Updating a Healthcare System-wide Clinical Pathway for Managing Chest Pain and Acute Coronary Syndromes.

Clinical pathways are useful tools for conveying and reinforcing best practices to standardize care and optimize patient outcomes across myriad conditions. The NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System has utilized a clinical chest pain pathway for more than 20 years to facilitate the timely recognition and management of patients presenting with chest pain syndromes and acute coronary syndromes. This chest pain pathway is regularly updated by an expanding group of key stakeholders, which has extended from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center to encompass the entire regional healthcare system, which includes 8 hospitals.

In COVID-19 Patients Who Suffer In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Outcomes May Be Impacted by Arrest Etiology and Local Pandemic Conditions.

Objectives: The utility and risks to providers of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation after in-hospital cardiac arrest in COVID-19 patients have been questioned. Additionally, there are discrepancies in reported COVID-19 in-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates. We describe outcomes after cardiopulmonary resuscitation for in-hospital cardiac arrest in two COVID-19 patient cohorts.

Ethical Framework to Guide Decisions of Treatment Over Objection.

Background: Whether to proceed with a medical intervention over the objection of a patient who lacks capacity is a common problem facing practitioners. Despite this, there is a notable gap in the literature describing how to proceed in such situations in an ethically rigorous and consistent fashion. We elaborate on the practical application of the 2018 Rubin and Prager 7-question algorithm for ethics consultations about treatment over objection and we describe the impact of each of the 7 questions.

Clinical Ethics Consultations during the COVID-19 Pandemic Surge at a New York City Medical Center.

The COVID-19 pandemic swept through New York City swiftly and with devastating effect. The crisis put enormous pressure on all hospital services, including the clinical ethics consultation team. This report describes the recent experience of the ethics consultants and Columbia University Irving Medical Center during the COVID-19 surge and compares the case load and characteristics to the corresponding period in 2019.

An Updated Healthcare System-Wide Clinical Pathway for Managing Patients With Chest Pain and Acute Coronary Syndromes.

Clinical pathways reinforce best practices and help healthcare institutions standardize care delivery. The NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center has used such a pathway for the management of patients with chest pain and acute coronary syndromes for almost 2 decades. A multidisciplinary panel of stakeholders serially updates the algorithm according to new data and recently published guidelines.

Association between bilirubin and mode of death in severe systolic heart failure.

The bilirubin level has been associated with worse outcomes, but it has not been studied as a predictor for the mode of death in patients with systolic heart failure. The Prospective Randomized Amlodipine Evaluation Study (PRAISE) cohort (including New York Heart Association class IIIB-IV patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <30%, n = 1,135) was analyzed, divided by bilirubin level: ≤0.6 mg/dl, group 1; >0.

Updating the chest pain algorithm: incorporating new evidence on emerging antiplatelet agents.

In 2008, we published our chest pain protocol for the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and acute myocardial infarction. Our algorithm was specifically designed for our institution, which includes primary percutaneous intervention (PCI) for all ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs) and a preferred invasive approach for non-STEMIs. Since 2008, there have been changes in the adjunctive pharmacotherapeutic armamentarium for PCI in both the STEMI and non-STEMI ACS context.

Uric acid level and allopurinol use as risk markers of mortality and morbidity in systolic heart failure.

Background: Previous studies have not extensively examined the association of hyperuricemia and adverse outcomes in systolic heart failure (HF) in relation to xanthine oxidase inhibitor therapy.

Methods: The Prospective Randomized Amlodipine Survival Evaluation study included New York Heart Association class IIIB or IV patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <30%. For analysis, the population was divided into uric acid quartiles among nonallopurinol users (2.

Updating the chest pain algorithm: incorporating new evidence.

In 2003, we published our chest pain protocol for the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) and acute myocardial infarction. Our algorithm was specifically designed for our institution, which was primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for all ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs) and a preferred invasive approach for non-STEMIs. Since 2003, there have been numerous changes in the adjunctive pharmacotherapeutic armamentarium for PCI in both the STEMI and non-STEMI ACS context.

Diuretic resistance predicts mortality in patients with advanced heart failure.

Background: In patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), diuretic requirements increase as the disease progresses. Because diuretic resistance can be overcome with escalating doses, the evaluation of CHF severity and prognosis may be incomplete without considering the intensity of therapy.

Methods: The prognostic importance of diuretic resistance (as evidenced by a high-dose requirement) was retrospectively evaluated in 1153 patients with advanced CHF who were enrolled in the Prospective Randomized Amlodipine Survival Evaluation (PRAISE).