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Early reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction has been shown to reduce myocardial damage and to improve prognosis. The goals of this study, the Olten Cardiac Emergency Study, were to identify the factors, related to the patients or to the emergency medical services, which influenced pre-hospital delay in patients with symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction. From November 1, 1992, to June 15, 1993, all the events occurring between symptom onset and hospital discharge where analyzed for 341 such patients who were cared for by the emergency networks connected with the Cantonal Hospital, Olten: in addition, follow-up at 3 months was obtained on all patients discharged alive. Of the 341 patients, 14 (4.1%) died out of the hospital. The final diagnoses of the 327 patients admitted to the emergency department were: acute myocardial infarction 18.3%; unstable angina 10.1%; stable angina 3.4%; non-ischemic cardiac diseases 29.4%; other non-cardiac diseases 38.8%. Mean delay between symptom onset and arrival at the hospital was 8 h 55 min (median delay 4 h 10 min); for patients with a final diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, mean delay was 9 h 43 min (median delay 5 h 10 min). Patient delay was surprisingly long and represented 70.4% of the total pre-hospital delay; 56.6% of the patients did not realize that their symptoms were serious and only 47.1% (and 68.3% of the patients with acute myocardial infarction) came to the hospital by ambulance. These long pre-hospital delays were responsible for the low (13.3%) thrombolysis rate of patients with acute myocardial infarction. We conclude that pre-hospital delay was much too long in our population. Improvements can only be achieved through patient education and better efficiency of emergency networks. Our findings underline the need for public education campaigns on heart attacks.

Study Objectives: To compare diagnostic strategies for the emergency assessment of patients with suspected acute thoracic aortic dissection and to measure the effect of delays related to the availability of these tests on the selection of the most appropriate one., Methods: We carried out a decision analysis representing the risks of performing one or two sequential tests, the tests' accuracy, the risks and benefits of treatment, and the time-dependent mortality rate in untreated patients with dissection (1%/hour). Data were drawn from a Medline search. Our subjects were patients who presented to the emergency department with chest pain in whom acute thoracic aortic dissection was suspected. For different clinical probabilities of aortic dissection, we compared the risks and benefits of testing using the following procedures (alone and in combinations): aortography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and both transesophageal (TEE) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). We then measured the effect of delays in these tests on the selection of the appropriate procedure. The outcome studied was 30-day survival., Results: We determined that the "threshold" clinical probability of aortic dissection above which the benefits of testing outweigh its risks is low. It ranges from 2% with the most reliable procedure (MRI) to 9% with the least (TTE). At low probability of dissection (< 15%), the accuracy of all tests except TTE is sufficient to rule out dissection. Delays have negligible effect on these results. When the likelihood of dissection is higher, the preferred option is to order a second diagnostic test if the results of the first are negative. The threshold probabilities above which to order a second test range from 15% (CT, then aortography) to 35% (MRI, then aortography). Excessive delays may affect the selection of tests when the likelihood of dissection is high (eg, 50%). Thus, although it is less accurate, a CT scan obtained within 2 hours or a TEE obtained within 6 hours of presentation to the ED yields a higher survival rate than an MRI obtained within 9 hours. Similarly, the benefits of ordering a second test, if the result of the first are negative, outweigh the risks only if the delay in obtaining the test does not exceed 10 hours., Conclusion: All patients in whom aortic dissection is suspected, even if the index of suspicion is very low, should undergo one of the available diagnostic procedures (except TTE). A patient with a moderate to high probability of disease should undergo a second investigation if the findings of the first are negative. When the probability of dissection is high, the physician must consider delays in obtaining specific diagnostic tests and order those that will be the most quickly available.

Objective: To decrease pre-hospital delay in patients with chest pain., Design: Population based, prospective observational study., Setting: A province of Switzerland with 380000 inhabitants., Subjects: All 1337 patients who presented with chest pain to the emergency department of the Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire of Geneva during the 12 months of a multimedia public campaign, and the 1140 patients who came with similar symptoms during the 12 months before the campaign started., Main Outcome Measures: Pre-hospital time delay and number of patients admitted to the hospital for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and unstable angina., Results: Mean pre-hospital delay decreased from 7h 50 min before the campaign to 4 h 54 min during it, and median delay from 180 min to 155 min (P < 0.001). For patients with a final diagnosis of AMI, mean delay decreased from 9 h 10 min to 5 h 10 min and median delay from 195 min to 155 min (P < 0.002). Emergency department visits per week for AMI and unstable angina increased from 11.2 before the campaign to 13.2 during it (P < 0.02), with an increase to 27 (P < 0.01) during the first week of the campaign; visits per week for non-cardiac chest pain increased from 7.6 to 8.1 (P = NS) during the campaign, with an increase to 17 (P < 0.05) during its first week., Conclusions: Public campaigns may significantly reduce pre-hospital delay in patients with chest pain. Despite transient increases in emergency department visits for non-cardiac chest pain, such campaigns may significantly increase hospital visits for AMI and unstable angina and thus be cost effective.

Objectives: We sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of the recommendations of cardiologists for the pharmacologic treatment of hypercholesterolemia., Background: Despite the publication of guidelines such as the report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults, little is known about the national prescribing practices of physicians and how they compare with the recommendations of cost-effectiveness analyses., Methods: Under the auspices of the Cardiovascular Norms Committee of the American College of Cardiology, a nationally representative sample of cardiologists was surveyed, and their recommendations for the pharmacologic treatment of hypercholesterolemia were assessed to determine cost-effectiveness., Results: The 346 responding cardiologists were reasonably representative of the membership of the American College of Cardiology. For the 12 hypothetical patients, the cardiologists recommended pharmacologic treatment more commonly in cases in which previously published studies estimated the treatment to be more cost-effective, although there was a tendency to recommend such treatment for primary prevention even when it was estimated to cost well over $100,000/year of life saved., Conclusions: These findings suggest that the cardiologists' pharmacologic recommendations for lowering lipids are correlated with published cost-effectiveness analyses. However, substantial variation in their recommendations remains, with somewhat less aggressive treatment for secondary prevention and more aggressive treatment for primary prevention than would be recommended on the basis of cost-effectiveness analyses.

Background: The interpretation of exercise stress testing for coronary artery disease detection is affected by the many differences in chosen variables and mathematical methods. We conducted a prospective trial to evaluate a global muscle fatigue parameter--the blood lactate level achieved at maximal exercise--as a method of distinguishing between diseased and nondiseased coronary status., Methods and Results: We evaluated 236 consecutive male patients without previous myocardial infarction who had been referred for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. None of the patients had cardiomyopathy, severe cardiac heart failure, or valvular heart disease. Blood lactate concentration at maximal exercise was measured as well as other classic variables. Correlations between variables and coronary status as assessed by coronary arteriography were described using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression analysis. The first four most powerful variables (lactate level, maximal power output, exercise duration, and percentage of maximal predicted heart rate), which are directly representative of the global functional capacity, showed values of 0.777, 0.775, 0.760, and 0.740, respectively, by ROC curve analysis. Mean +/- SD blood lactate level at peak exercise reached 7.68 +/- 2.70 mmol/L in the 153 diseased and 10.56 +/- 2.75 mmol/L in the 83 nondiseased patients (P < .0001). After adjustment for other variables, blood lactate level remained a significant predictor of coronary artery disease by logistic regression analysis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.2; confidence interval, 1.04 to 1.4)., Conclusions: Global muscle fatigue as assessed by lactate levels in the blood at maximal exercise appears to be a powerful distinguisher of diseased and nondiseased coronary status.

Health care organizations similar to American HMOs have recently appeared in Switzerland. They elicit many reactions, both in the general public and among the medical profession. In contrast to traditional health insurance, HMOs organize and actively manage health care delivered to their members. This paper reviews the historical background of similar organizations in Europe and in the United States, and focuses in particular on the recent evolution and fragmentation of the concept of "managed care". Follows a discussion of the mechanisms and the side-effects of various tools used to manage care, both in managed care settings and by traditional health insurance plans. It appears that all of health care is managed, that all management tools have potential side effects, and that use of some management tools implies a redistribution of the respective roles of plan members, administrators, and physicians. The authors suggest that the complexity of health care management requires a more active implication of the health professions in that process.

When confronted with chest pain, one should above all consider unstable infarction or unstable angina pectoris, because these events necessitate immediate hospitalization in view of intravenous thrombolysis. In this article, published works on estimates for the probability of acute myocardial infarction based on history and ECG are summarized. The different decision-making processes practitioners may become confronted with as well as some diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations are introduced.

The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is an X-linked inherited immunodeficiency disorder characterized by thrombocytopenia, recurrent infections and eczema. Its best management option is HLA-identical bone marrow transplantation; when this is not feasible, splenectomy, followed by continuous prophylactic antibiotics, represents the alternative of choice. The present case report relates the excellent outcome of an adult with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome who suffered his first major complication of the disease at age 33 years, an intracerebral hemorrhage. Since an uneventfull splenectomy, thrombocytopenia has significantly improved, and he has remained free of infections for a follow-up period of 3 years while being treated with prophylactic antibiotics.

Objectives: This study attempted to determine the safety and costs of a new short-stay unit for low risk patients who may be admitted to a hospital to rule out myocardial infarction or ischemia., Background: One strategy to reduce the costs of ruling out acute myocardial infarction in low risk patients is to develop alternatives to coronary care units., Methods: The short-term and 6-month clinical outcomes and costs for 592 patients admitted to a short-stay coronary observation unit at Brigham and Women's Hospital with a low (< or = 10%) probability of acute myocardial infarction were compared with those for 924 consecutive comparison patients who were eligible for the same unit but were admitted to other hospital settings or discharged home. Actual costs were calculated using detailed cost-accounting methods that incorporated nursing intensity weights., Results: The rate of major complications, recurrent myocardial infarction or cardiac death during 6 months after the initial presentation of the 592 patients admitted to the coronary observation unit was similar to that of the 924 comparison patients before and after adjustment for clinical factors influencing triage and initial diagnoses (adjusted relative risk 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.49 to 1.53). Their median total costs (25th, 75th percentile) at 6 months ($1,927; 1,455, 3,650) were significantly lower than for comparison patients admitted to the wards $4,712; 1,868, 11,187), to stepdown or intermediate care units ($4,031; 2,069, 9,169) or to the coronary care unit ($9,201; 3,171, 20,011) but were higher than for comparison patients discharged home from the emergency department ($403; 403,927) before and after the same adjustments (all adjusted p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: These data suggest that the coronary observation unit may be a safe and cost-saving alternative to current triage strategies for patients with a low risk of acute myocardial infarction admitted from the emergency department. Its replication in other hospitals should be tested.

The potential impact of thrombolytic agents on mortality and morbidity from coronary artery disease is weakened by in- and out-of-hospital delays occurring in the management of acute myocardial infarction. The goals of this study were to review the situation 5 years after the publication of the GISSI study. From October 1, 1991 to March 31, 1992, all the events occurring between symptom onset and in-hospital treatment were analyzed for 620 consecutive patients with suspected myocardial infarction seen in the emergency ward of the University Hospital, Geneva. Among them, 189 (30.5%) had myocardial infarction and 144 (23%) unstable angina. Mean and median delay between symptom onset and hospital arrival for the 620 patients were 10 h 02 min and 2 h 55 min respectively; 117 (19%) patients came straight to the hospital alone, with the risk of arrhythmic complications en route to the emergency ward but with shorter time delays (mean delay: 6 h 13 min; median delay: 2 h 30 min) than the 503 (81%) patients who called out-of-hospital services (mean delay: 10 h 55 min; median delay: 3 h; p < 0.04). The latter patients accounted for 47% of mean out-of-hospital delay and the out-of-hospital services for 53%. Minimization or ignorance of symptoms, waiting for relief from medication and attempts to reach relatives were responsible for long patients' decision times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

For emergency room patients with a low probability of acute myocardial infarction, we established a new short-stay coronary observation unit, a 2-bed nonintensive care unit with telemetry monitoring adjacent to the emergency room. Of 512 consecutive admissions to the coronary observation unit, 425 (83%) were discharged home without evidence of acute myocardial infarction or serious complications (mean length of stay, 1.2 days; median length of stay, 1 day); 87 (17%) were transferred to other hospital beds. The rate of acute myocardial infarction was 3%. No deaths and only 1 serious complication occurred in the coronary observation unit. At 6 month follow-up, the cardiac survival rate was 99% for patients sent home directly from this unit. It is concluded that the coronary observation unit is safe and adequate for ruling out acute myocardial infarction in a defined subset of patients. Short-stay units, however, encourage early discharges which, when premature, may miss patients who are at risk of having complications shortly thereafter. Strategies such as mandatory but expeditious predischarge stress testing to encourage early but not premature discharge may augment the efficiency of coronary observation units.

We describe a method for the fast calculation of total fractional calcium absorption (TFCaA) by the double-isotope technique (45Ca orally and 47Ca intravenously). The gamma- and beta-activities of plasma or urine samples were measured simultaneously. 47Ca activity was obtained by a gamma-ray spectrometer after exclusion of scandium 47. The 45Ca activity was measured directly by subtracting the 47Ca plus 47Sc component from the total beta-activity. In addition, 45Ca activity was determined after 8 weeks, to allow for 47Ca and 47Sc decay. There was good correlation between these two methods of measuring 45Ca activity. TFCaA was calculated both by deconvolution taken as a reference method and from the equilibrium quotient 45Ca/47Ca observed in several blood or urine samples collected at different times. The most convenient sampling time for calculation of this ratio was reappraised, taking into account the type of solution ingested orally (water or milk). The results indicate that simultaneous counting of gamma- and beta-activities of an appropriate plasma or urine sample provides a good and rapid measure of the calcium absorption. This method is considered to be useful as a clinical tool.