Deaths lead to scrutiny of two Massachusetts heart units

Massachusetts public health officials have begun monitoring heart programs at Massachusetts General Hospital and at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester after discovering that they had high death rates in 2007 among patients who underwent cardiac catheterization procedures. An analysis of mortality data showed that 43 of 1,543 patients died at Mass. General and 16 of 112 patients died at St. Vincent. The death rates were significantly higher than the state average for patients who undergo the procedure to remove blockages in their coronary arteries.