[Medical treatment of patients with clinical peripheral arterial disease at hospital discharge: compliance with the French guidelines and changing practices (COPART I registry)].
BACKGROUND
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a frequent and serious condition with a risk of mortality comparable to that of certain cancers. However, in France, the literature on this medical condition is scarce and data on management, incidence of complications and prognosis are lacking.


OBJECTIVE
The COPART I registry, set up in June 2004, in the Vascular Medicine Department of the University Hospital of Toulouse, France, constitutes an observational database on hospitalized patients with PAD, in order to evaluate management, follow-up and prognosis of the patients. The aim of the present work is to compare medical prescriptions at hospital discharge, with the recent guidelines of the French High Authority of Health.


METHODS
All consecutive patients with PAD, hospitalized in the Vascular Medicine Department of the University of Toulouse, between June 1, 2004 and July 31, 2006 were included. Only surviving patients were analysed.


RESULTS
Four hundred patients were included in the study. As expected, the majority were male (70%). Common cardiovascular risk factors were: arterial hypertension (66.7%), dyslipidemia (58.9%), diabetes (42.9%), and smoking (27.4%). Three patients out of 10 had claudication intermittens, nearly two out of 10 patients complained of persistent pain, and four out of 10 patients had Leriche and Fontaine stage IV arteriopathy. At hospital discharge, 86.9% of the patients were taking at least one antiplatelet treatment, 71.2% a statin, 54% a renin-angiotensin-system inhibitor. Nearly 66% of the patients (65.8%) received at least one antiplatelet agent and a statin. Nearly 50% of the patients (49.4%) had the three drugs recommended by the French High Authority of Health. We observed a change in prescription practices for statins (+30%), as well as for prescription of evidence-based tri-therapy (+29%) between 2004 and 2006.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatments prescribed at hospital discharge of patient with PAD included in the COPART I registry are in compliance with the French High Authority of Health guidelines concerning antiplatelet drugs and statins. Inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system seem insufficiently used. However, favorable trends in medical practices between 2004 and 2006 have been observed.
Béraut
E
E
Service de médecine vasculaire, pôle cardiovasculaire et métabolique, CHU Rangueil, 1, avenue du Pr Jean-Poulhès, TSA 50032, 31059 Toulouse cedex 9, France. e.beraut@orange.fr
Cambou
J P
JP
Guilhem
J M
JM
Vaysse
N
N
Labro
S
S
Séverac
D
D
Boccalon
H
H
Bura-Rivière
A
A
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000809:Angiotensins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015331:Cohort Studies; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011725:Pyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012042:Registries; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000092502:Renin Inhibitors
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000809:Angiotensins; D001241:Aspirin; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D011725:Pyridines; D000092502:Renin Inhibitors; C446540:thienopyridine