OBJECTIVE: To determine whether @entity1 hospitalized with @entity583 ( @entity583 ) in an Australian setting receive better pharmacological care if managed by cardiologists than by non-cardiologists. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review of @entity1 hospitalized between 1 January 1997 and 30 June 1998, undertaken by abstractors blind to study objectives. SETTING: One tertiary and two community hospitals in south-east Queensland, Australia, in which all @entity1 admitted with @entity583 were cared for by cardiologists and general physicians, respectively. STUDY @entity1 : Two cohorts of consecutive @entity1 satisfying diagnostic criteria for @entity583 : 184 in the tertiary hospital and 207 in the community hospitals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of use, in highly eligible @entity1 , of thrombolysis, beta-blockers, @entity117 , @entity1289 ( @entity1289 ) inhibitors, lipid-lowering agents, @entity3362 , and @entity460 antagonists. Cohorts were compared for differences in prognostic factors or illness severity. RESULTS: In community hospital @entity1 , there was greater use of thrombolysis [100% versus 83% in the tertiary hospital; difference 17%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 11-26%; P < 0.001] and of @entity1289 inhibitors (84% versus 66%; difference 18%, 95% CI 3-34%; P = 0.02), and lower median length of stay (6.0 days versus 7.0 days; P = 0.001) compared with tertiary hospital @entity1 . Frequency of use of other drugs, and adjusted rates of @entity204 and re- @entity1188 were the same for both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: With respect to pharmacological management of @entity1 hospitalized with @entity583 , cardiologists and general physicians appear to provide care of similar quality and achieve equivalent outcomes. Further studies are required to confirm the generalizability of these results to Australian practice as a whole.

An Australian comparison of specialist care of XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'PARTICIPANTS'] @entity1289 :: ('1636', 'Gene') :: ['ACE', 'angiotensin-converting enzyme'] @entity3362 :: ('MESH:D009566', 'Chemical') :: ['nitrates'] @entity117 :: ('MESH:D001241', 'Chemical') :: ['aspirin'] @entity1188 :: ('MESH:D007238', 'Disease') :: ['infarction'] @entity460 :: ('MESH:D002118', 'Chemical') :: ['calcium'] @entity583 :: ('MESH:D009203', 'Disease') :: ['AMI', 'acute myocardial infarction'] @entity204 :: ('MESH:D003643', 'Disease') :: ['death']
@entity583 :: (MESH:D009203,Disease) :: ['acute myocardial infarction']
