The impact of the stent era on the management strategy for acute myocardial infarction: A population-based perspective

We determined trends in the use of invasive diagnostic and revascularizatio n strategies from a multihospital community-wide perspective for patients s uffering acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Comparing 3,824 patients treate d in the prestent era (1986-1993) to 1,915 patients hospitalized during the stent era (1995-1997), there was a significant increase in the use of inva sive procedures and revascularization techniques across a broad spectrum of AMI patients during their index hospitalization. This resulted in a higher -risk profile of patients referred for invasive management of AMI in the st ent era. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent 51:255-258, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.