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- Dellborg, M, et al.
(author)
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Changes in the use of medication after acute myocardial infarction : Possible impact on post-myocardial infarction mortality and long-term outcome
- 2001
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In: Coronary Artery Disease. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0954-6928 .- 1473-5830. ; 12:1, s. 61-67
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To describe the change in the use of medication after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and discuss its possible impact on risk and risk indicators for death. Patients: All patients discharged alive after hospitalization for AMI at Sahlgrenska Hospital (covering half the community of Goteborg, i.e. 250 000 of 500 000 inhabitants) during 1986-1987 (period I) and at Sahlgrenska Hospital and Ostra Hospital (covering the whole community of Goteborg, 500 000 inhabitants) during 1990-1991 (period II). Methods: Overall mortality was retrospectively evaluated during 5 years of follow-up. Results: In all, 740 patients were included in the study during period I and 1448 during period II. The 5-year mortalities were 44.1% for period I patients and 39.3% for period II patients (P = 0.036). The relative risk of death for period II patients was 0.78 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-0.89, P = 0.0005] after adjustment for differences at baseline. There was a significant interaction with a history of congestive heart failure; improvement in duration of survival was found only for patients without such a history. During period I, only 3% of patients were administered fibrinolytic agents, compared with 33% of patients during period II (P < 0.0001). During period I, aspirin was prescribed for 13% of patients discharged from hospital compared with 79% during period II. Other changes in treatment on going from period I to period II included increases in prescription of [beta]-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. After adjustment for various risk indicators for death, relative risk of death for those administered fibrinolytic agents was 0.60 (95% CI 0.18-2.02) for patients in the period-I cohort and 0.68% (95% CI 0.51-0.91) for those in the period-II cohort. Adjusted relative risk of death for those prescribed aspirin upon discharge from hospital was 0.81 (95% CI 0.52-1.25) for period-I patients and 0.71 (95% CI 0.56-0.91) for period-II patients. The adjusted relative risk of death for those administered [beta]-blockers was 0.72 (95% CI 0.55-0.96) for period-I patients and 0.70 (95% CI 0.55-0.90) for period-II patients. Conclusion: Increased use of fibrinolytic agents and aspirin for AMI as well as a moderate increase in use of [beta]-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors was associated with a parallel reduction in age-adjusted mortality during the 5 years after discharge from hospital. However, this improvement was seen only for patients without histories of congestive heart failure.
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| 2. |
- Erhardt, Leif RW, et al.
(author)
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Task force on the management of chest pain.
- 2002
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In: European Heart Journal. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1522-9645 .- 0195-668X. ; 23:15, s. 1153-1176
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Research review (peer-reviewed)
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| 7. |
- Friberg, H., et al.
(author)
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[Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest--a new link in the chain can save life]
- 2004
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In: Lakartidningen. - 0023-7205. ; 101:30-31, s. 2412-6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sudden, unexpected cardiac arrest is a common cause of death. Among patients who are successfully resuscitated, a majority dies without regaining consciousness. Therapeutic hypothermia has recently been shown to improve neurological outcome in two randomized studies and to improve survival in one of them. Based on the two studies, international evidence-based recommendations have been proposed and published (ILCOR). In this review we discuss the theoretical background of hypothermic neuroprotection and therapeutic implications. We propose that victims of cardiac arrest with return of spontaneous circulation and persistent unconsciousness are considered for hypothermia treatment and that data from treated patients are collected in a common website database (see: www.scctg.org) to allow further evaluation of the use of ICU resources, efficacy of hypothermia treatment and potential risks.
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| 8. |
- Gisslen, K, et al.
(author)
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Relationship between anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody determined with conventional binding and the capture assay, and long-term clinical course in vasculitis
- 2002
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In: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 1365-2796 .- 0954-6820. ; 251:2, s. 129-135
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives. To evaluate the relationship between anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) measured with two different methods and long-term clinical course in vasculitis. Design. Retrospective determination of ANCA with two different assays for detection of PR3-ANCA, conventional direct binding ELISA and capture ELISA using monoclonal antibodies against PR3. The 245 ANCA determinations were performed from frozen blood samples collected three to four times a year in each patient. Setting. Department of Nephrology at a Swedish University Hospital. Subjects. A total of 10 ANCA-positive patients with vasculitis caused by Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) or microscopic polyarteritis (MPA) and a very long follow-up time (mean 9 years, range 5-15.5 years). Results. The total number of episodes with active vasculitis was 29 and all of them (100%) were detected by the capture technique whilst the conventional technique detected 23 (79%). The mean number of episodes with active disease requiring treatment with steroids and cytotoxic drugs was three per patient (range 1-6). At the time of clinical relapse of the vasculitis disease. the ANCA titre using the capture technique was either increasing or showed a very high value in all cases. The pattern of capture ANCA response could be subdivided into three categories: a close (four patients), an intermediate (three patients), and no (three patients) relationship between capture ANCA level and long-term clinical course. Conclusion. Detection of PR3-ANCA by the capture ELISA showed a higher sensitivity than that obtained by the direct ELISA in diagnosing relapse during follow-up of patients with vasculitis. The specificity of the capture ANCA was, however, low. as high levels occurred in patients without clinical disease activity.
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| 9. |
- Hedner, J, et al.
(author)
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Sleep habits and their association with mortality during 5-year follow-up after coronary artery bypass surgery
- 2002
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In: Acta Cardiologica. - : La Societe Belge de Cardiologie. - 0001-5385 .- 1784-973X. ; 57:5, s. 341-348
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To study various aspects of sleep quality and sleep patterns prior to and after coronary artery bypass surgery and their implications for 5-year survival. METHODS: All patients from western Sweden who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) between 1988 and 1991 (n = 2,121) received a questionnaire addressing sleep habits prior to and I year after surgery. Various symptoms and habits related to sleep at the two evaluations were compared. Symptoms and habits related to sleep prior to CABG were then related to 5-year survival. RESULTS: In all, 1,224 patients took part in the evaluation. A highly significant improvement was observed with regard to the following symptoms and habits related to sleep: feeling refreshed upon awakening, feeling tired during daytime, waking up with headache, nightmares, sweating during night time, medication for pain relief at bedtime, involuntarily falling asleep during daytime, apnoea during sleep and mouth dryness during the night. Various symptoms and habits associated with sleep prior to CABG were generally not strongly related to prognosis. Exceptions were feeling refreshed upon awakening and infrequent consumption of pain relief medication at bedtime which both were associated with an improved long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: A variety of symptoms associated with sleep improve highly significantly after CABG. The occurrence of these symptoms prior to CABG do not generally seem to influence the long-term prognosis.
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| 10. |
- Herlitz, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Impact of a history of hypertension on symptoms and Quality of Life prior to and at five years after coronary artery bypass grafting
- 2000
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In: Blood Pressure. - : Informa Healthcare. - 0803-7051 .- 1651-1999. ; 9:1, s. 52-63
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIM: To describe symptoms and other aspects of health-related quality of life (QoL) prior to and 5 years after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in relation to a history of hypertension. METHODS: Patients who underwent CABG in western Sweden were approached prior to surgery and 5 years after the operation. Health-related QoL was estimated with the Physical Activity Score, the Nottingham Health Profile and the Psychological General Well-Being Index. RESULTS: In patients with a history of hypertension (n = 740) the 5-year mortality was 16.9% versus 12.4% among patients with no history (n = 1257; p = 0.004). Of 1717 patients available for the survey, 876 (51%) responded both prior to and 5 years after CABG. Of these, 36% had a history of hypertension. Compared with the situation prior to surgery there was an improvement in both hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients in terms of physical activity, symptoms of dyspnea and chest pain and other estimates of health-related QoL. However, physical activity and dyspnea improved less in hypertensive than in non-hypertensive patients. CONCLUSION: Five years after CABG, a marked and significant improvement in terms of symptoms and other aspects of health-related QoL was observed among both hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients. However, improvement in physical activity was less marked in patients with a history of hypertension. Overall, a history of hypertension seemed to have a minor impact on improved well-being 5 years after coronary surgery. However, because of the limited response rate the results may not be applicable in a non-selected CABG population.
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