Assigning priority to patients requiring coronary revascularization: consensus principles from a panel of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.

In light of lengthy waiting lists for coronary surgery in Canada, a panel of 16 cardiologists and cardiac surgeons was convened to derive guiding principles for ranking how urgently diverse patients with angiographically proven coronary disease require revascularization. Factors likely to affect urgency were agreed upon by the panelists and incorporated into a case scenario questionnaire. Each panelist then rated 438 case scenarios with respect to maximum acceptable waiting time on a scale with seven time frames ranging from emergency surgery ('level 1') to delays of up to six months ('level 7'). The scenario rating process facilitated attainment of a panel consensus. The purpose of the principles is to assist in assigning priorities to patients according to both symptoms and risk of death or additional morbidity from ischemic events. The pattern or severity of the patient's anginal symptoms and the response of those symptoms to medical therapy emerged as the single most important determinant of the level of urgency. Anatomy and noninvasive tests of ischemic risk were the other key determinants of priority. All other factors were less important, and operated largely within a given level of urgency on the seven-point scale. The principles, including explicit ranking criteria divided according to angina class, are outlined in this final report. The panel specifically cautioned that adoption of such principles is not designed to countenance delays in treatment, but if necessary, should help form more rational queues for coronary revascularization.