TABLE 3.
Care gap for each class of life-saving medication for patients with peripheral artery disease at a tertiary care hospital in Ontario, 2001 to 2002 (n=217)
| Discharge medication | Patients receiving drug on admission n (%) | Patients eligible for therapy n (%) | Patients receiving drug at discharge n (%) | Care gap, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antithrombotic therapy* | 129 (59.4) | 206 (95)† | 173 (84) | 16 |
| Statin | 68 (31.3) | 209 (96) | 65 (31) | 69 |
| ACEI | 91 (41.9) | 199 (92) | 104 (52) | 48 |
| Beta-blocker | 64 (29.5) | 174 (80) | 89 (51) | 49 |
*
Antithrombotic therapy includes antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapy;
†
A reminder system for clinicians to consider antithrombotic therapy was implemented before the present study and accounts for the increase in use at discharge. ACEI Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor