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Under‐utilisation of β‐blockers in patients with acute coronary syndrome and comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Author(s) -
Kratzer Logan,
Noakes Paul,
Baumwol Jay,
Wrobel Jeremy P.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/imj.13795
Subject(s) - medicine , pulmonary disease , acute coronary syndrome , cardiology , disease , copd , intensive care medicine , myocardial infarction
Background β‐blockers are an established mainstay of therapy in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Despite substantial evidence of their safety and efficacy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, their use in this population remains limited internationally, likely due to fears of inducing bronchospasm. In Australia, little is known about the use of β‐blockers in COPD patients hospitalised for ACS. Aim To determine if β‐blockers are under‐prescribed at discharge for patients with COPD hospitalised for ACS compared to patients without a diagnosis of COPD. Methods Retrospective analysis of a tertiary metropolitan hospital computer database was undertaken to identify the first 250 patients hospitalised with ACS from 1 March 2015. Results Of the 250 patients analysed, there were five in‐hospital fatalities, leaving 245 patients for final analysis. Patients with ACS and COPD received fewer β‐blockers at discharge than those with ACS alone (66.7% vs 86.2%, P < 0.05). After controlling for clinically meaningful confounding factors, a logistic regression analysis model determined that, for patients with ACS, the presence of COPD was the only significant predictor of receiving a β‐blocker at discharge. Conclusion Despite strong evidence supporting the use of β‐blockers in COPD patients with ACS, Australian patients with COPD remain under‐treated for ACS. More work is needed to alter prescribing attitudes.