scholarly journals Implementation of clinical audit to improve adherence to guideline-recommended therapy in acute coronary syndrome

2022 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nimmy Elizabeth George ◽  
Aashiq Ahamed Shukkoor ◽  
Noel Joseph ◽  
Ramasamy Palanimuthu ◽  
Tamilarasu Kaliappan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Despite global consensus on the management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), implementation of strategies to improve adherence of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) remains sub-optimal, especially in developing countries. Thus, we aimed to assess the effect of clinical pharmacist-led clinical audit to improve the compliance of discharge prescriptions in patients admitted with ACS. It is a prospective clinical audit of ACS patients which was carried out for 12 months. The discharge prescriptions were audited by clinical pharmacists for the appropriateness in the usage of statins, dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), beta-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). A feedback report was presented every month to the cardiologists involved in the patient care, and the trend in the adherence to GDMT was analyzed over 12 months. Results The discharge prescriptions of 1072 ACS patients were audited for the justifiable and non-justifiable omissions of mandated drugs. The first-month audit revealed unreasonable omissions of DAPT, statin, ACE-I/ARB, and beta-blockers in 1%, 0%, 14%, and 11% respectively, which reduced to nil by the end of the 11th month of the audit–feedback program. This improvement remained unchanged until the end of the 12th month. Conclusions The study revealed that periodic clinical audit significantly improves adherence to GDMT in patients admitted with ACS.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie H. Bots ◽  
Jose A. Inia ◽  
Sanne A. E. Peters

Introduction: Pharmacological treatment is an important component of secondary prevention in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) survivors. However, adherence to medication regimens is often suboptimal, reducing the effectiveness of treatment. It has been suggested that sex influences adherence to cardiovascular medication, but results differ across studies, and a systematic overview is lacking.Methods: We performed a systematic search of PubMed and EMBASE on 16 October 2019. Studies that reported sex-specific adherence for one or more specific medication classes for ACS patients were included. Odds ratios, or equivalent, were extracted per medication class and combined using a random effects model.Results: In total, we included 28 studies of which some had adherence data for more than one medication group. There were 7 studies for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) (n = 100,909, 37% women), 8 studies for antiplatelet medication (n = 37,804, 27% women), 11 studies for beta-blockers (n = 191,339, 38% women), and 17 studies for lipid-lowering medication (n = 318,837, 35% women). Women were less adherent to lipid-lowering medication than men (OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.82–0.92), but this sex difference was not observed for antiplatelet medication (OR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.83–1.09), ACEIs/ARBs (OR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.78–1.17), or beta-blockers (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.86–1.11).Conclusion: Women with ACS have poorer adherence to lipid-lowering medication than men with the same condition. There are no differences in adherence to antiplatelet medication, ACEIs/ARBs, and beta-blockers between women and men with ACS.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 264-271
Author(s):  
E. B. Luneva ◽  
E. G. Malev ◽  
I. A. Pankova ◽  
E. V. Zemtsovsky

Aneurysm of the thoracic aorta of any origin is traditionally considered a pathology for surgical correction. Traditionally the patients are referred for the surgery (prosthetics or endovascular treatment) when thoracic aorta diameter achieves 50–55 mm. However, the management strategy and conservative treatment in case of the smaller aorta dilations are not well elucidated in еру guidelines. The medication therapy aims at the decrease of the hemodynamic stress in the aortic wall, as well as at the correction of risk factors and accompanying diseases, including coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, etc. Since drug therapy of this pathology is not sufficiently developed, its choice is difficult for physicians. The paper reviews the main groups of drugs and their effectiveness in patients with thoracic aorta aneurism resulted from different causes, including atherosclerosis, genetic pathology (Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, etc.). Currently, no drugs are considered as first line therapy. The evidence suggests the use of beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers only in genetic pathology.


2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (43) ◽  
pp. 1695-1700
Author(s):  
Veronika Szentes ◽  
Gabriella Kovács ◽  
Csaba András Dézsi

Diabetes mellitus as comorbidity is present in 20–25% of patients suffering from high blood pressure. Because simultaneous presence of these two diseases results in a significant increase of cardiovascular risk, various guidelines focus greatly on the anti-hyperintensive treatment of patients with diabetes. Combined drug therapy is usually required to achieve the blood pressure target value of <140/85 mmHg defined for patients with diabetes, which must be based on angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. These can be/must be combined with low dose, primarily thiazid-like diuretics, calcium channel blockers with neutral metabolic effect, and further options include the addition of beta blockers, imidazolin-l-receptor antagonists, or alpha-1-adrenoreceptor blockers. Evidence-based guidelines are obviously present in local practice. Although most of the patients receive angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitor+indapamid or angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitor+calcium channel blocker combined therapy with favorable metabolic effects, yet the use of angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitors containing hidrochlorotiazide having diabetogenic potencial, and angiotensin receptor blocker fixed combinations is still widespread. Similarly, interesting therapeutic practice can be observed with the use of less differentiated beta blockers, where the 3rd generation carvediolol and nebivolol are still in minority. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(43), 1695–1700.


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