Improving STEMI management in the emergency department: Examining the role of minority groups and sociodemographic characteristics.

Objective: To evaluate whether a fast-track intervention program will reduce time-lags of patients with STEMI considering minority groups, various socioeconomic status (SES) and clinical risk factors.

Methods: A retrospective-archive study was conducted according to clinical guidelines, comparing all STEMI patients (n = 140) admitted to the emergency department (ED) before (n = 60) and during (n = 80) implementation of the fast track intervention program. The program comprised four steps: (1) immediate bed rest, (2) marking patient chart, (3) assessing time-lags according to defined clinical guidelines, and (4) physician signing a dedicated sticker on the ECG.

Choosing wisely in the ED: The diagnostic cascade of needless medical testing in a two-level study.

Background: The diagnostic cascade in the emergency department (ED) has not been fully elucidated. Aim To inspect whether the usage of consulting medicine and imaging contributes to hospital outcomes. We also propose a theoretical model for better understanding the diagnostic cascade of needless medical testing.

Round-off decision-making: Why do triage nurses assign STEMI patients with an average priority?

Unlabelled: Patients with suspected ST elevation myocardial infarction should be classified with a high-priority triage level in the Emergency Department. Accurate triage can reduce mortality and morbidity in ST elevation myocardial infarction patients. Yet, half of these patients were given a low-priority score, especially the average classification (P3 on a P1-P5 scale).