Clinical Governance of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome in Italy

Clinical Governance of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome in Italy

This is a prospective, observational, multicenter study that enroll consecutive and all-comers patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) at admission.

This is a Quality Improvement Program which enroll all the consecutive patients hospitalized with ACS. The data elements that are central to the study include the primary and secondary quality indicators (QIs) that are used to define the performance and to promote improved quality of care.

At least 3000 patients will be enrolled. The primary endpoint are assessed in-hospital, at admission and discharge. Patients will be followed for 1 year after the ACS.

Inclusion Criteria:

• STEACS patients: symptoms of myocardial ischemia and persistent (i.e. > 20 min) ST elevation in at least two contiguous ECG leads. N.B. Positive biomarkers of cardiac necrosis (i.e. troponin) are not required to confirm the diagnosis. New or presumably new left-bundle branch block at presentation occurs infrequently, may interfere with ST-elevation analysis, and should not be considered diagnostic of acute myocardial infarction (MI) in isolation.
• NSTE-ACS patients: symptoms of myocardial ischemia of at least 10 minutes without persistent ST elevation in at least two contiguous ECG leads. To be included in this category patients should have at least one of the following two conditions: a) ECG evidence of NSTEACS defined as T wave inversion in leads with dominant R waves of at least of at least 1 mm (100 μV) or ST segment depression of at least 0.5 mm (50 μV) and/or b) Biomarker evidence of NSTEACS defined as at least one positive (i.e. above the 99th percentile upper reference limit) troponin value (i.e. NSTEMI)
• A written informed consent (to agree for a contact, usually by telephone) is required only to patients who are discharged alive.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects who, in the opinion of the investigator, are unable to comply with study follow up procedures, including, but not limited to, patients who are in prison, who are expected to move to a remote country, or who refuse to be followed should be excluded.