Leslie L. Davis

Development of systems of care for ST-Elevation myocardial infarction patients. The emergency medical services and emergency department perspective.

Central to the development of systems and centers of care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients will be the key role played by emergency medical services (EMS) at entry into the system and within the system when emergency interhospital transport is required. ### Emergency Medical Services System Design Prehospital EMS systems have 3 major components: emergency medical dispatch, public safety (fire and law enforcement) first response, and EMS ambulance response. Each of these operates within a broader emergency care system, which includes acute care facilities and regionalized healthcare services. In most states, an EMS regulatory entity within the state government oversees the emergency care system. Many states have regional EMS councils and advisory boards that function with varying levels of authority. #### Emergency Medical Dispatch Early access to EMS is promoted by a 9-1-1 system currently available to >95% of the US population. Enhanced 9-1-1 systems provide the caller’s location and number to the dispatcher, which permits rapid dispatch of prehospital personnel to locations even if the caller is not capable of verbalizing or the dispatcher cannot understand the location and telephone number of the emergency. Although cellular phones have been problematic because they do not stay in a fixed location, new technology exists that allows triangulation of a cellular phone caller’s location. This technology is being phased in throughout the country at a rapid pace. In most communities, law enforcement or public safety officials are responsible for operating 9-1-1 centers, because in most locations, 85% of calls are for police assistance, 10% are for EMS, and 5% are for fire-related emergencies. Dispatchers who staff 9-1-1 centers may have minimal medical training, be emergency medical technicians, or on occasion be paramedics trained and certified as emergency medical dispatchers. In any case, dispatchers operate under standardized, written (often computerized) protocols. Such protocols are developed nationally and then modified locally or nationally. …

Effective interventions for lifestyle change after myocardial infarction or coronary artery revascularization

Purpose: This science clinical paper reviews medical literature and examines interventions that are currently used to assist patients in achieving lifestyle change after myocardial infarction or coronary artery revascularization. Interventions that focused on both provider‐ and patient‐implemented strategies were included. The effectiveness of these interventions to significantly reduce coronary heart disease risk factors was explored. Data sources: Original longitudinal research studies or reviews indexed in PubMed between 1999 and 2004 were included. Eight studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria and presented successful interventions to increase participants’ adherence to recommended lifestyle changes. Conclusions: Current strategies for achieving recommended risk factor reductions include frequent follow‐up, intensive diet changes, individualized and group exercise, coaching, group meetings, education on lifestyle modification and behavior change, and formal cardiac rehabilitation programs. Implications for practice: Nurse Practitioners can help close the gap between evidence‐based recommendations and clinical practice by implementing education programs in their practices and in the community. Recommendations include frequent follow‐up visits, negotiating personalized treatment plans, and a general emphasis on therapeutic lifestyle change as an essential component of the treatment plan.

Diastolic heart failure

Diastolic heart failure (DHF) is estimated to occur in 40% to 50% of patients with heart failure. Evidence suggests that DHF is primarily a cardiogeriatric syndrome that increases from approximately 1% at age 50 years to 10% or more at 80 years. DHF is also more likely to occur in older women who are hypertensive or diabetic. Although survival is better in patients with DHF compared with systolic heart failure, mortality rates for patients with DHF are four times higher than those for healthy, community-dwelling older adults. The increase in DHF is anticipated to continue during the next several decades largely because of the aging of the population; increase in risk factors associated with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity; and ongoing technologic advances in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Few clinical trials have evaluated therapy in this population, so evidence about the effectiveness of treatment strategies for DHF is limited. Future research should target novel interventions that specifically target patients with DHF who are typically older and female, and experience exertional intolerance and have a considerably reduced quality of life.

2017 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway for Optimization of Heart Failure Treatment: Answers to 10 Pivotal Issues About Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction

James L. Januzzi, Jr, MD, FACC, Chair Luis C. Afonso, MBBS, FACC Brendan Everett, MD, FACC Adrian F. Hernandez, MD, MHS, FACC William Hucker, MD, PhD Hani Jneid, MD, FACC Joseph Edward Marine, MD, FACC Pamela Bowe Morris, MD, FACC Robert N. Piana, MD, FACC Karol E. Watson, MD, FACC Dharam

The relationship between body mass index/body composition and survival in patients with heart failure

PurposeThe purpose of this review was to summarize the literature on the relationship between obesity and survival in persons with heart failure (HF). In particular, the article examines the ways in which studies define body size/composition (body mass index [BMI], body composition, weight, cachexia, fluid retention, or albumin) and the relationship of BMI and survival after controlling for factors such as HF severity, etiology of the HF, gender, race, age, and/or time since HF diagnosis. Data sourcesThe keywords heart failure and body mass index, heart failure and obesity, and heart failure and body composition were indexed in PubMed. Articles published from 1999 to 2006 that used multivariate analyses to examine the relationship between obesity and survival in persons with HF were included in the review. ConclusionsBMI is the standard most often used for measuring body weight in patients with HF. Yet, BMI does not address other major components of body weight (fat, lean body mass, and fluid) that may factor into the mortality of patients with HF. Four of the six studies reviewed reported a positive relationship between obesity and improved survival. However, the studies are limited by design, with the majority being cross-sectional. Furthermore, most of the data were collected through secondary data analysis from patient records in the 1990s, before contemporary HF treatment was used. Implications for practiceUntil further research solidifies a clear association between higher BMIs and improved survival in patients with HF, nurse practitioners and others should continue to counsel their patients with HF who are overweight to lose weight. Assessing BMI alone as a predictor of survival for patients with HF may be misleading and should be performed in the context of other factors. Moreover, care should be taken in managing patients with HF who are cachexic because these patients have a worrisome prognosis.

Prevention of unplanned intensive care unit admissions and hospital mortality by early warning systems.

Researchers have found that patients exhibit physiological changes up to 8 hours prior to an arrest event. Deaths have been attributed to a lack of observation, lack of documentation of observations, inability of a caregiver to recognize early signs of deterioration, and lack of communication between healthcare providers. This integrative review examines early warning scoring systems and their effectiveness in predicting a patient’s potential for deterioration and considers whether these scoring systems prevent unplanned intensive care unit admissions and/or death. Three databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL [Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature], and the Cochrane Collaboration) were searched to identify the instruments and clinical support systems available to assist healthcare personnel in recognizing early clinical deterioration. Key search words included modified early warning score, early warning score, early warning systems, deteriorating patient, patients at risk, shock index, track and trigger systems, and failure to rescue. Two prior literature reviews examined early warning scoring systems and their effects on patient outcomes; however, the most recent one reviewed only articles published before 2007. This review examined studies of early warning systems and the incorporation of clinical support published from 2007 to 2012. Nine studies fitting the search criteria were included in this review. Early warning scoring systems that interface with electronic medical records and are supplemented with decision aides (algorithms) and clinical support systems produce an effective screening system for early identification of deteriorating patients. This multifaceted approach decreases unplanned intensive care unit admissions and hospital mortality.

Thoughts and behaviors of women with symptoms of acute coronary syndrome

OBJECTIVE Women delay seeking care for symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) because of atypical symptoms, perceptions of invulnerability, or keeping symptoms to themselves. The purpose of this study was to explore how women recognized and interpreted their symptoms and subsequently decided whether to seek treatment within the context of their lives. METHOD Grounded theory was used to provide the methodological basis for data generation and analysis. Data were collected using in-depth interviews with 9 women with ACS. RESULTS All participants went through a basic social process of searching for the meaning of their symptoms which informed their decisions about seeking care. Stages in the process included noticing symptoms, forming a symptom pattern, using a frame of reference, finding relief, and assigning causality. The evolving MI group (n = 5) experienced uncertainty about bodily cues, continued life as usual, until others moved them toward care. The immediately recognizable MI group (n = 4) labeled their condition quickly, yet delayed, as they prepared themselves and others for their departure. CONCLUSIONS All women delayed, regardless of their ability to correctly label their symptoms. Education aimed at symptom recognition/interpretation addresses only part of the problem. Women should also be educated about the potential danger of overestimating the time they have to seek medical attention.

A community hospital’s effort to expedite treatment for patients with chest pain☆☆☆★

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine treatment times at a community hospital that does not receive prehospital electrocardiogram (ECG) transmission and to determine the effect of time to first hospital ECG on overall door-to-drug time. DESIGN Descriptive. SETTING 238-bed Regional Medical Center in Burlington, North Carolina. SAMPLE One hundred four patients with a final diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction were included in this 16-month study. RESULTS A median door-to-ECG time of 5 minutes was within the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association recommendation of 10 minutes. Shorter treatment times to obtain the first ECG and initiate thrombolytic therapy were associated with younger patients and those arriving by ambulance. CONCLUSIONS While efficiency in obtaining a first hospital ECG on patients with suspected acute myocardial infarctions was achieved, this did not result in low door-to-drug times. Further streamlining of protocol and the exploration of prehospital initiatives may result in a significant reduction in door-to-drug times.

Determining Time of Symptom Onset in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes: Agreement Between Medical Record and Interview Data.

Background:Prehospital delay, the time of symptom onset until the time of hospital arrival, for patients with symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is frequently used to determine the course of care. Total ischemic time (time for symptom onset until the time of first coronary artery balloon inflation) is another criterion for quality of care for patients experiencing ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. However, obtaining the exact time of symptom onset, the starting point of both time intervals, is challenging. Currently 2 methods are used to obtain the time of symptom onset: abstraction of data from the medical record and structured interviews done after the acute event. It is not clear whether these methods are equally accurate. Purpose:Using identified search terms, PubMed and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched for articles published from 1990 to 2014 to identify studies that examined agreement between the 2 data sources to determine prehospital delay in patients with ACS. Conclusions:Five studies examined the accuracy and/or agreement of prehospital delay by medical record review and structured patient interviews. In these studies, the percentage of missing/incomplete data in the medical record was higher compared with interviews (14%-40% vs 12%-13%). Three of the 4 studies that compared the 2 data sources reported more than 50% disagreement, with the time of symptom onset starting sooner when obtained by interview compared with the time recorded in their medical record at hospital presentation. Clinical Implications:There is a need for a consistent, reliable method to assess the time of symptom onset in patients with ACS. To ensure the accuracy of data collected for the medical record, training of emergency and critical care clinicians should ( 1) emphasize the importance of assessing symptoms broadly, (2) provide tips on interviewing techniques to help patients pinpoint the time of symptom onset, and (3) instill the value of complete documentation.

Cardiovascular Issues in Older Adults

This article discusses selected cardiovascular conditions that nurses encounter when caring for elders hospitalized in the intensive care unit. Physiologic changes that predispose elders to these conditions, typical signs and symptoms, common diagnostic tests, and evidence-based treatment for this population are included. The implications for nursing care of critically ill elders who have these conditions are also discussed.