Invasive Heart Procedures Don’t Equal Longer Life
Reported February 23, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A new study shows invasive procedures do not necessarily improve survival rate for patients hospitalized for a life-threatening heart condition.
Researchers say there should be a more selective use of procedures, and they argue against routinely transferring patients to hospitals with specialist facilities.
Researchers studied more than 28,000 patients in 14 countries who were hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome between April 1999 and March 2003.
Most patients were admitted to hospitals with cardiac catheterization facilities and underwent more invasive procedures than patients admitted first to hospitals without such facilities.
According to researchers, after adjusting for other factors, the risk of death at six months was 14-percent higher among patients first admitted to hospitals with specialist facilities. Also, there was a higher risk of major bleeding and stroke.
Researchers say although the results do not suggest an invasive approach is harmful to patients, a more restrictive and selective use of invasive procedures is at least as effective as “a more liberal routine use.”
Researchers add patients should continue to be admitted as rapidly as possible to the nearest hospital for treating acute coronary syndrome and, therefore, should not be transferred early on to specialized hospitals with interventional facilities.
SOURCE: British Medical Journal, published online Feb. 20, 2005
