Background: Acute
myocardial infarction is the leading
cause of death in
Chile .
Aim: To
report the main features,
hospital evolution,
complications and pharmacological
treatment of
patients admitted to Chilean
hospitals with the
diagnosis of acute
myocardial infarction .
Patients and
methods: Between 1993 and 1995, the GEMI group registered 2,957
patients admitted to 37
hospitals with the
diagnosis of acute
myocardial infarction .
Results: Mean age of
patients was 62 ñ 2 years old and 74 percent were
male . Forty six percent had a
history of
hypertension and 40 percent were
smokers . During the first five days of admission, 93 percent of
patients received
aspirin , 59 percent received intravenous
nitrates , 59 percent intravenous
heparin , 56 percent oral
nitrates , 37 percent beta blockers, 32 percent
angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors , 33 percent
thrombolytic agents , 29 percent antiarrhythmics and 23 percent
calcium antagonists. Coronary
angiograms were performed in 28 percent of
patients ,
angioplasty in 9 percent and 8 percent were subjected to a coronary bypass. Global
hospital mortality was 13.4 percent (19.5 percent in
women and 11.1 percent in
men , p <0.001).
Conclusions: This
work gives a picture of
myocardial infarction in Chilean
hospitals . Pharmacological
treatment is
similar to that used abroad, but certainly it can be optimized