RESUMO
The review of international literature yielded unsatisfactory performance of guidelines for secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to evaluate records of the implementation of guidelines published in 1995, for the treatment and follow-up of patients after myocardial infarction in family medicine. In a retrospective sectional cohort study we identified all the patients with previous myocardial infarction in the practices of 6 family physicians, with an overall total of 97 patients. All data was gathered from manual medical records. The quality of care was evaluated according to follow-up indicators such as performance of blood pressure measurement, LDL cholesterol tests and according to secondary prevention indicators such as: treatment with aspirin, beta blockers and statins. In the cohort of 97 patients, 20.6% had diabetes, 53.6% had hypertension and 88.7% performed blood pressure follow-up, 100% cholesterol and fasting glucose tests, and 86.6% LDL cholesterol tests. Of the eligible patients, 98% received aspirin, 81% received beta-blockers and 76.2% were treated with statins. The target LDL cholesterol was not achieved by 66.7% of the patients. During the years 1993-1998 the quality of secondary prevention in the study was better than findings reported in international publications in corresponding years. However, the treatment of hypercholesterolemia should be improved.
