Over the past two decades, survival among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has increased by 20%. Still, a large number of patients are transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) every year. This study aims to assess the association between ICU admission and mortality in STEMI patients.
This is a retrospective cohort study conducted in 1,727 acute care hospitals across the United States. The participants included a total of 109,375 patients with STEMI who were admitted to either an ICU or a non-ICU unit. The primary outcome of the study was 30-day mortality.
The researchers found that ICU admission was associated with lower 30-day mortality than non-ICU admission. A separate analysis conducted among a group of non-STEMI patients suggested that routine ICU admission did not improve outcomes and was not associated with any differences in mortality.
The research concluded that ICU care for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction was associated with improved mortality compared to patients treated in a non-ICU unit. However, separate analysis suggests that ICU-care does not have any significant impact on improving outcomes or mortality. Therefore, more robust studies are required to evaluate the exact associations between ICU care and mortality among STEMI patients.
Ref: https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1927
