization (MR) surgery was indicated for 12.9% and percutaneous coronary intervention for 26.6%. In-hospital mortality was 4.8%, and no difference was recorded between the proportion of deaths among patients with STEMI and non-STEMI ACS (6.4% versus 4.8%; p = 0.578).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this registry, we provide a description of ACS patient, which allows the evaluation of the demographic characteristics, medical treatment prescribed, and in-hospital mortality. A greater awareness of our reality may help the medical community to adhere more strictly to the procedures set by guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. elizabetessantos@cardiol.br
authors.forename: Elizabete Silva
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Minuzzo
authors.forename: Marcos Paulo
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Maria Teresa Cabrera
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Manoel Angelo Gomes
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Palácio
authors.forename: Rui Fernando
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Timerman
authors.forename: Leopoldo Soares
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Piegas
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013577:Syndrome