Acute coronary syndrome.

Implementation of the AHA/ACC standards for AMI is crucial for patient management and outcomes. The Centers for Medicare/Medicaid (CMS) has established indicators within the AMI core measure to ensure the evidence-based care is provided during the hospital stay. This core measure includes specific indicators that must be documented in the medical record. Refer to Box 2 for a list of the indicators. A recent announcement by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated the United States is declaring war on heart disease. Current costs for treating heart disease and stroke is estimated to be $1 out of every $6 in health care expenditures. This initiative is called the "Million Hearts Initiative." Ten states will receive $85 million in grants for the purpose of addressing chronic diseases targeting weight reduction, smoking cessation, control of lipids, and prevention of diabetes. Early recognition and early intervention for patients with ACS, followed by management of risk factors with secondary prevention strategies, are key to decreasing ACS-related mortality. Management of the ACS patient does not end with discharge from the hospital, but is continued throughout the patient's lifetime.