Our Performance

Middlesex Hospital was asked to collect and submit information on how we treat patients with several types of conditions. The following information and charts outline the conditions and treatment steps that were part of the study, and show how Middlesex Hospital compares to state and national results.

Treating Heart Attacks – Acute Myocardial Infarction

When the blood flow in the arteries to the heart is completely blocked, part of the heart muscle dies, causing an acute myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as a heart attack. The following medications have proven to be effective in the care of heart attack patients:

TIME PERIOD: JULY 2002 – JUNE 2003
Treatment provided	MIDDLESEX	CT AVERAGE*	NATIONAL AVERAGE*
Aspirin on arrival at hospital	97%	96%	94%
Aspirin on discharge from hospital	96%	95%	94%
Beta blocker on arrival at hospital	100%	94%	89%
Beta blocker on discharge from hospital	98%	94%	90%
ACE inhibitor on discharge from hospital	89%	77%	77%

What this information means to you:

Treatment with aspirin within 24 hours of admission, and at discharge:

Aspirin is an effective, inexpensive and safe treatment for heart attack. Aspirin therapy reduces short–term mortality in patients with suspected heart attacks by 23%, although it should not be given to patients with certain conditions (e.g. gastrointestinal bleeding).

Treatment with beta blockers upon admission and at discharge:

Beta blockers are a class of medications which can reduce post–heart attack death rates in this group of patients by as much as 25% by helping to reduce the workload of the heart.

ACE Inhibitor prescribed at discharge for patients with weakened heart muscle:

ACE inhibitors are a class of medications which can significantly reduce post–heart attack death rates in this group of patients.

The Connecticut average represents the average score for all Connecticut acute care hospitals. The Connecticut data source, Qualidyn, notes that statewide data are preliminary. The National average represents about 1,200 hospitals of the nation’s approximately 5,000 hospitals, that voluntarily submitted data for this national study.

Treating Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a chronic disease that occurs when the heart muscle has been damaged and can no longer effectively pump blood to the rest of the body. Research has identified the following two indicators to be key components of quality in treating CHF:

TIME PERIOD: JULY 2002 – JUNE 2003
Indicators	MIDDLESEX	CT AVERAGE*	NATIONAL AVERAGE*
Assess functioning of left ventricle	94%	86%	85%
ACE inhibitor	85%	73%	75%

What this information means to you:

Evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction via echocardiogram:

Performing an echocardiogram allows practitioners to see how well the heart is contracting and pumping blood. This diagnostic information is used to drive the overall treatment of a patient with CHF.

ACE inhibitor prescribed at discharge:

ACE inhibitors are used to treat high blood pressure and reduce the workload of the heart in patients with congestive heart failure. ACE inhibitors can significantly reduce death rates in such patients.

Treating Pneumonia

There are several kinds of pneumonia, including viral pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia is usually the most serious and is a common cause of hospitalization and death among older people. Research has identified the following three indicators to be key components of quality in treating pneumonia:

TIME PERIOD: JULY 2003 – SEPTEMBER 2003 (MIDDLESEX)
TIME PERIOD: JULY 2002 – JUNE 2003 (CT/NATIONAL)
Indicators	MIDDLESEX	CT AVERAGE*	NATIONAL AVERAGE*
First antibiotic within four hours of arrival	67%	68%	72%
Pneumococcal vaccine	66%	27%	38%
Measurement of oxygen levels	100%	99%	99%

What this information means to you:

Antibiotics given within four hours of hospital arrival:

Administering antibiotics to patients diagnosed with pneumonia within four hours of hospital arrival lowers the 30–day death rate by 15%.

Pneumococcal vaccine:

This vaccine to prevent severe disease, hospitalization and death from pneumonia is recommended for all people over age 65 and for people with certain serious chronic diseases.

The Connecticut average represents the average score for all Connecticut acute care hospitals. The National average represents about 1,200 hospitals of the nation’s approximately 5,000 hospitals, that voluntarily submitted data for this national study.