Geographic Variations in In‐Hospital Mortality and Use of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Following Acute Myocardial Infarction in China: A Nationwide Cross‐Sectional Analysis

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is increasing in China, and AMI has become a major cause of mortality; however, information is very limited about the nationwide geographic and hospital variation in in‐hospital mortality (IHM) and the use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after AMI. METHODS AND RESULTS: From the Nationwide Hospital Discharge Database of China, we identified 242 866 adult admissions with AMI in 2015 from 1055 tertiary hospitals. We used multivariable logistic regressions to analyze the associations between geographic or hospital characteristics with IHM or PCI use. The national IHM rate was 4.71% (95% confidence interval, 4.62–4.79%). There was a greater risk of mortality in the Northeast (odds ratio [OR]: 1.86), West (OR: 1.73), South (OR: 1.32), and North (OR: 1.14) regions than in the East region of China. Non–teaching hospitals (OR: 1.18) and tertiary level B hospitals (OR: 1.06) were associated with higher IHM rates. The national PCI use rate was 45.3% (95% confidence interval, 45.1–45.5%). Compared with the East region of China, PCI use was lower in the Northeast (OR: 0.50), West (OR: 0.64), North (OR: 0.84), and South (OR: 0.88) regions. Non–teaching hospitals (OR: 0.83) and tertiary level B hospitals (OR: 0.55) were also associated with lower usage rates. There was a significant negative correlation between IHM and PCI use (r=−0.955), and IHM rates for patients with and without PCI both differed by geographic regions. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences in IHM and PCI use among China's tertiary hospitals, linked to both geographic and hospital characteristics. More targeted intervention at national and regional levels is needed to improve access to effective health technologies and, eventually, outcomes following AMI.