Doctors call for more chest pain facilities

Cardiologists are calling for more chest pain facilities

09/10/2011

Some regions in Germany are insufficiently supplied with so-called chest pain units (CPU). This is reported by the German Society for Cardiology (DGK) at this year's cardiological autumn conference in Düsseldorf. In order to ensure adequate diagnosis and treatment of heart attack patients, further facilities, especially in areas with a high mortality rate, are needed.

The DGK reports that fewer and fewer Germans die from a heart attack. The experts see a context for the steadily growing and good cardiology care in Germany. Since 2000, mortality from cardiovascular disease has declined by a good 20 percent in relative terms. However, many German regions are not or only insufficiently supplied with chest pain facilities. This is the result of the new German Heart Report, which was presented at the autumn congress of the DGK by the cardiologist and cardiologist Dr. med. Ernst Bruckenberger was presented. In order to optimally care for patients in an emergency, further CPUs have to be set up in the interest of those affected, especially "where the mortality rate of acute myocardial infarction is comparatively high."

The heart report revealed that in 57 and 67.9 percent of the 84 districts in which one of the 122 breast pain facilities in Germany was built by July of this year, the statistically adjusted death rate in the case of an acute myocardial infarction declined significantly. In some regions with CPU, mortality from myocardial infarction is well below the federal threshold. Rates are higher in only 32.1 percent of regions with optimal breast pain facilities. However, better survival rates could be achieved in the event of a heart attack, if the CPU guidelines are uniformly regulated. Certification could validate and optimize the treatment processes, as experts at the Cardiologists Conference explained.

Patients who have thoracic pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, upper abdominal pain, back pain, and other "typical heart attack symptoms" during a seizure are admitted to a chest pain device or CPU. To clarify whether the symptoms actually indicate an infarct or circulatory disorders in the heart, physicians can quickly and efficiently perform special diagnostic procedures on the patient. Especially chest pains indicate numerous serious but also harmless illnesses. In the case of a heart attack every minute is precious to prevent consequential damage or sudden cardiac death. (Sb)

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Image: Michael Bührke