12 Things Cardiologists Think Hospitalists Need to Know
12) Be Cognizant of Stent Thrombosis and How to Manage It
Dr. Harold says that most hospitalists probably are up to date on drug-eluting stents and the risk of stopping dual antiplatelet therapy within several months of implant, but that doesn't mean they won't treat patients whose primary-care physicians (PCPs) aren't up to date. He recommends working on these cases with hematologists.
"That knowledge is not widespread in terms of the internal-medicine community," he says. "I've seen situations where patients have had their Plavix stopped for colonoscopies and they've had stent thrombosis. It's this knowledge of cardiac patients who come in with recent deployment of drug-eluting stents who may end up having other issues."