Revascularization and heart attack outcomes.

Objectives: This article focuses on rates of revascularization and mortality among people admitted to hospital after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Data Source: The hospital data are from the Person-oriented information Database. Information on deaths is from the Canadian Mortality Database.

Analytical Techniques: Hospital records for Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia were linked to identify AMI patients admitted between April 1, 1995 and March 31, 1996. Patients with no admission for AMI in the previous 12 months were followed for one year to determine what percentage underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and/or coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The risk of being revascularized and the risk of dying were estimated.

Main Results: In the year after hospitalization, 25% of AMI patients were revascularized. Rates of revascularization were relatively low for women, very elderly people, and individuals with other health problems. Revascularization was significantly associated with a lower risk of dying for male, but not female, AMI patients.