Diagnosis and treatment of acute myocardial infarction in tertiary and secondary care hospitals in Estonia

Abstract

Aim: To compare validity of AMI diagnosis and treatment of AMI patients between tertiary and secondary care hospitals in Estonia.

Methods: Two tertiary and seven secondary care hospitals responsible for the treatment of most AMI patients in Estonia were included in the analysis. A random sample of 520 patients admitted to these hospitals with AMI in 2001 was taken from the Estonian Health Insurance Fund database. Medical records were reviewed by trained experts using a standardized data collection form.

Results: Forty cases were excluded due to selection errors by the Health Insurance Fund. Of the remaining cases, a diagnosis of AMI was confirmed in 93.3% of cases in tertiary care hospitals and in 83.5% of cases in secondary care hospitals (p < 0.001). A total of 210 cases from tertiary and 213 cases from secondary care hospitals with confirmed AMI diagnoses were included in subsequent analysis. Utilization of beta-blockers, aspirin, and reperfusion therapy was similar in both types of hospitals. In tertiary care hospitals, ACE inhibitors and statins were more frequently used during hospital stay and recommended at discharge compared with secondary care hospitals. In-hospital mortality was similar in both types of hospitals both before and after adjustment.

Conclusions: Tertiary care physicians adhered more strictly to the current definition and guidelines for the management of AMI than did secondary care physicians. However, there is still a need for further improvement in both hospital settings according to international guidelines.