The Appropriate Utilization of Beta-Blockers in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: An Improvement Initiative

Background and objective Beta-blockers are a cornerstone in the management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), effectively reducing myocardial oxygen demand, preventing recurrent ischemia, and lowering the risk of arrhythmias and reinfarction. Despite several established guidelines, such as those by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), advocating their use within 24 hours for eligible patients, beta-blockers remain underutilized in clinical practice. This study aimed to analyze beta-blocker utilization patterns in ACS management and evaluate the impact of targeted improvement initiatives on their appropriate use in eligible ACS patients. Methods A two-phase study was conducted at Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, India. Phase I (October 2019 to May 2021) retrospectively analyzed the records of 1100 ACS patients. Phase II (July 2021 to October 2023) evaluated post-implementation outcomes of improvement measures, including physician education and a standardized prescription checklist. Patients were categorized based on adherence to beta-blocker guidelines and analyzed for utilization gaps. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS Statistics version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), with significance set at a p-value <0.05. Results Post-intervention, beta-blocker adherence significantly improved from 74.5% to 92.7% (p<0.001). Late initiation without valid reasons (Group B) decreased from 15.5 to 3.6%, and non-initiation despite eligibility (Group C) decreased from 10 to 3.6%. These changes were statistically significant, highlighting the effectiveness of the improvement initiatives. Barriers to beta-blocker use included physician hesitancy when treating patients with relative contraindications. Targeted interventions, such as education and protocol standardization, helped to bridge this gap, aligning practices with global guideline recommendations. Conclusions Early and appropriate beta-blocker use in ACS management is crucial for improving patient outcomes. This study demonstrates that targeted interventions can significantly enhance guideline adherence, optimizing ACS care in resource-limited settings.