Background: We aimed to externally validate an emergency department triage algorithm including five hierarchical clinical variables developed to identify chest pain patients at low risk of having an acute coronary syndrome justifying delayed rather than immediate evaluation.
Methods: In a single-centre cohort enrolling 29,269 consecutive patients presenting with chest pain, the performance of the algorithm was compared against the emergency department discharge diagnosis. In an international multicentre study enrolling 4069 patients, central adjudication by two independent cardiologists using all data derived from cardiac work-up including follow-up served as the reference. Triage towards 'low-risk' required absence of all five clinical 'high-risk' variables: history of coronary artery disease, diabetes, pressure-like chest pain, retrosternal chest pain and age above 40 years. Safety (sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV)) and efficacy (percentage of patients classified as low risk) was tested in this initial proposal (Model A) and in two additional models: omitting age criteria (Model B) and allowing up to one (any) of the five high-risk variables (Model C).
Results: The prevalence of acute coronary syndrome was 9.4% in the single-centre and 28.4% in the multicentre study. The triage algorithm had very high sensitivity/NPV in both cohorts (99.4%/99.1% and 99.9%/99.1%, respectively), but very low efficacy (6.2% and 2.7%, respectively). Model B resulted in sensitivity/NPV of 97.5%/98.3% and 96.1%/89.4%, while efficacy increased to 14.2% and 10.4%, respectively. Model C resulted in sensitivity/NPV of 96.7%/98.6% and 95.2%/91.3%, with a further increase in efficacy to 23.1% and 15.5%, respectively.
Conclusion: A triage algorithm for the identification of low-risk chest pain patients exclusively based on simple clinical variables provided reasonable performance characteristics possibly justifying delayed rather than immediate evaluation in the emergency department.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2048872620903452 | DOI Listing |
Acad Emerg Med
December 2024
Fellowship in Emergency Trauma, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Background: Pain management is a critical part of treatment in patients with chest trauma. Opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been the most commonly used medications. However, their side effects have drawn attention to other medications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
November 2024
Biostatistics, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing, USA.
Background Preventive measures are critical in avoiding and limiting the severity of diseases. Key lifestyle behaviors include sleep hygiene, habitual exercise, a healthy diet, and avoidance of risky substances, particularly the use of tobacco. The transtheoretical model (TTM) of change suggests that patients can move towards healthful changes through education.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJACC Adv
January 2025
Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute/Atrium Health, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Background: The burden of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) worldwide is increasing as the leading cause of death; there are scant data on system-based initiatives and performance metrics relative to its management in low- and middle-income countries where resources are frequently limited.
Objectives: The Global Heart Attack Treatment Initiative (GHATI) ultimate aim is improving evidence-based STEMI care, adherence to guidelines, and tracking of clinical and institutional indicators in low- and middle-income countries. To achieve that goal, the process of care and outcomes of STEMI patients in those nations will be studied.
Cureus
December 2024
Critical Care, Unidade Local de Saúde de Braga, Braga, PRT.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) varies in clinical presentation, ranging from mild pneumonia characterized by fever and productive cough to severe pneumonia characterized by respiratory distress and sepsis. We present a 40-year-old woman who presents to the emergency room with dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, productive cough with hemoptysis, and fever. On physical examination, the patient presents with tachypnea and hypotension, which proved refractory to fluid therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cardiothorac Surg
December 2024
Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130041, PR China.
Background: Bronchial artery pseudoaneurysm is a rare vascular disorder, and cases of bronchial pseudoaneurysms reported after lung surgery are even rarer. The number of reported cases is very limited due to the unclear pathogenesis, lack of diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines, and nonspecific clinical manifestations.
Case Presentation: The paper reports a case of a patient with primary lung adenocarcinoma who developed hemoptysis, chest and back pain, and right hemothorax after lobectomy.
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