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ACE inhibitor reminders attached to echocardiography reports of patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction

2005; Elsevier BV; Volume: 118; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.amjmed.2004.12.028

1555-7162

Paul A. Heidenreich, Matthew Chacko, Mary K. Goldstein, J. Edwin Atwood,

Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics

Although treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors is known to improve outcome for patients with left ventricular dysfunction, 1 Effect of enalapril on survival in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fractions and chronic heart failure. The SOLVD Investigators. N Engl J Med. 1991; 325: 293-302 Crossref PubMed Scopus (6861) Google Scholar , 2 Effect of enalapril on mortality and the development of heart failure in asymptomatic patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fractions. The SOLVD Investigators. N Engl J Med. 1992; 327: 685-691 Crossref PubMed Scopus (3592) Google Scholar their use in the community has been suboptimal. 3 Stafford R.S. Radley D.C. The underutilization of cardiac medications of proven benefit, 1990 to 2002. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003; 41: 56-61 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (268) Google Scholar Even when ACE inhibitors are prescribed, the dose used is usually below what has been shown to be effective in randomized clinical trials. 4 Hunt S.A. Baker D.W. Chin M.H. et al. ACC/AHA guidelines for the evaluation and management of chronic heart failure in the adult: executive summary a report of the American College Of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force On Practice Guidelines (Committee To Revise The 1995 Guidelines For The Evaluation And Management Of Heart Failure): developed in collaboration with the International Society For Heart And Lung Transplantation; endorsed by the Heart Failure Society Of America. Circulation. 2001; 104: 2996-3007 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1198) Google Scholar The goal of this study was to determine if the addition of a reminder to the echocardiography report for patients with a reduced ejection fraction could increase the use of moderate or greater doses of ACE inhibitors or alternative appropriate treatment (eg, angiotensin receptor blockers).