Blacks Are Less Likely Than Whites to Undergo Revascularization

Higher long-term mortality might be a direct result.

Racial disparities exist in care for acute myocardial infarction, including access to and use of revascularization procedures, especially percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Only one fifth of U.S. acute care hospitals offer such procedures. Investigators conducted a retrospective cohort study to compare rates of transfer to hospitals with revascularization facilities, rates of PCI and CABG within 30 days, and 1-year mortality in black patients and white patients.

This study cohort consisted of 1.13 million white and 85,000 black Medicare patients 68 and older who were admitted with AMI to 4600 U.S. hospitals between January 2000 and July 2005. Among patients who were admitted to hospitals without…

Reviewing Author

John A. Marx, MD, FAAEM, FACEP