Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Heart Journal logoLink to British Heart Journal
. 1979 Apr;41(4):418–425. doi: 10.1136/hrt.41.4.418

Measuring the effect of a mobile coronary care unit upon the community.

N J Vetter, S Pocock, D G Julian
PMCID: PMC482049  PMID: 465210

Abstract

A mobile coronary care unit working within a geographically defined area retrieved 20% of the estimated number of cases with myocardial infarction. These cases were similar to the population at risk in terms of age, sex, and previous history of ischaemic heart disease. Patients retrieved by the mobile unit had a lower overall case fatality ratio. This discrepancy was greater than could be explained by resuscitation or preventive treatment by the mobile unit teams. Reasons for this difference in mortality were explored. The benefits of the mobile coronary care unit were obvious in terms of the existing service but small in terms of the community. Any judgment on the effectiveness of a mobile unit must use both approaches to get a balanced view.

Full text

PDF
418

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Armstrong A., Duncan B., Oliver M. F., Julian D. G., Donald K. W., Fulton M., Lutz W., Morrison S. L. Natural history of acute coronary heart attacks. A community study. Br Heart J. 1972 Jan;34(1):67–80. doi: 10.1136/hrt.34.1.67. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Black L. A., Brown D. D. Public information and heart attack. Report of an educational program. Ohio State Med J. 1973 May;69(5):369–374. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cay E. L., Vetter N., Philip A. E., Dugard P. Psychological reactions to a coronary care unit. J Psychosom Res. 1972 Oct;16(6):437–447. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(72)90069-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Colling A., Dellipiani A. W., Donaldson R. J., MacCormack P. Teesside coronary survey: an epidemiological study of acute attacks of myocardial infarction. Br Med J. 1976 Nov 13;2(6045):1169–1172. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6045.1169. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Crampton R. S., Aldrich R. F., Gascho J. A., Miles J. R., Jr, Stillerman R. Reduction of prehospital, ambulance and community coronary death rates by the community-wide emergency cardiac care system. Am J Med. 1975 Feb;58(2):151–165. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(75)90564-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hampton J. R., Nicholas C. Randomised trial of a mobile coronary care unit for emergency calls. Br Med J. 1978 Apr 29;1(6120):1118–1121. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6120.1118. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kannel W. B., Doyle J. T., McNamara P. M., Quickenton P., Gordon T. Precursors of sudden coronary death. Factors related to the incidence of sudden death. Circulation. 1975 Apr;51(4):606–613. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.51.4.606. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lawrie D. M., Greenwood T. W., Goddard M., Harvey A. C., Donald K. W., Julian D. G., Oliver M. F. A coronary-care unit in the routine management of acute myocardial infarction. Lancet. 1967 Jul 15;2(7507):109–114. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(67)92959-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Mackintoch A. F., Crabb M. E., Granger R., Williams J. H., Chamberlain D. A. The Brighton resuscitation ambulances: review of 40 consecutive survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Br Med J. 1978 Apr 29;1(6120):1115–1118. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6120.1115. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Norris R. M., Brandt P. W., Caughey D. E., Lee A. J., Scott P. J. A new coronary prognostic index. Lancet. 1969 Feb 8;1(7589):274–278. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)91035-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pedoe H. T., Clayton D., Morris J. N., Brigden W., McDonald L. Coronary heart-attacks in East London. Lancet. 1975 Nov 1;2(7940):833–838. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(75)90233-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Peel A. A., Semple T., Wang I., Lancaster W. M., Dall J. L. A CORONARY PROGNOSTIC INDEX FOR GRADING THE SEVERITY OF INFARCTION. Br Heart J. 1962 Nov;24(6):745–760. doi: 10.1136/hrt.24.6.745. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rose G., Hamilton P. S., Keen H., Reid D. D., McCartney P., Jarrett R. J. Myocardial ischaemia, risk factors and death from coronary heart-disease. Lancet. 1977 Jan 15;1(8003):105–109. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)91701-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Heart Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES