Optimizing the early treatment of a threatening myocardial infarction

Acute myocardial infarction is the single most common cause of death for both women and men in Sweden. Great efforts have, over the years, been made to improve immediate treatment and care of acute coronary syndromes. Through fast and efficient chest pain care we know that we can minimize myocardial damage and improve outcome and prognosis. In this thesis we have focused on the early chain of care in patients with a threatening myocardial infarction. In five papers we describe chest pain care in our community with regard to the gender-, the foreign-, the age and the comorbidity perspective. We have also investigated predictors of direct admittance to a coronary care unit and predictors of mortality. Regarding the gender perspective, women with chest pain were older as compared to men. Women were not admitted to a coronary care unit as often as men and there were longer delays to the right level of care and to performance of coronary angiography among women. However, a final acute coronary syndrome diagnosis was more common in the male group. Among women, who actually had an acute coronary syndrome and were admitted to a coronary care unit, gender differences were minor or even non-existent. In non-Swedish speaking chest pain patients we found a higher prevalence of diabetes and previous stroke, placing them at increased risk also for coronary heart disease. Poorer language proficiency was associated with longer delay time from arrival in hospital to admission to a coronary care unit or catheterization laboratory. Maybe this prolonged delay is due to communication difficulties and there could be room for improvements by increased use of interpreters. The strongest predictor for admittance to a coronary care unit was a prehospital ECG suggesting acute occlusion of a coronary vessel. Interestingly, these patients had lower 1-year mortality. The future challenge is to improve early cardiac care for the large infarction-group with poor prognosis but without such alarming ECG signs. In the municipality of Gothenburg there are three hospitals offering emergency care for chest pain patients. In our studies we found differences between these hospitals especially with regard to delays to coronary angiography in presumed acute coronary syndrome patients. Our data highlight logistical problems that our health care system has to deal with in order to improve chest pain care and to follow current guidelines. Hopefully our findings will improve the early treatment of a threatening myocardial infarction and hopefully other communities can learn from our experience. Our goal is an efficient and equitable chest pain care despite age, gender, ethnicity and geographical belongings

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation after acute myocardial infarction in Sweden - standards, costs, and adherence to European guidelines (The Perfect-CR study)

Aims Information on standards including structure- and process-based metrics and how exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (EBCR) is delivered in relation to guidelines is lacking. The aims of the study were to evaluate standards and adherence to guidelines at Swedish CR centers and to conduct a cost analysis of the physiotherapy-related activities of EBCR. Methods and Results EBCR standards at all 78 CR centers in Sweden in 2016 were surveyed. The questions were based on guideline-recommended core components of EBCR for patients after a myocardial infarction (MI). The cost analysis included the identification, quantification, and valuation of EBCR-related cost items. Patients were offered a pre-discharge consultation with a physiotherapist at n = 61, 78% of the centers. A pre-exercise screening visit was routinely offered at n = 64, 82% of the centers, at which a test of aerobic capacity was offered in n = 58, 91% of cases, most often as a cycle ergometer exercise test n = 55, 86%. A post-exercise assessment was offered at n = 44, 56% of the centers, with a functional test performed at n = 30, 68%. Almost all the centers n = 76, 97% offered supervised EBCR programs. The total cost of delivering physiotherapy-related activities of EBCR according to guidelines was approximately 437 euro (4,371 SEK) per patient. Delivering EBCR to one MI patient required 11.25 hours of physiotherapy time. Conclusion While the overall quality of EBCR programs in Sweden is high, there are several areas of potential improvement to reach the recommended European standards across all centers. To improve the quality of EBCR, further compliance with guidelines is warranted.Funding Agencies|Amgen; Swedish Heart and Lung Association; Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation; Astra Zeneca; Swedish Society of Cardiology; Faculty of Medicine at Lund University; FORTE</p

Is early treatment of acute chest pain provided sooner to patients who speak the national language?

Objective Identify differences in the early treatment of acute chest pain patients with regard to the language proficiency of patients and thus identify opportunities for improving equity in cardiac care. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study comparing care delivered to Swedish-speaking (SS) and non-Swedish-speaking (NSS) patients. Setting A Swedish university hospital that provides highly specialized care to 1.6 million inhabitants. Participants All patients with acute chest pain or symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome who sought care between mid-September and mid-December 2008 (2588 visits). Missing data on the patient group to which study subjects belonged were 2% (45 visits). NSS represented 8% of the 2543 visits (NSS = 2334; NNSS = 209). Main Outcome Measure(s) Delay times from arrival in hospital to admission to catheterization laboratory or ward (ΔTHOSP-PCI), first physical contact to first electrocardiogram (ΔTCONTACT-ECG), first physical contact to first aspirin (ΔTCONTACT-ASA) and arrival in hospital to coronary angiography (ΔTHOSP-ANGIO). Also included baseline characteristics of patients, diagnosis and findings in hospital and secondary preventive activities. Results The median ΔTHOSP-PCI was longer for NSS by 43 min [254 versus 211, 95% confidence interval (CI), odds ratio (OR) = (1.3; 2.8)]. The median ΔTCONTACT-ECG and ΔTHOSP-ANGIO were longer for NSS by 4 min [17 versus 13, 95% CI, OR = (0.8; 1.8)] and 14 h [44 versus 30, 95% CI, OR = (0.6; 3.6)], respectively. Conversely, the median ΔTCONTACT-ASA was longer for SS by 20 min [81 versus 61, 95% CI, OR = (0.3; 1.6)]. Conclusions Poorer language proficiency was associated with longer delay time from arrival in hospital to admission to catheterization laboratory or ward. No other delay times were found to be statistically significantly different with respect to the language proficiency of patients

Inequalities in the early treatment of women and men with acute chest pain?

Abstract PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify sex differences in the early chain of care for patients with chest pain. DESIGN: This is a retrospective study performed at 3 centers including all patients admitted to the emergency department because of chest pain, during a 3-month period in 2008, in the municipality of Göteborg. Chest pain or discomfort in the chest was the only inclusion criterion. There were no exclusion criteria. DATA SOURCES: Data were retrospectively collected from ambulance and medical records and electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, and laboratory databases. MAIN FINDINGS: A total of 2588 visits (1248 women and 1340 men) made by 2393 patients were included. When adjusting for baseline variables, female sex was significantly associated with a prolonged delay time (defined as above median) between (a) admission to hospital and admission to a hospital ward (odds ratio [OR], 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25-2.03), (b) first physical contact and first dose of aspirin (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.30-3.82), and (c) admission to hospital and coronary angiography (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.29-5.13). Delay time to the first ECG recording did not differ significantly between women and men. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS: Among patients hospitalized due to chest pain, when adjusting for differences at baseline, female sex was associated with a prolonged delay time until admission to a hospital ward, to administration of aspirin, and to performing a coronary angiography. There was no difference in delay to the first ECG recording

Chain of care in chest pain - Differences between three hospitals in an urban area.

AIM: To describe differences in treatment and delay times in acute chest pain at the three hospitals in G\uf6teborg, Sweden. METHODS: All patients admitted to the three hospitals within Sahlgrenska University (SU) (Sahlgrenska: SU/S, 6stra: SU/ 6 and M\uf6lndal: SU/M) with acute chest pain during 3months in 2008 were evaluated for diagnosis, early treatment and outcome. RESULTS: In all, 2588 visits by 2393 patients were included (visits n=1253 SU/S; n=853 SU/ 6; n=482 SU/M) of which 50%, 63% and 51% were hospitalised (

The remote exercise SWEDEHEART study–Rationale and design of a multicenter registry-based cluster randomized crossover clinical trial (RRCT)

Background: Despite proven benefits of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (EBCR), few patients with myocardial infarction (MI) participate in and complete these programs. Study design and objectives: The Remote Exercise SWEDEHEART study is a large multicenter registry-based cluster randomized crossover clinical trial with a planned enrollment of 1500 patients with a recent MI. Patients at intervention centers will be offered supervised EBCR, either delivered remotely, center-based or as a combination of both modes, as self-preferred choice. At control centers, patients will be offered supervised center-based EBCR, only. The duration of each time period (intervention/control) for each center will be 15 months and then cross-over occurs. The primary aim is to evaluate if remotely delivered EBCR, offered as an alternative to center-based EBCR, can increase participation in EBCR sessions. The proportion completers in each group will be presented in a supportive responder analysis. The key secondary aim is to investigate if remote EBCR is as least as effective as center-based EBCR, in terms of physical fitness and patient-reported outcome measures. Follow-up of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular- and all-cause mortality, recurrent hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome, heart failure hospitalization, stroke, and coronary revascularization) will be performed at 1 and 3 years. Safety monitoring of serious adverse events will be registered, and a cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted to estimate the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) associated with the intervention compared with control. Conclusions: The cluster randomized crossover clinical trial Remote Exercise SWEDEHEART study is evaluating if participation in EBCR sessions can be increased, which may contribute to health benefits both on a group level and for individual patients including a more equal access to health care. Trial registration: The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.go

Prevalence of angina pectoris and association with coronary atherosclerosis in a general population

Objective: To assess the contemporary prevalence of, and factors associated with angina pectoris symptoms, and to examine the relationship to coronary atherosclerosis in a middle-aged, general population. Methods: Data were based on the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS), in which 30 154 individuals were randomly recruited from the general population between 2013 and 2018. Participants that completed the Rose Angina Questionnaire were included and categorised as angina or no angina. Subjects with a valid coronary CT angiography (CCTA) were categorised by degree of coronary atherosclerosis; ≥50% obstruction (obstructive coronary atherosclerosis), &lt;50% obstruction or any atheromatosis (non-obstructive coronary atherosclerosis) or none (no coronary atherosclerosis). Results: The study population consisted of 28 974 questionnaire responders (median age 57.4 years, female 51.6%, hypertension 19.9%, hyperlipidaemia 7.9%, diabetes mellitus 3.7%), of which 1025 (3.5%) fulfilled the criteria of angina. Coronary atherosclerosis was more common in individuals having angina compared with those with no angina (n=24 602, obstructive coronary atherosclerosis 11.8% vs 5.4%, non-obstructive coronary atherosclerosis 38.9% vs 37.0%, no coronary atherosclerosis 49.4% vs 57.7%, all p&lt;0.001). Factors independently associated with angina were birthplace outside of Sweden (OR 2.58 (95% CI 2.10 to 2.92)), low educational level (OR 1.41 (1.10 to 1.79)), unemployment (OR 1.51 (1.27 to 1.81)), poor economic status (OR 1.85 (1.38 to 2.47)), symptoms of depression (OR 1.63 (1.38 to 1.92)) and high degree of stress (OR 2.92 (1.80 to 4.73)). Conclusion: Angina pectoris symptoms are common (3.5%) among middle-aged individuals of the general population of Sweden, though with low association to obstructive coronary atherosclerosis. Sociodemographic and psychological factors are highly associated with angina symptoms, irrespective of degree of coronary atherosclerosis

Association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and coronary atherosclerosis in a general middle-aged population

Abstract Despite abundant knowledge about the relationship between inflammation and coronary atherosclerosis, it is still unknown whether systemic inflammation measured as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is associated with coronary atherosclerosis in a general population. This study aimed to examine the association between hsCRP and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)-detected coronary atherosclerosis in a population-based cohort. Out of 30,154 randomly invited men and women aged 50 to 64 years in the Swedish Cardiopulmonary Bioimage Study (SCAPIS), 25,408 had a technically acceptable CCTA and analysed hsCRP. Coronary atherosclerosis was defined as presence of plaque of any degree in any of 18 coronary segments. HsCRP values were categorised in four groups. Compared with hsCRP below the detection limit, elevated hsCRP (≥ 2.3 mg/L) was weakly associated with any coronary atherosclerosis (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.07–1.24), coronary diameter stenosis ≥ 50% (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09–1.47), ≥ 4 segments involved (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01–1.26 ) and severe atherosclerosis (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.05–1.69) after adjustment for age, sex and traditional risk factors. The associations were attenuated after further adjustment for body mass index (BMI), although elevated hsCRP still associated with noncalcified plaques (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02–1.32), proposed to be more vulnerable. In conclusion, the additional value of hsCRP to traditional risk factors in detection of coronary atherosclerosis is low. The association to high-risk noncalcified plaques, although unlikely through a causal pathway, could explain the relationship between hsCRP and clinical coronary events in numerous studies