Impact of Distance from Home to Hospital on Mortality After First Heart Attack
Author Information
Author(s): Wei L, Lang C C, Sullivan F M, Boyle P, Wang J, Pringle S D, MacDonald T M
Primary Institution: Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK
Hypothesis
Does the distance between home and hospital affect mortality outcomes for patients experiencing an incident myocardial infarction?
Conclusion
The distance between home and hospital of admission may predict mortality in subjects experiencing a first acute MI.
Supporting Evidence
- 4133 subjects died following incident MI in the community.
- 6408 patients survived to be hospitalised and 1010 of these died in hospital.
- 1907 patients died during a median of 3.2 years of follow-up after being discharged.
Takeaway
If you live far from the hospital when you have a heart attack, you might be more likely to die from it. It's better to have hospitals closer to where people live.
Methodology
Cohort study using a record linkage database in Tayside, Scotland.
Potential Biases
Potential underestimation of the benefits of cardiovascular drugs due to assumed compliance.
Limitations
The study did not account for factors like smoking, obesity, and the exact location of heart attacks.
Participant Demographics
Patients were residents of Tayside, Scotland, with a mean age of 77.2 years, including 50.9% women.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.00 to 4.21 for >9 miles and 1.09 to 1.95 for 3–9 miles.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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