PAA's Total Cardiac Protection Program Reduces Perioperative Cardiac Complications
03.23.2009
Through their Clinical Practice Committee and in partnership with Mid Carolina Cardiology, Presbyterian Anesthesia Associates has created a perioperative environment which ensures the greatest possible cardiac safety for our patients. PAA's Clinical Practice Committee has authored numerous policies and guidelines directed at processes that extend from the initial preoperative evaluation through the postoperative period. Processes addressed by the CPC include:
- Formal criteria and methods of preoperative cardiac testing, with strict adherence to ACC guidelines
- Special techniques for evaluation and management of patients with pacemakers and internal Cardiac defibrillators
- Evaluation and management techniques specific for patients with coronary stents.
- Perioperative protocols for beta blocker usage for patients at high risk f or cardiac events (we fulfill SCIP requirements and partner with Presbyterian Hospital in achieving their CMS Pay for Performance objectives
- Establishing a 5 minute response time for Cardiologist evaluation and assistance in managing intra- and postoperative cardiac events
The results of PAA’s Total Cardiac Protection program include perioperative myocardial infarction and stroke rates that are a fraction of the national average. The perioperative MI rate nationally hovers around 0.5% for a mixture of cases. At Presbyterian our rate is 0.01% over the last 18 months.
Given Presbyterian’s surgical volume system-wide, a tremendous reduction in anticipated morbidity and mortality has been achieved:
The monetary savings to Presbyterian are also enormous. And it’s unlikely that CMS will continue reimbursing for the management of such postoperative complications:
With programs such as Total Cardiac Protection, Presbyterian Anesthesia Associates continues to provide the highest quality, safest anesthetic care available.