Abstract
OBJECTIVE--To audit the detection and management of hyperlipidaemia in patients who have had coronary bypass surgery. PATIENTS--100 consecutive patients (81 men), mean age 61, who had survived at least 3 months after coronary bypass surgery. METHODS--Retrospective review of case notes and computerised biochemistry records. RESULTS--83 patients had at least one lipid measurement in the hospital, and of the remaining 17 patients, 10 had undergone urgent or emergency surgery. The median (range) total cholesterol was 6.7 (4.0-11.7) mmol/l and the triglyceride concentration was 2.1 (0.6-18.4) mmol/l. Only 30 patients were referred to a dietician, and 12 were given a lipid lowering drug--these interventions were no more frequent in patients with a cholesterol concentration above than below the median. CONCLUSIONS--Although a high proportion of patients who undergo routine coronary bypass surgery have their plasma lipid concentrations measured, many patients with raised cholesterol concentrations, who would benefit from lipid lowering interventions, are not offered them.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Betteridge D. J., Dodson P. M., Durrington P. N., Hughes E. A., Laker M. F., Nicholls D. P., Rees J. A., Seymour C. A., Thompson G. R., Winder A. F. Management of hyperlipidaemia: guidelines of the British Hyperlipidaemia Association. Postgrad Med J. 1993 May;69(811):359–369. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.69.811.359. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Blankenhorn D. H., Nessim S. A., Johnson R. L., Sanmarco M. E., Azen S. P., Cashin-Hemphill L. Beneficial effects of combined colestipol-niacin therapy on coronary atherosclerosis and coronary venous bypass grafts. JAMA. 1987 Jun 19;257(23):3233–3240. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Campeau L., Enjalbert M., Lespérance J., Bourassa M. G., Kwiterovich P., Jr, Wacholder S., Sniderman A. The relation of risk factors to the development of atherosclerosis in saphenous-vein bypass grafts and the progression of disease in the native circulation. A study 10 years after aortocoronary bypass surgery. N Engl J Med. 1984 Nov 22;311(21):1329–1332. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198411223112101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cashin-Hemphill L., Mack W. J., Pogoda J. M., Sanmarco M. E., Azen S. P., Blankenhorn D. H. Beneficial effects of colestipol-niacin on coronary atherosclerosis. A 4-year follow-up. JAMA. 1990 Dec 19;264(23):3013–3017. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Durrington P. N. Can any agreement be reached on cholesterol lowering? Br Heart J. 1994 Feb;71(2):125–128. doi: 10.1136/hrt.71.2.125. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Oliver M. F. Doubts about preventing coronary heart disease. BMJ. 1992 Feb 15;304(6824):393–394. doi: 10.1136/bmj.304.6824.393. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Smith G. D., Song F., Sheldon T. A. Cholesterol lowering and mortality: the importance of considering initial level of risk. BMJ. 1993 May 22;306(6889):1367–1373. doi: 10.1136/bmj.306.6889.1367. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]