American heart journal
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American heart journal · Nov 2006
Risks and benefits of combining aspirin with anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: an exploratory analysis of stroke prevention using an oral thrombin inhibitor in atrial fibrillation (SPORTIF) trials.
Aspirin is used in combination with anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), but evidence of additional efficacy is not available. ⋯ Aspirin combined with anticoagulant therapy was associated with no reduction in stroke, systemic embolism, or myocardial infarction in patients with AF. Aspirin combined with warfarin was associated with an incremental rate of major bleeding of 1.6% per year. No increased major bleeding occurred with aspirin and ximelagatran. These results suggest that the risks associated with addition of aspirin to anticoagulation in patients with AF outweigh the benefit.
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American heart journal · Nov 2006
Reperfusion of acute myocardial infarction in North Carolina emergency departments (RACE): study design.
Despite the accumulation of almost 2 decades of data in support of rapid reperfusion therapy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the United States healthcare system still faces serious challenges in providing reperfusion to all eligible patients in a timely fashion. American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines call for systematic interventions aimed at improving both the proportion of patients receiving reperfusion and the timeliness of treatment. We designed a project (RACE) that incorporates standardized protocols and integrated systems for treatment and timely transfer (when appropriate) of patients with STEMI in 5 geographic regions in North Carolina. ⋯ The main outcomes of interest are rates of reperfusion and time to treatment. Collected data will also provide important insights into barriers to timely reperfusion. The goal of the RACE project is to provide a model for improving the care of patients with STEMI by identifying those features associated with significant improvement, as well as those imposing significant barriers to appropriate therapy.
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American heart journal · Oct 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEvaluation of prasugrel compared with clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndromes: design and rationale for the TRial to assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by optimizing platelet InhibitioN with prasugrel Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 38 (TRITON-TIMI 38).
Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel is standard for prevention of thrombotic complications of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Prasugrel is a thienopyridine that is more potent, more rapid in onset, and more consistent in inhibition of platelets than clopidogrel. TRITON-TIMI 38 is designed to compare prasugrel with clopidogrel in moderate to high-risk patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). ⋯ TRITON-TIMI 38 is a phase 3 comparison of prasugrel versus clopidogrel in patients with moderate to high-risk ACS undergoing PCI. In addition, it is the first large-scale clinical events trial to assess whether a thienopyridine regimen that achieves a higher level of inhibition of platelet aggregation than the standard therapy results in an improvement in clinical outcomes.
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American heart journal · Oct 2006
ReviewBroken bodies, broken hearts? Limitations of the trauma system as a model for regionalizing care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction in the United States.
Many cardiovascular experts have called for the creation of specialized myocardial infarction centers and networks in the United States analogous to the current model for major trauma. Patients suffering ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and trauma share an essential feature that makes the argument for regionalization persuasive: rapid triage and treatment by highly trained personnel improve survival in both conditions. Despite this similarity, however, the trauma system may be limited as a model for regionalizing STEMI care. ⋯ These same obstacles would need to be overcome if STEMI care is regionalized. Second, unique characteristics related to STEMI care, such as its varied clinical presentation and more lucrative reimbursement, will create new challenges. In this article, we briefly review the current status of trauma systems in the United States and describe why the regionalization of STEMI care may require different methods of healthcare organization.
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American heart journal · Oct 2006
Association between thrombolysis in myocardial infarction myocardial perfusion grade, biomarkers, and clinical outcomes among patients with moderate- to high-risk acute coronary syndromes: observations from the randomized trial to evaluate the relative PROTECTion against post-PCI microvascular dysfunction and post-PCI ischemia among antiplatelet and antithrombotic agents-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 30 (PROTECT-TIMI 30).
A variety of imaging modalities have implicated impaired myocardial perfusion in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes (ACSs). ⋯ An abnormal TMPG, but not an angiographic CFR, is associated with biomarker status, the occurrence and duration of Holter ischemia, and adverse clinical outcomes among patients with moderate- to high-risk non-ST-elevation ACS undergoing PCI.