Patients admitted to hospital with chest pain - Changes in a 20-year perspective.
Journal article, 2013

OBJECTIVES: To describe the differences in characteristics and outcome between two consecutive series of patients admitted to hospital with chest pain in a 20-year perspective. Particular emphasis is placed on changes in outcome in relation to the initial electrocardiogram (ECG). SUBJECTS: In the two periods, 1986-1987 and 2008, all patients with chest pain admitted to the study hospitals in Gothenburg, Sweden, were included. RESULTS: Five thousand and sixteen patients were registered in a period of 21months in 1986-1987 and 2287 patients were registered during 3months in 2008. In a comparison of the two time periods, the age of chest pain patients was not significantly different (mean age 60.1±17.8years in 1986-1987 and 59.8±19.1years in 2008, p=0.50). There was a lower prevalence of previous angina pectoris, congestive heart failure and current smoking in the second period, whereas a history of acute myocardial infarction, hypertension and diabetes mellitus had become more prevalent. The use of cardio-protective drugs increased and ECG changes indicating acute myocardial ischemia on admission to hospital decreased. Length of hospitalisation was reduced from a median of 5days to 3days (p<0.0001). A significant decrease in 30-day and 1-year mortality was found (3.8% in 1986-1987 vs 2.0% in 2008 and 9.9% vs 6.3% respectively, p<0.0001 for both comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: During a period of 20years, the characteristics and outcome of patients admitted to hospital with chest pain changed. The most important changes were a lower prevalence of ECG signs indicating acute myocardial ischemia on admission, shorter hospitalisation time and a lower 30-day and 1-year mortality.

Myocardial infarction

Electrocardiography

Coronary heart disease

Chest pain

Author

ND Thang

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

BW Karlsson

AstraZeneca AB

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Bo Bergman

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Quality Sciences

Marco Santos

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Quality Sciences

Thomas Karlsson

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Ann Bengtson

University of Gothenburg

Per Johanson

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

A Rawshani

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Johan Herlitz

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

University of Borås

International Journal of Cardiology

0167-5273 (ISSN) 1874-1754 (eISSN)

Vol. 166 1 141-146

Subject Categories

Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems

Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

DOI

10.1016/j.ijcard.2011.10.014

PubMed

22071042

More information

Latest update

10/5/2023