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A multidisciplinary intervention to improve postoperative antithrombotic therapy after urgent coronary artery
Alma Feka1, Mario Verdugo-Marchese2, Sarah Hugelshofer3
1Pharmacy Department, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Insights
Implementing a new protocol improved adherence to European guidelines for postoperative antithrombotic therapy in patients after coronary artery bypass-graft surgery. This quality improvement effort showed a positive trend in adherence over time.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
Background:
- Adherence to European guidelines for postoperative antithrombotic therapy is crucial for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass-graft surgery (CABG) after acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
- Optimizing antithrombotic therapy post-CABG is essential for preventing thrombotic events while minimizing bleeding risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary protocol on adherence to European guidelines for postoperative antithrombotic therapy in CABG patients with ACS.
- To assess the effectiveness of a quality improvement initiative in enhancing guideline adherence.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of 259 patients who underwent cardiac surgery between January 2018 and December 2022.
- Patients were divided into two groups: pre-protocol implementation (n=152) and post-protocol implementation (n=107).
- Adherence to European guidelines for antithrombotic therapy at discharge was compared between the two groups.
Main Results:
- Guideline adherence for postoperative antithrombotic therapy significantly increased from 58.6% in the pre-protocol group to 82.2% in the post-protocol group (P<0.001).
- Logistic regression analysis indicated a positive, though not statistically significant, effect of the intervention after adjusting for demographic and temporal factors.
- Adherence rates demonstrated a significant increase over time, suggesting the protocol contributed to an overall improvement trend.
Conclusions:
- The implemented protocol demonstrated a positive association with improved adherence to European guidelines for postoperative antithrombotic therapy in ACS patients undergoing CABG.
- While the intervention's independent effect was not statistically significant post-adjustment, it played a role in the sustained improvement of adherence.
- The findings support the protocol's utility as part of ongoing quality improvement efforts to enhance patient care.
Objectives:
The objective of this study was to assess whether implementing a protocol could improve adherence to European guidelines on postoperative antithrombotic therapy prescription in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass-grafts surgery (CABG) after acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
Methods:
We included patients who underwent cardiac surgery between January 2018 and December 2022. The population was divided in two groups, one before (group 1) and one after (group 2) the dissemination of a protocol on postoperative antithrombotic therapy issued by a multidisciplinary collaboration (January 2021) and its subsequent implementation during ward rounds. We analysed the protocol's impact on adherence to European guidelines in terms of antithrombotic therapy at discharge.
Results:
We included 259 patients, 83.8% were men and the median age was 67 [58; 74] years. At baseline, group 1 (n=152) and group 2 (n=107) had similar demographic characteristics except for smoking status and ACS events. Patients in group 2 had a higher rate of guideline adherence in terms of postoperative antithrombotic therapy (group 1=58.6% vs. group 2=82.2%, P<0.001). Using logistic regression accounting for demographic and temporal factors, the effect of the intervention was positive but not statistically significant. Adherence increased significantly over time, suggesting that the intervention contributed to an overall trend of improved adherence as apart of ongoing quality improvement efforts.
Conclusion:
Implementing the protocol was associated with a positive effect on guideline adherence for postoperative antithrombotic therapy in ACS patients undergoing CABG. Although the intervention's independent effect was not statistically significant after adjustment, the findings support its role in achieving sustained improvement in adherence over time.
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