Differences in mortality and use of revascularization in black and white patients with acute MI admitted to hospitals with and without revascularization services.
BACKGROUND
Racial differences in the use of coronary revascularization after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been widely reported. However, few studies have examined patterns of care for AMI patients admitted to hospitals with and without revascularization services.


OBJECTIVE
To compare rates of hospital transfer, coronary revascularization, and mortality after AMI for black and white patients admitted to hospitals with and without revascularization services.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study of 1,215,924 black and white Medicare beneficiaries aged 68 years and older, admitted with AMI between January 1, 2000, and June 30, 2005, to 4627 US hospitals with and without revascularization services.


METHODS
For patients admitted to nonrevascularization hospitals, transfer to another hospital with revascularization services; for all patients, risk-adjusted rates of 30-day coronary revascularization and 1-year mortality.


RESULTS
Black patients admitted to hospitals without revascularization were less likely (25.2% vs 31.0%; P<.001) to be transferred. Black patients admitted to hospitals with or without revascularization services were less likely to undergo revascularization than white patients (34.3% vs 50.2% and 18.3% vs 25.9%; P<.001) and had higher 1-year mortality (35.3% vs 30.2% and 39.7% vs 37.6%; P<.001). After adjustment for sociodemographics, comorbidity, and illness severity, blacks remained less likely to be transferred (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-0.81; P<.001) and undergo revascularization (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.69-0.74; P<.001; and HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.65-0.70; P<.001 in hospitals with and without revascularization, respectively). Risk-adjusted mortality was lower for blacks during the first 30 days after admission (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.88-0.93; P<.001; and HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.87-0.92; P<.001 in hospitals with and without revascularization, respectively) but was higher (P<.001) thereafter.


CONCLUSIONS
Black patients admitted to hospitals with and without coronary revascularization services are less likely to receive coronary revascularization. The higher long-term mortality of black patients may reflect the lower use of revascularization or other aspects of AMI care.
Popescu
Ioana
I
Center for Research in the Implementation of Innovative Strategies in Practice (CRIISP), Iowa City VA Medical Center, USA. ioana-popescu@uiowa.edu
Vaughan-Sarrazin
Mary S
MS
Rosenthal
Gary E
GE
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*