Open Access Emerg Med
December 2024
Background: ST elevation combined with typical chest pain is an indication for acute coronary vascularization and is usually associated with acute myocardial infarction. Herein, we present an unusual case of ST elevation.
Case Presentation: A 57-year-old male patient presented to the emergency department with chest pain radiating to both arms and the back.
Background: Dengue fever is a common infectious disease in the tropical and subtropical zones, with more than 100 million symptomatic cases per year. Mosquitoes of the genus Aedes (Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopticus) are vectors of the disease, and their spread has led to rising case numbers around the world. Physicians in Europe, too, are increasingly being confronted by this challenge.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Point-of-care (POC) high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays may further accelerate the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI).
Objectives: This study sought to assess the clinical and analytical performance of the novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI)-SPINCHIP POC test.
Methods: Adult patients presenting with acute chest discomfort to the emergency department were enrolled in an international, diagnostic, multicenter study.
Lancet Digit Health
July 2024
Background: The myocardial-ischaemic-injury-index (MI) is a novel machine learning algorithm for the early diagnosis of type 1 non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). The performance of MI, both when using early serial blood draws (eg, at 1 h or 2 h) and in direct comparison with guideline-recommended algorithms, remains unknown. Our aim was to externally validate MI and compare its performance with that of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1h-algorithm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiagnostic and therapeutic decision-making in pregnancy with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) is challenging. European and other international professional societies have proposed various recommendations that are ambiguous, probably due to the unavailability of randomized controlled trials. In the following sections, we discuss the supporting diagnostic steps and treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStreptococcus pyogenes is a human pathogenic, gram positive bacterium that primarily leads to pharyngitis or soft tissue infections. Primary peritonitis caused by S. pyogenes infection is rare and there are only a few published cases worldwide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound negative impact on the psychological wellbeing of healthcare providers (HPs), but little is known about the factors that positively predict mental health of primary care staff during these dire situations.
Methods: We conducted an online questionnaire survey among 702 emergency department workers across 10 hospitals in Switzerland and Belgium following the first COVID-19 wave in 2020, to explore their psychological vulnerability, perceived concerns, self-reported impact and level of pandemic workplace preparedness. Participants included physicians, nurses, psychologists and nondirect care employees (administrative staff).
Background: The SMART Medical Clearance Form, developed in the USA, is used to standardize the medical evaluation of emergency patients with primarily psychiatric manifestations. The goal of this study was external validation of the use of this form.
Methods: Data were collected retrospectively on emergency patients with psychiatric manifestations.
Background: The high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) I point-of-care (POC) hs-cTnI-PATHFAST assay has recently become clinically available.
Methods: We aimed to externally validate the hs-cTnI-PATHFAST 0/1h-algorithm recently developed for the early diagnosis of non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and derive and validate a 0/2-algorithm in patients presenting to the emergency department with acute chest discomfort included in a multicenter diagnostic study. Two independent cardiologists centrally adjudicated the final diagnoses using all the clinical and study-specific information available including serial measurements of hs-cTnI-Architect.
Background: Little is known about patients with cancer presenting with acute chest discomfort to the emergency department (ED).
Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), outcomes, and the diagnostic utility of recommended diagnostic tools in this population.
Methods: Patients presenting with chest pain to the ED were prospectively enrolled in an international multicenter diagnostic study with central adjudication.
Glucose is a universally available inexpensive biomarker, which is increased as part of the physiological stress response to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and may therefore help in its early diagnosis. To test this hypothesis, glucose, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) T, and hs-cTnI were measured in consecutive patients presenting with acute chest discomfort to the emergency department (ED) and enrolled in a large international diagnostic study (NCT00470587). Two independent cardiologists centrally adjudicated the final diagnosis using all clinical data, including serial hs-cTnT measurements, cardiac imaging and clinical follow-up.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe association between emergency department (ED) length of stay (EDLOS) with in-hospital mortality (IHM) in older patients remains unclear. This retrospective study aims to delineate the relationship between EDLOS and IHM in elderly patients. From the ED patients (n = 383,586) who visited an urban academic tertiary care medical center from January 2010 to December 2016, 78,478 older patients (age ≥60 years) were identified and stratified into three age subgroups: 60-74 (early elderly), 75-89 (late elderly), and ≥90 years (longevous elderly).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: The presence of accompanying dyspnoea is routinely assessed and common in patients presenting with acute chest pain/discomfort to the emergency department (ED). We aimed to assess the association of accompanying dyspnoea with differential diagnoses, diagnostic work-up, and outcome.
Methods And Results: We enrolled patients presenting to the ED with chest pain/discomfort.
Study Objective: The diagnostic performance of T-wave amplitudes for the detection of myocardial infarction is largely unknown. We aimed to address this knowledge gap.
Methods: T-wave amplitudes were automatically measured in 12-lead ECGs of patients presenting with acute chest discomfort to the emergency department within a prospective diagnostic multicenter study.
The effect of emergency department (ED) length of stay (EDLOS) on in-hospital mortality (IHM) remains unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the association between EDLOS and IHM. We searched the PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Scopus databases from their inception until 14−15 January 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of the Dimension EXL LOCI High-Sensitivity Troponin I (hs-cTnI-EXL) assay.
Methods: This multicenter study included patients with chest discomfort presenting to the emergency department. Diagnoses were centrally and independently adjudicated by two cardiologists using all available clinical information.
Aims: After rule-out of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1 h-algorithms, it is unclear which patients require further anatomical or functional cardiac testing. To test the safety and efficacy of the no-objective-testing (NOT)-rules after NSTEMI rule-out by the ESC 0/1 h-algorithms.
Methods And Results: International, prospective, diagnostic multicentre study enrolling adult patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department.
Heart Rhythm
October 2022
Background: Current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Rhythm Society (ACC/AHA/HRS) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines recommend different strategies to avoid low-yield admissions in patients with syncope.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to directly compare the safety and efficacy of applying admission criteria of both guidelines to patients presenting with syncope to the emergency department in 2 multicenter studies.
Methods: The international BASEL IX (BAsel Syncope EvaLuation) study (median age 71 years) and the U.