[Treatment of unstable angina pectoris. A questionnaire study]

Questionnaires about therapy in unstable angina pectoris were sent to 63 Danish medical departments and were answered by 52 departments (82.5%). Nitroglycerin is commonly used but only in half of the departments is Nitroglycerin administered intravenously. Calcium-receptor-blockers are used in more departments (65%) than beta-receptor-blockers (35%) (p less than 0.05). Five departments use thrombolytic therapy along local guidelines. All recommend aspirin as prophylaxis against thrombosis and 63% recommend the therapy to be continued for life. An exercise test is always performed during hospital stay in 1/3 of the departments while the rest of the departments often wait till after the patient has been discharged. The estimate of frequency of coronary angiography varied considerably: from less than 5% to 100%. The frequency of coronary angiography was stated to be higher in Copenhagen and Aarhus (median 50%, interval 10-100%) than in the rest of the country (median 15%, interval less than 5-75%) (p less than 0.01).