sodium-ethylxanthate and Chest-Pain

The objective of the study is to evaluate cardiac risk factors and risk scores for prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) and adverse outcomes in an emergency department (ED) population judged to be at low to intermediate risk for acute coronary syndrome.. Informed consent was obtained from consecutive ED patients who presented with chest pain and were evaluated with coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA). Cardiac risk factors, clinical presentation, electrocardiogram, and laboratory studies were recorded; the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores were tabulated. Coronary computed tomography angiography findings were rated on a 6-level plaque burden scale and classified for significant CAD (stenosis ≥50%). Adverse cardiovascular outcomes were recorded at 30 days.. Among 250 patients evaluated by cCTA, 143 (57%) had no CAD, 64 (26%) demonstrated minimal plaque (<30% stenosis), 26 (10%) demonstrated mild plaque (<50% stenosis), 9 (4%) demonstrated moderate single vessel disease (50%-70% stenosis), 2 (1%) demonstrated moderate multivessel disease, and 6 (2%) demonstrated severe disease (>70% stenosis). Six patients developed adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Among traditional cardiac risk factors, only age (older) and sex (male) were significant independent predictors of CAD. Correlation with CAD was poor for the TIMI (r = 0.12) and GRACE (r = 0.09-0.23) scores. The TIMI and GRACE scores were not useful to predict adverse outcomes. Coronary computed tomography angiography identified severe CAD in all subjects with adverse outcomes.. Among ED patients who present with chest pain judged to be at low to intermediate risk for acute coronary syndrome, traditional risk factors are not useful to stratify risk for CAD and adverse outcomes. Coronary computed tomography angiography is an excellent predictor of CAD and outcome.

Topics: Acute Coronary Syndrome; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Chest Pain; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Stenosis; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sex; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Triage; Young Adult

Topics: Aged; Angina Pectoris; Attitude of Health Personnel; Cardiac Catheterization; Chest Pain; Coronary Disease; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Simulation; Physicians; Racial Groups; Sex

The aim of this research was to describe men and women who were discharged from the emergency department after having an initial suspicion of acute myocardial infarction ruled out in terms of patient characteristics, symptom reevaluation, electrocardiogram and exercise stress test. Consecutive patients below the age of 65 years who came to the emergency department of Sahlgrenska Hospital with acute chest pain or other symptoms raising suspicion of acute myocardial infarction for whom the suspicion was ruled out either directly in the emergency department or less than 1 day after hospital admission were included in the study. Four hundred and eighty-four patients participated, of whom 295 (61%) were men. Men had a higher prevalence of ischaemic heart disease. The cause of pain was judged similarly at reevaluation compared with in the emergency department in 53% of the cases. Only in 4.6% of the cases were the symptoms judged to be caused by myocardial ischaemia on both occasions. At the initial visit 36.0% of the patients were judged to have uncertain cause of the symptoms. This proportion was lowered to 26.4% at reevaluation. The exercise electrocardiogram at reevaluation revealed clinical and electrocardiographic signs indicating definite myocardial ischaemia in 2.6% of the cases. Early follow-up of patients discharged from the emergency department after acute myocardial infarction was ruled out revealed that a low proportion showed signs of myocardial ischaemia. In about half of the cases the judgement differed from that being made in the emergency department.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aftercare; Aged; Chest Pain; Continuity of Patient Care; Emergency Service, Hospital; Exercise Test; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardial Ischemia; Patient Discharge; Patient Readmission; Sex