The influence of cardiac rehabilitation on acute myocardial infarction patients' readmission rate in Santander, Colombia

Estimating the effect of post-infarction cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on readmission/re-hospitalization rates according to intervention level. This was a prospective cohort study of patients diagnosed as suffering acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Data concerning infarction severity, previous illness, medical history, hospital course, Killip classification, length of hospital stay and condition on discharge. Medical records and telephone contact were used to confirm whether a patient had received CR and ascertain pertinent components. Follow-up was extended to one year. 96 AMI patients of both genders were included; information about CR was available for 72 of them,5 of whom had received CR based only on physical activity. 49 patients received complete CR based on education, physical activity, psychological and nutritional assessment. 18 patients had not received CR. One death and 10 new admissions/hospitalizations were recorded during follow-up. A Poisson regression model showed that patients who had received CR based only on physical activity presented significantly higher re-hospitalization rates than patients who had received a complete CR scheme (rate ratio 5.89:1.14-30.4995 % CI; p=0.04). A multidisciplinary approach must bead opted to CR involving physical activity, education and psychological and nutritional assessment.