AHRQ study shows decline in adverse events for heart patients

Adverse events for patients being treated for heart attack and heart failure have declined, states a new study published in the January 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. However, there has not been a significant decrease in adverse events for patients being treated for pneumonia and those who are recovering from surgery, according to the analysis, which was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Using Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System data abstracted from medical records of patients 65 and older, the researchers found that from 2005 to 2011, the rate of heart attack patients experiencing one or more adverse events fell from 26% to 19.4% and the rate for heart failure patients experiencing adverse events fell from 17.5% to 14.2%. However, no significant changes were found in the rate of adverse events experienced by patients who had surgery or those being treated for pneumonia.

Source: AHRQ