Evidence-based guidelines call for advanced and definitive therapy for patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). It is not known whether these guidelines are follow more diligently when patients arrive in the ED during regular hours, during which hospital resources including cardiology consultation may be more readily available. To determine whether patients with NSTEMI who present to the ED outside of usual hours have prolonged times to advanced and definitive therapy and poorer short-term outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The efficacy of enoxaparin sodium in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes is well established; however, concerns remain regarding bleeding risk. The extent to which bleeding risk is attributable to excess dosing of enoxaparin is unclear.
Methods: Using data from the CRUSADE (Can Rapid Risk Stratification of Unstable Angina Patients Suppress Adverse Outcomes With Early Implementation of the ACC/AHA Guidelines) National Quality Improvement Initiative, we determined the frequency of administration of excess (>10 mg above the recommended dose), lower-than-recommended (>10 mg below the recommended dose), and recommended doses of enoxaparin.