阵发性心房颤动导管射频消融的护理

本文报告了2例阵发性心房颤动导管射频消融肺静脉电隔离术的围术期护理.介入治疗前有针对性地做好心理护理,落实各项术前准备措施;术中医护密切配合;术后即刻护理,密切监测患者生命体征,术后健康指导和并发症的观察与处理是围术期护理的关键.     

Anticoagulant treatment of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation in primary health care in Sweden--a retrospective study of incidence and quality in a registered population

BACKGROUND: The number of patients receiving anticoagulant treatment is increasing. Chronic atrial fibrillation is the most common treatment diagnosis. The literature indicates a variable level of treatment control. Estimates of time within the therapeutic range have been recommended as a measurement of quality. Electronic patient records are providing clinical data that are useful for audits concerning anticoagulant treatment in real-life practice. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess warfarin treatment for chronic atrial fibrillation in primary health care with regard to prevalence, incidence and quality. METHODS: A 2 year retrospective study was carried out of electronic patient records up to April 2002 in primary health care in Stockholm, including 12 primary health care centres with a registered population of 203 407. Main outcome measures were the number of new patients on wafarin treatment for chronic atrial fibrillation, and time within the therapeutic prothrombin range in the first 90 days of treatment using a linear interpolation method. RESULTS: In total, 827 patients were on warfarin treatment for chronic atrial fibrillation, giving a prevalence of 0.41%. Of these, 144 patients (study group) started treatment with warfarin for chronic atrial fibrillation during the study period, giving a yearly incidence of 0.07%. Their mean age was 73.1 years and 61.1% were men. There were 1721 prothrombin monitoring episodes registered in the first 90 days of treatment, on average once a week per patient. The average proportion of time within the therapeutic range was 54.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 50.1-58.1), and the proportion of therapeutic tests was 50.2% (95% CI 47.8-52.6). CONCLUSIONS: During the first, second and third months of warfarin treatment for chronic atrial fibrillation, patients were outside the therapeutic range time nearly half the time. There was a gender difference favouring men regarding initiation of treatment.     

老年人房颤的动态心电图特点及病因分析

目的:分析老年人房颤的动态心电图特点及病因.方法:回顾分析300例心电图和临床资料.结果:心电图特点,粗波型房颤87例(29%)(f波振幅＞0.10mv)多见于风心病,细波型房颤213例(71%)(f波振幅≤0.10mv)多见于冠心病,同时合并出现长R-R间距(＞146ms)189例,143例(47.7%)出现室性早搏.房颤病因:冠心病132例(44%),风湿性心脏病97例(32.3%),脑栓塞38例(12.7%).结论:老年人冠心病和风心病是引起房颤的主要原因,其中细波型房颤多见于冠心病,粗波型房颤多见风心病.     

Outcomes and the quality of care for patients hospitalized with heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether process quality indicators derived from evidence-based guidelines for heart failure patients were associated with outcome indicators (hospital mortality and readmissions). DESIGN: A retrospective cohort-study among patients discharged with a primary or secondary International Classification of Disease, 10th revision (ICD-10) heart failure code from 1 January to 31 December 1999. SETTING: The study was implemented in three Swiss academic medical centers. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: Records of 1634 patients hospitalized with heart failure were abstracted. Demographic characteristics, risk factors, symptoms and findings at admission, and discharge characteristics were recorded. Main outcome measure. Process quality indicators were derived from evidence-based guidelines, related to appropriate management and treatment of heart failure patients. Hospital mortality was measured in a chart abstraction process. Thirty-day readmissions were calculated using administrative data from hospitals. RESULTS: Among the three hospitals, 1153 patients with heart failure were eligible for this study. Mean age was 75.3 years (standard deviation 12.7) and 45.7% of patients were female. Ventricular function (VF) was determined in 69% of patients. The adjusted odds-ratios (OR) for the VF not determined were 1.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-2.84] for hospital mortality and 0.75 (95% CI 0.47-1.18) for 30-day readmissions. Among patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and no contraindication to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), 54% were prescribed target-dose ACEI or angiotensin receptor blockers at discharge, 32% received ACEI at less then target dose, and 14% received no ACEI at discharge. Adjusted ORs (95% CI) for readmissions were 0.89 (0.28-2.84) for no ACEI and 1.17 (0.56-2.43) for less than target ACEI compared with target dose. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with heart failure, the determination of VF was associated with hospital mortality. However, process indicators derived from evidence-based guidelines were not related to early readmissions in three Swiss university hospitals.     

老年慢性房颤患者抗栓治疗调查研究

目的探讨老年慢性房颤患者脑卒中预防。方法对我院就诊的老年慢性房颤患者资料进行随访调查,对比服用华法林和阿斯匹林药物后,患者缺血性脑卒中及脑出血并发症的发生率。结果华法林组缺血性脑卒中发病率同阿司匹林组比较显著下降;华法林组与阿司匹林组并发非致死性出血机率无统计学差异。结论对于老年慢性房颤患者缺血性脑卒中的预防,华法林比阿司匹林效果明显。     

Management of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition of genuine clinical concern. This arrhythmia increases patient morbidity and mortality, most notably due to stroke, thromboembolism and heart failure. Consequentially, there is a strong impetus to acquire a greater understanding of its natural history and course in order to provide crucial evidence-based treatment and resource allocation in the future. The objective of this review article is to present a concise overview of the management of AF, with reference to the recent evidence-based National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) National Clinical Guidelines for the management of AF.     

128例老年心房颤动伴R-R长间隔临床分析

目的探讨老年心房颤动伴动态心电图长R-R间隔的临床意义。方法回顾性对128例老年患者多年记录的24hHolter报告追踪调查分析。结果128例老年心房颤动中发生长R-R间隔≥2.0s共23685次,最长R-R间隔为5.32s。患者记录中均无自觉症状。临床追随最短1年,最长11年,无1例发生严重不良后果。结论老年心房颤动如伴长R-R间隔<5.0s,且出现在夜间;临床证实无心肌病、心肌梗死、心力衰竭,心脏不大;无头晕、黑蒙、晕厥等症状;则允许临床追随观察,不必急于安装永久性起搏器。     

Comparison of hospital length of stay between hospitalized non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients treated with either apixaban or warfarin

Background. Hospital length of stay (LOS) is an important cost driver for hospitals and payers alike. Hospitalized non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients treated with apixaban may have shorter LOS than those treated with warfarin because of the absence of need for INR monitoring in apixaban. Thus, this study compared hospital LOS between hospitalized NVAF patients treated with either apixaban or warfarin. Methods. This was a retrospective, observational cohort study based on a large US database including diagnosis, procedure, and drug administration information from >600 acute-care hospitals. Patients selected for study were aged ≥18 years and had a hospitalization record with an ICD-9-CM diagnosis code for atrial fibrillation (AF) in any position from 1 January 2013 to 28 February 2014 (index hospitalization). Patients with diagnoses indicative of rheumatic mitral valvular heart disease or a valve replacement procedure during index hospitalization were excluded. Patients were required to have been treated with either apixaban or warfarin, and not treated with rivaroxaban or dabigatran, during index hospitalization. Apixaban patients were propensity score (PS) matched to warfarin patients at a 1:1 ratio, using patient demographic/clinical and hospital characteristics. The study outcome was hospital LOS, calculated as discharge date minus admission date; a sensitivity analysis calculated hospital LOS as discharge date minus first anticoagulant administration date. Sub-analyses were conducted among patients with a primary diagnosis of AF. Results. The study included 832 apixaban patients matched to 832 warfarin patients. Mean [standard deviation (SD)] and median hospital LOS were significantly (p < 0.001) shorter in apixaban patients (4.5 [4.2] and 3 days) than in warfarin patients (5.4 [5.0] and 4). Results were consistent in the sensitivity and sub-analyses. Conclusions. Among NVAF patients, apixaban treatment was associated with shorter hospital LOS when compared with warfarin treatment. These findings may have important clinical and economic implications for hospitals, payers, and patients.     

Use of oral anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation is highly variable and only weakly associated with estimated stroke risk: Cross-sectional population database study

Background: Current international guidelines promote the use of stroke risk stratification tools to inform decision making about oral anticoagulant (OAC) use in atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objectives: To examine (a) differences between CHADS₂ and CHA₂DS₂VASc in classifying stroke risk in a primary care population of AF patients; (b) patterns of use of antithrombotics by stroke risk; and (c) patient and practice characteristics associated with use of oral anticoagulants in patients with AF.

Methods: Cross-sectional multilevel modelling study of all patients with AF and without rheumatic heart disease or valve replacement (n = 21 564) from 315 Scottish General Practices.

Results: (a) CHADS₂ characterized 30.3% in the intermediate and 53.8% in the high-risk category, compared to CHA₂DS₂VASC only 9.7% intermediate and 85.1% high-risk. (b) Of included patients, 17.8% were currently not prescribed any antithrombotic and 43.3% were on OAC. OAC use was only weakly related to stroke risk. (c) Patients with paroxysmal AF and those with dementia and previous peptic ulcer (adjusted ORs 0.26, 0.25 and 0.79) were less likely to be prescribed OAC. OAC use varied over five-fold between practices after adjustment for patient case mix, with remote and non-training practices and those with high levels of high-risk prescribing being more likely to prescribe OAC.

Conclusion: Evidence was found of both underuse and overuse of OAC in patients with AF. Promoting instruments for stroke risk assessment in AF is a plausible but untested strategy to improve decision making in AF, and its impact on OAC prescribing and patient outcomes should be evaluated in pragmatic trials.     

Readmissions and the quality of care in patients hospitalized with heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical practice guidelines based on the results of randomized clinical trials recommend that patients with heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) be treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) at doses shown to reduce mortality and readmission. This study examined the relationship between ACEI use at discharge and readmission among patients with heart failure due to LVSD. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were abstracted from the medical records of 2943 randomly selected patients hospitalized for heart failure in 50 hospitals. The outcome of interest was the number of readmissions occurring up to 21 months after discharge. Six-hundred and eleven patients were eligible for analysis. Compared with patients discharged at a recommended ACEI dose, patients not prescribed an ACEI at discharge had an adjusted rate ratio of readmission (RR) of 1.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-2.48], while patients prescribed an ACEI at less than a recommended dose had an RR of 1.24 (95% CI 0.91-1.69) (P = 0.005 for the trend). CONCLUSION: Our results show that ACEI use at discharge in patients with LVSD is associated with decreased rate of readmission. These findings suggest that compliance with the ACEI prescribing recommendations listed in clinical practice guidelines for patients with heart failure due to LVSD confers benefit.     

Depression as a risk factor for nursing home admission among older individuals

OBJECTIVES: Depression is common among those aged 65 and older and has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study investigated whether individuals enrolled in Medicare+Choice with symptoms of depression as measured using the mental health scale from the SF-36 were at increased risk of using nursing home services. DESIGN: A Cox proportional hazards model was used. SETTING: The study investigated community-based adults aged 65 and older. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were individuals aged 65 years and older enrolled in Medicare+Choice who responded to the Health Outcomes Survey and were not institutionalized or incapable of responding for themselves at the time of survey administration. MEASUREMENTS: The purpose of the study was to predict the risk of admission to a nursing home over time, controlling for variables related to demographics, comorbidity, age, and functional status. RESULTS: The results indicated that, even after controlling for physical health, functional status, age, demographics, and socioeconomic status, Medicare+Choice enrollees over the age of 65 experiencing symptoms of depression as identified by the SF-36 are at increased risk of using nursing home services. CONCLUSIONS: These results have implications for payers of nursing home services such as Medicare and Medicaid as well as for providers and the families of older individuals. While the results do not prove that prevention is possible, they do suggest that better identification and treatment of depression reduce the risk of nursing home admission. Even if nursing home placement cannot be avoided, it is possible that the individual's quality of life could be significantly enhanced by better diagnosis and treatment of depression. These findings have implications beyond the Medicare+Choice population.     

Preventing stroke in people with atrial fibrillation: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The annual stroke rate in atrial fibrillation is around 5 per cent with increased risk in those with hypertension, diabetes, left ventricular dysfunction and other cardiovascular risk factors. This study set out to identify the patients with atrial fibrillation and modifiable risk factors for stroke. METHOD: Analysis of practice computer data taken from eight general practices (81 811 patients) in the south of England. 944 patients with a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, of whom 782 (82.8 percent) were aged 65 years and over. RESULTS: The age standardised prevalence of diagnosed atrial fibrillation was 1.23 per cent (1.28 percent for men and 1.18 percent for women). It was much more prevalent in the older population, 8.28 percent and 6.66 percent for males and females over 65, respectively. Cardiovascular co-morbidities were more frequent with increasing age. Blood pressure (BP) was recorded in over 95 per cent of patients with atrial fibrillation though there was scope for improving control; 25 per cent of men and 31 per cent women had a BP over 150/90. Inconsistent recording of ECG and echocardiography made it hard to identify patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Forty six percent of men and 37 percent of women were either being prescribed Warfarin, or had contraindications to its use; of those on Warfarin 75.9 percent have an international normalized ratio in range. Forty four per cent were treated with aspirin. People at high risk of stroke were no more likely to be treated with Warfarin or aspirin than those at moderate risk. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of use of Warfarin remains low, and there is scope for better recording and management of risk factors particularly BP.     

阵发性心房颤动经射频导管消融恢复窦性心律与药物控制心室率对生活质量影响的对比研究

目的比较阵发性心房颤动经射频导管消融恢复窦性心律与药物控制心室率对患者生活质量影响。方法 60例阵发性房颤患者,平均年龄(45．6±15．1)岁,其中30例经肺静脉导管消融治疗恢复窦性心律,其余30例给予β受体拮抗剂和／或钙离子通道拮抗剂和/或洋地黄类药物控制患者的心室率在静息状态下≤80次／min,平均随访时间(10±20)个月,根据SF-36生活质量评价方案对两组患者的生活质量进行评价。结果导管消融恢复窦性心律治疗组患者的生活质量评价积分高于药物控制心室率治疗组(P<0．05)。结论经肺静脉导管消融治疗阵发性心房颤动较药物控制心室率能显著改善患者的生活质量。     

Influence of primary care on breast cancer outcomes among medicare beneficiaries

PURPOSE We used the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database to explore the association between primary care and breast cancer outcomes. METHODS Using a retrospective cohort study of 105,105 female Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of breast cancer in SEER registries during the years 1994-2005, we examined the total number of office visits to primary care physicians and non-primary care physicians in a 24-month period before cancer diagnosis. For women with invasive cancers, we examined the odds of diagnosis of late-stage disease, according to the American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) (stages III and IV vs stages I and II), and survival (breast cancer specific and all cause) using logistic regression and proportional hazards models, respectively. We also explored whether including noninvasive cancers, such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), would alter results and whether prior mammography was a potential mediator of associations. RESULTS Primary care physician visits were associated with improved breast cancer outcomes, including greater use of mammography, reduced odds of late-stage diagnosis, and lower breast cancer and overall mortality. Prior mammography (and resultant earlier stage diagnosis) mediated these associations in part, but not completely. Similar results were seen for non-primary care physician visits. Results were similar when women with DCIS were included in the analysis. CONCLUSIONS Medicare beneficiaries with breast cancer had better outcomes if they made greater use of a primary care physician's ambulatory services. These findings suggest adequate primary medical care may be an important factor in achieving optimal breast cancer outcomes.     

Variations in the quality of care of patients with acute myocardial infarction among Swiss university hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to assess hospital variations in the quality of care delivered to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients among three Swiss academic medical centres. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Three Swiss university hospitals. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: We selected 1129 eligible patients discharged from these hospitals from 1 January to 31 December 1999, with a primary or secondary diagnosis code [International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10)] of AMI. We abstracted medical records for information on demographic characteristics, risk factors, symptoms, and findings at admission. We also recorded the main ECG and laboratory findings, as well as hospital and discharge management and treatment. We excluded patients transferred to another hospital and who did not meet the clinical definition of AMI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percentage of patients receiving appropriate intervention as defined by six quality of care indicators derived from clinical practical guidelines. RESULTS: Among 577 eligible patients with AMI in this study, the mean (SD) age was 68.2 (13.9), and 65% were male. In the assessment of the quality indicators we excluded patients who were not eligible for the procedure. Among cohorts of 'ideal candidates' for specific interventions, 64% in hospital A and 73% in hospital C had reperfusion within 12 hours either with thrombolytics or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (P = 0.367). Further, in hospitals A, B, and C, respectively 97, 94, and 84% were prescribed aspirin during the initial hospitalization (P = 0.0002), and respectively 68, 91, and 75% received angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors at discharge in the case of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed important hospital-to-hospital variations in the quality of care provided to patients with AMI between these three university hospitals.     

冠状动脉造影对心房颤动患者的冠心病诊断价值

目的用冠状动脉造影(冠造)比较心房颤动(房颤)患者冠心病诊断的准确性。方法87例房颤患者包括阵发性房颤56例，持续性房颤31例，均行冠造检查，通过房颤患者冠脉狭窄的分布．评价两者冠心病的诊断价值。结果(1)87例心电图有缺血型ST-T改变36例中，阵发性房颤20例．冠造示冠脉有不同程度狭窄者8例(40．0％)；持续性房颤16例．冠造示不同程度冠脉狭窄者10例(62．5％)。(2)冠脉造影对房颤病因冠心病的诊断价值：阵发性房颤56例中确诊为冠心病者4例(7.1％)；持续性房颤31例中确诊为冠心病者16例(51．6％)。结论冠造诊断价值可靠、准确；房颤患者不能单凭房颤诊断冠心病。