September 18th, 2008

Reports the Associated Press:

“The in-hospital death rate for heart-bypass surgery patients in Pennsylvania declined in 2006 to its lowest level in more than a decade, a watchdog group said in report being released Thursday.

Bypass patient readmission rates also declined between 2005 and 2006, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council said in a report on coronary bypass and heart-valve procedures.

The 2006 bypass mortality rate was 1.8 percent, half the 1990 rate and down one-tenth of a percentage point from 2005. During the same one-year period, 5.4 percent of all bypass patients were readmitted to the hospital within a week of being discharged, down from 5.5 percent in 2005, and 13 percent were readmitted within 30 days, compared with 13.6 percent in 2005.”