Mortality Rate - Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) (Excluding Transfer Cases)

Mortality Rate - Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) (Excluding Transfer Cases)

$Acute Myocardial Infraction (AMI)$

This measure assesses the number of deaths per 100 patients, age 18 and older, discharged with a diagnosis-related group (DRG) code of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It should be noted that this measure excludes patients that had been transferred from other facilities where they may already have been treated for AMI.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a heart attack.

Acute myocardial infarction refers to changes that occur in the heart muscle when its blood supply from the coronary arteries is suddenly reduced. This is usually the result of atherosclerosis (a build up of plaque which causes narrowing inside the coronary arteries), and may also involve the formation of a thrombus (blood clot) that can block a coronary artery. Restriction in blood flow through the coronary arteries can lead to necrosis (death) of the heart muscle if it is severe and/or prolonged.

Timely and effective treatments for AMI, which are essential for patient survival, include appropriate use of thrombolytic therapy to dissolve blood clots and revascularization, including coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

AMI affects some 1.5 million Americans each year, and about one-third of them die in the acute phase of the heart attack. Detailed practice guidelines cover all phases of AMI care. Better processes of care may reduce mortality from AMI; lower mortality suggests better quality care.

This measure of quality should be used in conjunction with other measures to gain a more complete understanding of the quality picture.

Reference: [1] [4]