Hospital Strategies for Reducing Risk-Standardized Mortality Rates for Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Jeffrey C. Trost, Sammy Zakaria, Marlene Williams, Nisha Chandra-Strobos
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2012)

Letters16 October 2012Hospital Strategies for Reducing Risk-Standardized Mortality Rates for Acute Myocardial InfarctionJeffrey C. Trost, MD, Sammy Zakaria, MD, Marlene Williams, MD, and Nisha Chandra-Strobos, MDJeffrey C. Trost, MDFrom Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21224.Search for more papers by this author, Sammy Zakaria, MDFrom Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21224.Search for more papers by this author, Marlene Williams, MDFrom Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21224.Search for more papers by this author, and Nisha Chandra-Strobos, MDFrom Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21224.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-157-8-201210160-00021 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Bradley and colleagues (1) report several strategies that are associated with significantly lower 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI).We were extremely surprised to learn that cross-training nurses from the intensive care unit (ICU) for the cardiac catheterization laboratory was not associated with a reduction in RSMRs. In fact, our institution's experience has been quite the opposite. In 2006, we began cross-training ICU nurses in our catheterization laboratory to create an after-hours “bridge” team with an in-house radiation technologist to facilitate the transport and care of patients with ST-segment elevation MI ...References1. Bradley EH, Curry LA, Spatz ES, Herrin J, Cherlin EJ, Curtis JP, et al. Hospital strategies for reducing risk-standardized mortality rates in acute myocardial infarction. Ann Intern Med. 2012;156:618-26. [PMID: 22547471] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Trost JC, Wilkerson H. Building a bridge: reducing door-to-balloon time in patients with STEMI. Poster presented at Premier Breakthroughs National Quality Conference, Nashville, Tennessee, 14–17 June 2011. Google Scholar3. Curry LA, Spatz E, Cherlin E, Thompson JW, Berg D, Ting HH, et al. What distinguishes top-performing hospitals in acute myocardial infarction mortality rates? A qualitative study. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154:384-90. [PMID: 21403074] LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21224.Disclosures: Dr. Trost: Consultancy: paid for external peer review for Meritus Medical Center; Expert testimony: paid in the past 12 months for testimony regarding a legal case in Virginia. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoHospital Strategies for Reducing Risk-Standardized Mortality Rates in Acute Myocardial Infarction Elizabeth H. Bradley , Leslie A. Curry , Erica S. Spatz , Jeph Herrin , Emily J. Cherlin , Jeptha P. Curtis , Jennifer W. Thompson , Henry H. Ting , Yongfei Wang , and Harlan M. Krumholz Hospital Strategies for Reducing Risk-Standardized Mortality Rates for Acute Myocardial Infarction Elizabeth H. Bradley , Leslie A. Curry , and Harlan M. Krumholz Metrics 16 October 2012Volume 157, Issue 8Page: 598-599KeywordsCatheterizationCritical careDeath ratesIntensive care unitsPatientsPercutaneous coronary interventionQuality improvementResearch laboratoriesRisk management ePublished: 16 October 2012 Issue Published: 16 October 2012 CopyrightCopyright © 2012 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...