What is the mode for the variable inpatient complications in Table 2 of the Winkler et al. (2014) study? What percentage of the study participants had this complication?
Considering that the mode is the number with the highest frequency, the variable inpatient complication in the study would be 8% as suggested by Winkler et al. (2014) “AMI post admission for patients admitted with UA” pp. 423.
Does the distribution of inpatient complications have a single mode, or is this distribution bimodal or multimodal?
A binomial distribution is observed where AMI post admission is provided as 21 and transfer to ICU as 17. Apparently, the complication is considerably higher relative to others, including cardiac arrest (7), AMI extension (6), cardiogenic shock (5), and new severe heart failure (2).
As reported in Table 1, what are the three most common cardiovascular medical history events in this study, and why is it clinically important to know the frequency of these events?
Key events observed with the highest frequency regarding cardiovascular medical history participants included, personal history of CAD with 63%, history of unstable angina with 45%, and previous acute myocardial infarction with 41%. It is imperative to note that the clinical significance of obtain the pertinent information is reflected by the information showing that some of the patients at risk had no history of CAD. Nevertheless, the considerable number of patients with ACS (60%) having a history of CAD makes it easier to diagnose ACS. Apparently, the presence of the three key events increases the chances of positive ACS diagnosis.
What are the mean and median lengths of stay (LOS) for the study participants?
From table 2, it is evident that the mean and median Lengths of stay are 5.37 days and 4 days, correspondingly.
Are the mean and median for LOS similar or different? What might this indicate about the distribution of the sample?
The mean LOS, 5.37 days is higher relative to median LOS, 4 days, and, therefore the two are different. The indication provided here is that there are more patients’ size with LOS lower than 5.37 than those whose LOS surpasses the mean. Even though fewer participants from the sample had LOS exceeding the mean, the absolute value of days could surpass the average beyond 4.
What was the second most common arrhythmia in this sample?
According to the study, PVC that exceeds 50/hours at 22% is the most common followed by non-sustained ventricular tachycardia with 15%.
Was the most common arrhythmia related to LOS? Was this result statistically significant?
PVC was related to LOS and there was a prediction in the increase of p < 0.0001. The value p < 0.0001 is significant since it was considerably lower relative to the set value of 0.05.
What study variables were independently predictive of the 50 premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) per hour in this study?
Age factor and presence of myocardial infraction were significant variables where patients above 65 years and positive diagnosis of the condition were independent variables of 50 premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) per hour.
In Table 1, what race is the mode for this sample? Should these study findings be generalized to American Indians with ACS?
White participants made considerable portion, more than half, of the whole sample. Nevertheless, generalization of the findings among American Indians is vital. The group made 8% of the total sample.
Reference List
Winkler, C., Funk, M., Schindler, D. M., Hemsey, J. Z., Lampert, R., & Drew, B. J. (2013). Arrhythmias in patients with acute coronary syndrome in the first 24 hours of hospitalization. Heart & Lung, 42(6), 422–427. Web.