Clinical and treatment profiles of patients affected by acute coronary syndromes derived from administrative databases in the ASSL 10 Veneto orientale

Background. This paper presents a revision of services provided to patient over two years following a myocardial infarction (MI) based on data derived from administrative databases. The study aims to evaluate the burden and the resources consumed by these patients, as well as the adherence to clinical guidelines. Methods. All patient hospitalised for myocardial infarction in the cardiology unit of the hospital of San Donà di Piave (Venice, Italy) were identified. The clinical record was reviewed to reconstruct clinical history. Then from the Local Health Unit n. 10 all information regarding these patient were collected and analysed after record linkage. Results. The patients with MI were 236. Of these, 20 died during the first hospitalization, 2 were lost to the follow up and 40 died within the two years period. The 214 patients who were alive after the first hospitalization produced 447 ordinary and 57 day hospital hospitalization. Specialist services were 23.250, and of these 17.583 were evaluated as being related to the cardiac disease. The value of drug prescribed over the two year period was € 553.108. The number of prescriptions belonging to the anatomic ATC class C were 29.076, received by 210 people. The mean pro capita estimated cost was € 22.058 in the first year, and € 6.226 in the second year. Conclusions. The characteristics of the sample population of our patients with MI were similar to those described in the literature. Follow up showed a sharp decrease of care and services received by patients during the second year after the acute event. In addition, a large part of services was not related to the cardiac diseases. Only a limited number of patients followed a rehabilitation programme. The estimated pro capita overall cost was very relevant in the first year, and the difference with the cost of the second year suggests a fall over time of the relevance attributed by the patients to the cardiac problems.