Hospital variation in 30-day mortality after CRC surgery are due to differences in hospitals' ability to take care of emergency patients, especially those with high ASA scores.

BackgroundOver the last decades survival after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has improved, leading to an increasing number of patients returning to work, but little is known about factors that may influence their labour market affiliation. This study examines the impact of gender, co-morbidity and socio-economic position on subsequent labour market affiliation and transition between various social services in patients admitted for the first time with ACS.MethodsFrom 2001 to 2009 all first-time hospitalisations for ACS were identified in the Danish National Patient Registry (n = 79,714). For this population, data on sick leave, unemployment and retirement were obtained from an administrative register covering all citizens. The 21,926 patients, aged 18–63 years, who had survived 30 days and were part of the workforce at the time of diagnosis were included in the analyses where subsequent transition between the above labour market states was examined using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models.FindingsA total of 37% of patients were in work 30 days after first ACS diagnosis, while 55% were on sick leave and 8% were unemployed. Seventy-nine per cent returned to work once during follow-up. This probability was highest among males, those below 50 years, living with a partner, the highest educated, with higher occupations, having specific events (NSTEMI, and percutaneous coronary intervention) and with no co-morbidity. During five years follow-up, 43% retired due to disability or voluntary early pension. Female gender, low education, basic occupation, co-morbidity and having a severer event (invasive procedures) and receiving sickness benefits or being unemployed 30 days after admission were associated with increased probability of early retirement.ConclusionAbout half of patients with first-time ACS stay in or return to work shortly after the event. Women, the socially disadvantaged, those with presumed severer events and co-morbidity have lower rates of return.

ObjectiveTo investigate trends in time to invasive examination and treatment for patient with first time diagnosis of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and unstable angina during the period from 2001 to 2009 in Denmark.DesignFrom 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2009 all first time hospitalisations with NSTEMI and unstable angina were identified in the National Patient Registry (n=65 909). Time from admission to initiation of coronary angiography (CAG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) was calculated. We described the development in invasive examination and treatment probability (CAG, PCI and CABG at 3, 7, 10, 30 and 60 days) for the years 2001–2009, taking the competing risk of death into account using Aalen–Johansen estimators and a Fine-Gray model.SettingNationwide Danish cohort.ResultsThe proportion of patients receiving a CAG and PCI increased substantially over time while the proportion receiving a CABG decreased for both NSTEMI and unstable angina. For both NSTEMI and unstable angina, a significant increase in invasive examination and treatment probability at 3 days for CAG and PCI were seen especially from 2007 through to 2009. For NSTEMI, the CAG examination probability at 3 days leaped from 20% in 2007 to 32% in 2008 and 39% in 2009, and for PCI the same was true with a leap in treatment probability from 19% to 28% from 2008 to 2009.ConclusionsIn Denmark the use of CAG and PCI in treatment of NSTEMI and unstable angina has increased from 2001 to 2009, while the use of CABG has decreased. During the same period, there was a marked increase in invasive examination and treatment probability at 3 days, that is, more patients were treated faster which is in line with the political aim of reducing time to treatment.

We examined incidence of depression after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and whether the timing of depression onset influenced survival. All first-time hospitalizations for ACS (n = 97,793) identified in the Danish Patient Registry during 2001-2009 and a reference population were followed for depression and mortality via linkage to patient, prescription, and cause-of-death registries until the end of 2012. Incidence of depression (as defined by hospital discharge or antidepressant medication use) and the relationship between depression and mortality were examined using time-to-event models. In total, 19,520 (20.0%) ACS patients experienced depression within 2 years after the event. The adjusted rate ratio for depression in ACS patients compared with the reference population was 1.28 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25, 1.30). During 12 years of follow-up, 39,523 (40.4%) ACS patients and 27,931 (28.6%) of the reference population died. ACS patients with recurrent (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.57, 1.67) or new-onset (HR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.60, 1.72) depression had higher mortality rates than patients with no depression. In the reference population, the corresponding relative estimates for recurrent (HR =1.98, 95% CI: 1.92, 2.05) and new-onset (HR = 2.42, 95% CI: 2.31, 2.54) depression were stronger. Depression is common in ACS patients and is associated with increased mortality independently of time of onset, but here the excess mortality associated with depression seemed to be lower in ACS patients than in the reference population.

Introduction In the last decade a range of recommendations to increase awareness of depression in acute coronary syndrome patients have been published. To test the impact of those recommendations we examine and compare recent time trends in depression among acute coronary syndrome patients and a reference population. Methods 87 218 patients registered with acute coronary syndrome from 2001-2009 in Denmark and a match reference population were followed through hospital registries and medication prescriptions for early (≤30 days), intermediate (31 days to 6 months) and later (6 months to 2 years) depression in the acute coronary syndrome population and overall depression in the reference population. Cox regression models were used to compare hazard ratios (HRs) for depression over calendar years. Results During the study period, 11.0% and 6.2% were diagnosed with depression in the acute coronary syndrome population and in the reference population, respectively. For the acute coronary syndrome population, the adjusted HRs increased for early (HR (95% CI) 1.04 (1.01-1.06)) and intermediate depression (HR (95% CI) 1.01 (1.00-1.03)), whereas the adjusted HRs did not change for later depression (HR (95% CI) 0.99 (0.98-1.00)). For the reference population the adjusted HRs for depression increased through the study period (HR (95% CI) 1.01 (1.01-1.03)). Conclusion Increase in diagnoses of depressions within 6 months of acute coronary syndrome may be explained by increased focus on depression in this patient group in combination with increased awareness of depression in the general population.