title: A shift in coronary care unit patient population: Ten year experience from an urban tertiary care center.
abstract: The need for cardiovascular expertise in the treatment of advanced heart failure (AHF), malignant arrhythmias, and structural heart disease has shifted the role of the CCU to a more diverse and medically complex patient population. This study's purpose was to analyze the temporal trends in the principal diagnosis leading to admission to the CCU in a tertiary referral hospital. Over the last 15 years, the CCU has evolved from a medical unit strictly focusing on the care of patients with ACS to an advanced cardiac intensive care unit. The trends observed at our center provide further evidence that today's CCU contains a broader, more complex, critically-ill patient population.
authors: a MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, MedStar Washington Hospital Center , Washington , DC , USA.
authors: Joseph M
authors: JM
authors: Krepp
authors: b University of California San Diego , Division of Cardiac Electrophysiology , San Diego , CA , USA.
authors: Shrinivas
authors: S
authors: Hebsur
authors: c Division of Cardiology, Westchester Medical Center , Valhalla , NY , USA.
authors: Julio A
authors: JA
authors: Panza
authors: c Division of Cardiology, Westchester Medical Center , Valhalla , NY , USA.
authors: Howard A
authors: HA
authors: Cooper
authors: a MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, MedStar Washington Hospital Center , Washington , DC , USA.
authors: Federico M
authors: FM
authors: Asch
mesh_terms: D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Coronary care unit; acute coronary syndrome; admission trends; valvular heart disease