BMJ  2006;332 (3 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7553.0-c

Cardiologists provide best care for patients with MI

Patients with myocardial infarction who are admitted to a hospital under the care of cardiologists get more appropriate treatment and have a significantly lower 90 day mortality than patients admitted under the care of non-cardiologists; they are also younger and have less comorbidity. Birkhead and colleagues (p 1306) used the national audit of myocardial infarction to examine treatment and outcomes for nearly 90 000 patients hospitalised in England and Wales in 2004 and 2005. Just over a third of patients were admitted by cardiologists, and one in five patients were admitted to a hospital with coronary interventional facilities.

Credit: WILL & DENI MCINTYRE/SPL

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Relevant Article

Impact of specialty of admitting physician and type of hospital on care and outcome for myocardial infarction in England and Wales during 2004-5: observational study

John S Birkhead, Clive Weston, Derek Lowe National Audit of Myocardial Infarction Project (MINAP) Steering Group
BMJ 2006 332: 1306-1311. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]