Emergency department admissions to inpatient cardiac telemetry beds: a prospective cohort study of risk stratification and outcomes

PURPOSE: Little is known about physicians' use of inpatient cardiac telemetry units among emergency department patients at risk for cardiac complications. We therefore studied the outcomes of patients admitted to inpatient telemetry beds to identify a subset of patients from whom cardiac monitoring could be withheld safely. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1, 033 consecutive adult patients admitted to an inpatient telemetry unit from the emergency department of a 700-bed urban public teaching hospital. Subjects with or without chest pain were risk-stratified using a prediction rule and observed for in-hospital cardiac complications, acute myocardial infarction, and transfer to an intensive care unit (ICU). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between patients with (n = 677) or patients without chest pain (n = 356) in the rates of major cardiac complications, myocardial infarctions, or transfers to an ICU. Among 318 patients with chest pain who were classified as being very low risk, none suffered major complications (negative predictive value 100%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 98.8% to 100%). Among 214 very low risk patients without chest pain, 1 (0.5%) had a major complication (negative predictive value 99.5%; 95% CI: 97.4% to 99.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The prediction rule accurately identified patients with or without chest pain who were at very low risk of major complications, identifying a subset from whom cardiac monitoring could be withheld safely.     

Characteristics and long-term outcome of patients with acute chest pain or other symptoms raising suspicion of acute myocardial infarction in relation to whether they were hospitalized or directly discharged from the emergency department

AIM: To describe the characteristics and outcome of patients who came to the emergency department due to chest pain or other symptoms raising suspicion of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in relation to whether they were hospitalized or directly discharged from the emergency department. METHODS: All patients arriving to the emergency department in one single hospital due to chest pain or other symptoms raising suspicion of AMI during a period of 21 months were followed for 10 years. RESULTS: In all, 5362 patients fulfilled the given criteria on 7157 occasions; 3381 (63%) were hospitalized and 1981 (37%) were directly discharged. Patients who were hospitalized were older and had a higher prevalence of previous cardiovascular diseases. The mortality during the subsequent 10 years was 52.1% among those hospitalized and 22.3% among those discharged (P < 0.0001). Risk indicators for death were similar in the two cohorts. However, many of these risk indicators including age, a history of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, hypertension, initial degree of suspicion of AMI, a pathologic electrocardiogram on admission and a confirmed AMI as underlying etiology were more strongly associated with the prognosis among patients directly discharged than among those hospitalized. Ten (0.5%) of the patients who were directly discharged from the emergency department were found to have a diagnosis of confirmed or possible AMI, making up 1% of all patients given such a diagnosis. These patients had a 10-year mortality of 80.0% compared with 65.7% among patients with a confirmed or possible AMI who were hospitalized. CONCLUSION: Of patients who came to the emergency department with acute chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of AMI about a third were directly discharged. Their mortality during the subsequent 10 years was half that of patients hospitalized. Various risk indicators for death were more strongly associated with prognosis in the patients who were directly discharged from the emergency department compared to those hospitalized. Of all patients given a diagnosis of confirmed or possible AMI, 1% were discharged from the emergency department. Their long-term mortality was high, maybe even higher than among AMI patients hospitalized.     

Five-year mortality in patients with acute chest pain in relation to smoking habits

BACKGROUND: Smoking is one of the major risk indicators for development of coronary artery disease, and smokers develop acute myocardial infarction (AMI) approximately a decade earlier than nonsmokers. In smokers with established coronary artery disease, quitting smoking has been associated with a more favorable prognosis. However, most of these studies comprised younger patients, the majority of whom were males. HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of the study was to determine mortality, mode of death, and risk indicators of death in relation to smoking habits among consecutive patients admitted to the emergency department with acute chest pain. METHODS: In all, 4,553 patients admitted with acute chest pain to the emergency department at Sahlgrenska University Hospital during a period of 21 months were included in the analyses and were prospectively followed for 5 years. RESULTS: Of these patients, 36% admitted current smoking. They were younger and had a lower prevalence of previous cardiovascular diseases than did nonsmokers. The 5-year mortality was 19.4% among smokers and 24.9% among non-smokers (p < 0.0001). However, when adjusting for difference in age, smoking was associated with an increased risk [relative risk (RR) 1.51; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-1.74; p < 0.0001]. Among patients presenting originally with chest pain, the increased mortality for smokers was more pronounced in patients with non-acute than acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Among patients who died, death in smokers was less frequently associated with new-onset myocardial infarction (MI) and congestive heart failure. Among those who smoked at onset of symptoms and were alive 1 year later, 25% had stopped smoking. Patients with a confirmed AMI who continued smoking 1 year after onset of symptoms had a higher mortality (28.4%) during the subsequent 4 years than patients who stopped smoking (15.2%; p = 0.049). CONCLUSION: In consecutive patients admitted to the emergency department with acute chest pain, current smoking was significantly associated with an increased risk of death during 5 years of follow-up. Among patients who died, death in smokers was less frequently associated with new-onset MI and congestive heart failure than was death in nonsmokers.     

Is telemetry monitoring necessary in low-risk suspected acute chest pain syndromes?

BACKGROUND: Non-ICU telemetry monitoring has proven to be a valuable resource for patients suspected of having an acute myocardial infarction. While a significant number of patients are admitted to these units, the actual incidence of events or interventions is low. OBJECTIVE: To identify a subset of patients in whom telemetry monitoring does not alter management. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Large tertiary care facility. PATIENTS: A total of 414 patients consecutively admitted from the emergency department for suspected acute coronary syndromes were studied. Patients were excluded if they presented with ST-segment elevations, were revascularized on hospital admission, were admitted to a surgical service, were transferred from another floor or unit, or remained in the emergency department for the course of the stay. OUTCOMES: Events were defined as development of myocardial infarction, episodes of chest pain, new or rapid atrial arrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias, any form of AV nodal block, and asystole. Intervention or change in management was any increase, decrease, or change in medication, cardioversion, electrophysiology study, or transfer to the ICU. RESULTS: Patients who had atypical chest pain and normal ECG findings were significantly less likely to have both intervention and events (4 interventions vs 23 interventions [p < 0.0001], 12 events vs 45 events [p < 0.0001]), compared to those with typical chest pain and abnormal ECG findings. When normal laboratory values were added, only four telemetry events were observed. CONCLUSION: Patients with atypical chest pain and normal ECG findings represent a subset of patients with low risk for life-threatening arrhythmia. Use of telemetry monitoring in this subset of patients should be reevaluated.     

Triage of patients with chest pain in the emergency department: a comparative study of physicians' decisions

PURPOSE: Little is known about physicians' triage decisions for patients with chest pain in the emergency department. We sought to understand better the variability and accuracy of physicians' triage decisions. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We used 20 simulated cases to compare triage decisions by 147 physicians (46 emergency medicine, 87 internal medicine, and 14 cardiology physicians) with triage decisions recommended by a previously validated prediction rule. We calculated triage sensitivity and specificity using the prediction rule to estimate the likelihood that each of the simulated patients would suffer a major complication. Triage sensitivity was defined as the proportion of all patients expected to have major complications who were triaged to the coronary care or inpatient telemetry unit. RESULTS: Triage specificity was defined as the proportion of all patients without complications who were triaged to sites other than the coronary care or inpatient telemetry unit.Physicians' triage decisions were less sensitive (85% vs. 96%, P <0.001) and less specific (38% vs. 41%, P = 0.02) than decisions recommended by the prediction rule. Physicians overestimated patients' risk of complications and triaged more patients to inpatient monitored beds. Despite their preference for inpatient monitored beds, physicians' decisions would have resulted in four times as many major complications in patients who were not triaged to inpatient monitored beds, compared with decisions recommended by the prediction rule (2.4% vs. 0.6%, P <0.001). Although physicians' decisions were best explained by their provisional diagnoses, interphysician agreement about triage decisions (kappa = 0.34) and diagnosis (kappa = 0.31) was only fair. CONCLUSIONS: In simulated cases, physicians' triage decisions varied widely and their predictions of patient outcomes differed markedly from that of the validated prediction rule, suggesting that use of the prediction rule in the emergency department could improve physicians' decisions and patients' outcomes.     

Prognosis of negative adenosine stress magnetic resonance in patients presenting to an emergency department with chest pain.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine the diagnostic value of adenosine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in troponin-negative patients with chest pain. BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that adenosine CMR could determine which troponin-negative patients with chest pain in an emergency department have coronary artery disease (CAD) or future adverse cardiac events. METHODS: Adenosine stress CMR was performed on 135 patients who presented to the emergency department with chest pain and had acute myocardial infarction (MI) excluded by troponin-I. The main study outcome was detecting any evidence of significant CAD. Patients were contacted at one year to determine the incidence of significant CAD defined as coronary artery stenosis >50% on angiography, abnormal correlative stress test, new MI, or death. RESULTS: Adenosine perfusion abnormalities had 100% sensitivity and 93% specificity as the single most accurate component of the CMR examination. Both cardiac risk factors and CMR were significant in Kaplan-Meier analysis (log-rank test, p = 0.0006 and p < 0.0001, respectively). However, an abnormal CMR added significant prognostic value in predicting future diagnosis of CAD, MI, or death over clinical risk factors. In receiver operator curve analysis, adenosine CMR was a more accurate predictor than cardiac risk factors (p < 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with chest pain who had MI excluded by troponin-I and non-diagnostic electrocardiograms, an adenosine CMR examination predicted with high sensitivity and specificity which patients had significant CAD during one-year follow-up. Furthermore, no patients with a normal adenosine CMR study had a subsequent diagnosis of CAD or an adverse outcome.     

Long-term survival of emergency department patients with acute chest pain.

To evaluate the long-term prognosis of patients with acute chest pain, prospective clinical data and long-term follow-up data (mean 30.1 +/- 9.4 months) were collected for 1,956 patients who presented to the emergency department of an urban teaching hospital with this chief complaint. During follow-up of the 1,915 patients who were discharged alive from the emergency department or hospital, there were 113 (6%) cardiovascular deaths. No differences were detected in the post-discharge cardiovascular survival rates after 3 years of experience with patients who were discharged from the emergency department with a known prior diagnosis of angina or myocardial infarction (89%) and patients who had been admitted and found to have acute myocardial infarction (85%), angina (87%), or other cardiovascular diagnoses (87%). Patients who were discharged from either the hospital or the emergency department without cardiovascular diagnoses had an excellent prognosis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified 5 independent correlates of cardiovascular mortality after discharge: age, prior history of coronary disease, ischemic changes on the emergency department electrocardiogram, congestive heart failure and cardiogenic shock. These findings indicate that the postdischarge cardiovascular mortality of patients with chest pain who are discharged from the emergency department with a known history of coronary disease is similar to that of admitted patients with angina or myocardial infarction. These data suggest that the same types of prognostic evaluation strategies that have been developed for admitted patients with ischemic heart disease should also be considered when such patients present to the emergency department but are not admitted.     

Low-risk patients with chest pain and without evidence of myocardial infarction may be safely discharged from emergency department.

AIMS: This study is an audit of the risk stratification of patients admitted to a university hospital emergency department with a suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The main aim of the study was to investigate the prognosis of those patients who were discharged to home from the emergency room (ER) or adjacent chest pain observation unit (CPU). METHODS AND RESULTS: Three thousand one hundred and seven consecutive patients admitted to the ER with a suspected ACS were retrospectively identified. Seven hundred and sixty-four (25%) patients were discharged from the ER and 417 (13%) from the CPU after observation and ruling out myocardial infarction (MI) and high-risk ACS. One thousand seven hundred and two patients were hospitalized. Follow-up end-points were cardiovascular mortality, hospitalization for ACS and incidence of any cardiovascular disease event during 6 months. During 4 weeks after the discharge from the ER and CPU cardiovascular mortality was 0.1% and 0.5% and during 6 months 0.8% and 1.7%, respectively. Within 6 months 4.2% and 8.4% of the patients were hospitalized for ACS and 9.3% and 11.5% had a cardiovascular disease event. CONCLUSIONS: Patients admitted with chest pain may be safely discharged from the emergency department, if there is no evidence of MI or high-risk ACS. However, further examination and appropriate treatment must be arranged.     

The prognostic utility of D-dimer and fibrin monomer at long-term follow-up after hospitalization with coronary chest pain

D-dimer and fibrin monomer both reflect a prothrombotic potential. There are limited data available comparing these two markers of activated coagulation in a prospective manner in an unselected patient population presenting to the emergency department with chest pain. In addition, their role in risk stratification in patients with acute coronary syndrome is still under evaluation. Therefore, we wanted to assess the prognostic value of these markers with respect to long-term all-cause mortality in 871 patients admitted to the emergency department. Blood samples were obtained immediately following admission. After a follow-up period of 24 months, 123 patients had died. In the univariate analysis, both D-dimer and fibrin monomer predicted all-cause mortality within 2 years with an odds ratio of 7.78 (95% confidence interval, 3.95-15.33) and 4.19 (95% confidence interval, 2.42-7.28), respectively, in the highest quartile (Q4) compared with the lowest quartile (Q1). However, in the multivariable logistic regression model for death within 2 years, the odds ratio of D-dimer and fibrin monomer was 1.80 (95% confidence interval, 0.81 to 3.97) and 1.04 (95% confidence interval, 0.53 to 2.04) in Q4 compared with Q1, respectively, and added no prognostic information above and beyond age, known coronary heart disease, B-type natriuretic peptide and the index diagnoses of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris. In an unselected patient population hospitalized with chest pain and potential acute coronary syndrome, neither D-dimer nor fibrin monomer provided complementary prognostic information to established risk determinants during long-term follow-up.     

Long-term morbidity in patients with acute chest pain. A comparison between a city university hospital and a county hospital

AIM: To compare long-term morbidity after hospital discharge in patients admitted to the emergency department with acute chest pain in a city university hospital and a county hospital. METHODS: Patients with acute chest pain admitted to the emergency department due to acute chest pain at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in G?teborg, Sweden, and at Uddevalla County Hospital in Uddevalla, Sweden, between October 21, 1996, and April 30, 1997, were retrospectively followed for 30 months. RESULTS: The mortality during the subsequent 30 months was similar in the two cohorts (16% in the city university hospital and 15% in the county hospital, respectively). In the city university hospital 1575 patients and in the county hospital 715 patients took part in the evaluation of survivors. Coronary angiography was performed less frequently in patients in the city hospital (14% versus 20%; p = 0.002) but there was no difference with regard to development of myocardial infarction (6% versus 7%), stroke (2% in both cohorts) or requirement of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) after hospital discharge. The proportion of patients who were rehospitalized did not differ, but the mean number of days in hospital per patient and per hospitalized patient was higher in the county hospital (10.2 +/- 17.2 versus 6.7 +/- 13.7 (p = 0.0003) and 17.3 +/- 19.5 versus 13.2 +/- 16.8 (p = 0.003), respectively). P-values were adjusted for differences in the patient's characteristics. The proportion of patients rehospitalized due to stable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias and heart investigation was higher in the county hospital. CONCLUSION: In chest pain patients admitted to a city university hospital and a county hospital morbidity differences were found after hospital discharge indicating a higher requirement of rehospitalization for various cardiac reasons and a higher use of coronary angiography in the county hospital after discharge from hospital. The mechanisms behind this observation are not clear at present.     

Chest pain in clinical practice: impact of routine troponin determination on clinical manifestations and care

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES. To study the significance of chest pain in the clinical practice of a Spanish hospital and to evaluate the impact of routine troponin determination. METHODS: In our institution, routine serial measurements of troponins I and T were made in the evaluation of chest pain in 2000. We compared the results obtained in 1999 for all patients who visited the emergency room for chest pain and the patients who were hospitalized. We recorded the diagnosis at discharge, duration of the hospital stay, and associated costs. RESULTS: In 2000, 1,820 patients with chest pain visited the emergency department, which was equivalent to 1.9% of visits and 7.5 cases per 1,000 people and year: 43% of these patients were hospitalized for suspected acute coronary syndrome as compared to 49% in 1999 (-12%; p > 0.001). Among the patients admitted, 28% were discharged with a diagnosis of non-ischemic chest pain. Troponin determinations were associated with a lower probability of admission due to unstable angina (11.5 vs 16.0%; -28%; p < 0.001) and non-ischemic chest pain (12.1 vs 14.5%; -16%; p < 0.05), and an increase in diagnoses of non-Q wave acute myocardial infarction (3.4% vs 1.8%; +89%; p < 0.01). Non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome ACS required 3,751 days of hospitalization and 1,003,420 euros of cost, and troponin determinations were associated with a reduction in hospital stays of 832 days (-18.2%) and 185,100 euros (-15.6%). CONCLUSION: Chest pain had a high incidence, 7.5, and generates high costs in hospital admissions. The routine use of serial troponin determinations was associated with a reduction in hospital admissions due to unstable angina and non-ischemic chest pain, and costs.     

Predictors and mode of death over 5 years amongst patients admitted to the emergency department with acute chest pain or other symptoms raising suspicion of acute myocardial infarction

Herlitz J, Karlson BW, Lindqvist J, Sjölin M (Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden). Predictors and mode of death over 5 years amongst patients admitted to the emergency department with acute chest pain or other symptoms raising suspicion of acute myocardial infarction. J Intern Med 1998; 243 : 41–48.  

Aim

To describe the mortality and mode of death over 5 years, and factors associated with death amongst patients with acute chest pain.  

Patients

All patients who came to the emergency department at Sahlgrenska Hospital in Göteborg with acute chest pain or other symptoms raising suspicion of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during a 21-month period.  

Results

In all, 5241 patients were evaluated, of whom 1345 (26%) died during the 5 years of follow-up. The following factors were independent predictors of an increased risk of death: age ( P < 0.001); male sex ( P < 0.001); symptoms of acute congestive heart failure ( P < 0.001) or unspecific symptoms on admission ( P < 0.05); smoking ( P < 0.001); a history of either congestive heart failure ( P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus ( P < 0.001), previous myocardial infarction ( P < 0.001) or hypertension ( P < 0.05); initial degree of suspicion of AMI ( P < 0.001) and presence of pathological electrocardiogram ( P < 0.001) on admission to hospital. Amongst patients who died, 66% died a cardiac death and 35% died in association with a myocardial infarction.  

Conclusion

Amongst patients admitted to the emergency department due to chest pain or other symptoms raising suspicion of AMI, several predictors based on clinical history and clinical presentation can be defined, which are strongly related to the long-term prognosis.     

Comparison of cardiac troponin T versus creatine kinase-MB for risk stratification in a chest pain evaluation unit

We evaluated cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) for risk stratification of chest pain unit (CPU) patients. We studied 383 consecutive patients with chest pain assigned to our CPU by emergency department physicians. At baseline all had normal or nondiagnostic electrocardiograms, no high-risk clinical features, and negative CK/CK-MB. CK-MB and electrocardiograms were taken at 0, 4, 8, and 12 hours and cTnT at 0, 4, and 8 hours. Eight patients (2.1%) were CK-MB positive and 39 (10.2%) were cTnT positive, including all but 1 CK-MB-positive patient. All marker-positive patients were detected by 8 hours. Seven cTnT-positive patients and 1 cTnT-negative patient had myocardial infarction (p <0.0001). cTnT-positive patients were older, less likely to be women or smokers, and more often had diabetes mellitus or known coronary disease (CAD). Seventy-one percent of patients underwent diagnostic testing. cTnT-positive patients more often underwent angiography (46% vs 20%) and underwent stress testing less often (28% vs 57%) than cTnT-negative patients. When performed, their stress tests were more often positive (46% vs 14%) and they more often had angiographically significant lesions (89% vs 49%) and multivessel disease (67% vs 29%). There were no short-term deaths. Long-term mortality was higher in cTnT-positive patients (27% vs 7%, p <0.0001). Thus, cTnT identified more CPU patients with myocardial necrosis and multivessel CAD than CK-MB and a population with high long-term mortality risk. Routine use of cTnT in CPUs could facilitate risk stratification and management.     

Prognostic significance of troponin T elevation in patients without chest pain

Increased cardiac troponin with chest pain is important for the diagnosis, triage, and treatment of patients in the emergency department. However, the use of troponin for the diagnosis and triage of patients without chest pain is poorly established. The aim of this study was to determine 30-day and 1-year mortality and morbidity of troponin T increases in patients without chest pain. This retrospective study compared 92 hospitalized patients without (study group) and 91 patients with chest pain (control group), followed up for 1 year. Study group patients had troponin T >0.04 mug/L, normal creatine kinase or creatine kinase-MB fraction <5%, and no electrocardiographic ischemia. Excluded were high-risk patients with end-stage kidney disease, those with left ventricular ejection fraction <40%, and the critically ill. Outcome variables included 30-day and 1-year death, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and coronary revascularization rates. Thirty-day (13.0% vs 4.4%; p = 0.032) and 1-year (33% vs 4.6%; p <0.001) mortality rates were significantly higher in the study group, whereas myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and revascularization were infrequent. In conclusion, patients with increased troponin T and no chest pain had a high mortality rate and required careful follow-up.     

Prognosis and risk indicators of death during a period of 10 years for women admitted to the emergency department with a suspected acute coronary syndrome

AIM: To describe the 10-year prognosis and risk indicators of death in women admitted to the emergency department with acute chest pain or other symptoms raising a suspicion of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Particular interest was paid to women of 相似文献   

Intérêt du coroscanner en urgence pour l’exclusion de la maladie coronaire chez les patients souffrant de douleur thoracique à risque faible ou intermédiaire

Purpose

To demonstrate the usefulness of the multislice computer tomography coronary angiography (CCTA) in patients with suspected acute chest pain without electrical changes or enzyme rise, and with low cardiovascular risk.

Patients and methods

Fifty-three patients at low or intermediate risk for coronary artery disease, who were admitted in the emergency department for an acute chest pain, and who underwent a CCTA, were included in the study. Results of the CCTA were classified as normal, non-obstructive stenosis (≤ 50% stenosis in diameter), obstructive stenosis (> 50% stenosis in diameter). The mortality was assessed during a 4-years follow-up period.

Results

Mean age was 61 years (36–86), 43% of patients were women. The CCTA was normal in 35 patients (66%), seven patients (13%) had non-obstructive stenosis and 11 (21%) had obstructive stenosis. In the group of normal CCTA, 8.5% of patients were admitted in cardiac intensive care unit, 57.1% in the non-obstructive stenosis and 90.9% in the group of obstructive stenosis. No deaths occurred during the 4-year follow up in the group of patients with normal CCTA.

Conclusion

This study confirms the negative predictive value of CCTA for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and for further clinical events in patients at low or intermediate risk referred to emergency department for an acute chest pain.     

N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide identifies patients with chest pain at high long-term cardiovascular risk

Background

Little is known about the long-term prognostic value of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in low-risk patients with chest pain.

Methods

Between June 1997 and January 2000, a standard rule-out protocol was performed in patients presenting to the emergency department within 6 hours of onset of chest pain with a normal or nondiagnostic electrocardiogram (ECG) on admission at the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam and Medical Center Alkmaar, The Netherlands. Patients with acute coronary syndrome were identified by troponin T, recurrent angina, and serial ECGs. CRP and NT-proBNP on admission were measured using standardized methods.

Results

A total of 524 patients were included (145 with acute coronary syndrome and 379 with rule-out acute coronary syndrome). Long-term follow-up was successfully carried out in 96% of the study population. Death occurred in 78 patients (15%), 43 (11%) in the rule-out acute coronary syndrome group and 35 (24%) in the acute coronary syndrome group (P < .001). In the rule-out acute coronary syndrome group, 21 patients (42%) died of a cardiovascular cause compared with 24 patients (69%) in the acute coronary syndrome group (P < .001). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, age more than 65 years, previous myocardial infarction, known chronic heart failure, a nondiagnostic ECG on admission, and elevated NT-proBNP levels (>87 pg/mL, as derived from the receiver operating characteristic curve) were independent predictors of long-term cardiovascular mortality in the rule-out acute coronary syndrome group. In the acute coronary syndrome group, these predictors were age more than 65 years, documented coronary artery disease, and elevated NT-proBNP levels. Elevated levels of CRP were an independent predictor for cardiovascular mortality in patients with rule-out acute coronary syndrome at 3-year follow-up only. In patients with rule-out acute coronary syndrome with normal CRP and NT-proBNP levels, the cardiovascular mortality incidence rate was 4.7 per 1000 person-years, compared with a death rate of 20 in patients with both biomarkers elevated, which was comparable to the 17.9 per 1000 person-years incidence rate in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Conclusion

A positive biomarker panel discriminates patients with rule-out acute coronary syndrome chest pain with a normal or nondiagnostic ECG who have a high risk for long-term cardiovascular mortality.     

Triage decisions for emergency department patients with chest pain

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether physicians’ risk attitudes correlate with their triage decisions for emergency department patients with acute chest pain. DESIGN: Cohort. SETTING: The emergency department of a university teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Patients presenting to the emergency department with a chief complaint of acute chest pain. PHYSICIANS: All physicians who were primarily responsible for the emergency department triage of at least one patient with acute chest pain from July 1990 to July 1991. METHODS: The physicians’ risk attitudes were assessed by two methods: 1) a new, six-question risk-taking scale adapted from the Jackson Personality Index (JPI), and 2) the Stress from Uncertainty Scale (SUS). RESULTS: The physicians who had high risk-taking scores (“risk seekers”) admitted only 31% of the patients they evaluated, compared with admission rates of 44% for the medium scorers and 53% for the physicians who had low risk-taking scores (“risk avoiders”), p<0.001. After adjustment for clinical factors, the patients triaged by the risk-seeking physicians had half the odds of admission [odds ratio (OR) 0.51, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.27 to 0.97], and the patients triaged by the risk-avoiding physicians had nearly twice the odds of admission (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.10 to 3.03) of the patients triaged by the medium-risk scoring physicians. The SUS did not correlate significantly with admission rates. Of the 92 patients released home by the risk-seeking physicians, 91 (99%) were known to be alive four to six weeks afterwards and one was lost to follow-up; among the 66 patients released by the risk-avoiding physicians, 64 (97%) were known to be alive at four to six weeks, one was lost to follow-up, and one died of ischemic heart disease during a subsequent hospitalization (p=NS). CONCLUSIONS: The physicians’ risk attitudes as measured by a brief risk-taking scale correlated significantly with then-rates of admission for emergency department patients with acute chest pain. These data do not suggest that the risk-seeking physicians achieved lower admission rates by releasing more patients who needed to be in the hospital, but an adequate evaluation of the appropriateness of triage decisions of risk-seeking and risk-avoiding physicians will require further study.     

Long-term outcome in patients with angina-like chest pain and normal coronary angiograms

BACKGROUND: Short-term prognosis of patients with chest pain and angiographically smooth coronary arteries is good in terms of development of coronary events (fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction, coronary death, new coronary heart disease), but long-term studies are rare. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 185 consecutive patients (mean age 54 +7.8 years, 59% male)with typical angina pectoris or atypical chest pain who underwent coronary angiography between 1980 and 1989 and had completely normal coronary arteries and left ventricular function (mean ejection fraction 68%) were followed over a period of 12.0 +/- 2.9 years. Exercise tests showed ischemia in 51 patients (ECG) and 21 patients (myocardial scintigraphy), respectively. 173 patients could be recruited for follow-up. RESULTS: One patient died from acute myocardial infarction (0.05% per year). Nine patients died potentially from cardiac causes (0.51% per year) and seven from extracardial diseases. No nonfatal myocardial infarctions were documented. Six patients developed an angiographically documented coronary heart disease with significant stenoses after a mean follow-up of 12.7 years (0.3% per year). These patients had significantly more coronary risk factors than patients without coronary heart disease (2.8 vs. 1.8; p < 0.05) but not more often pathologic findings in rest-ECG (28% vs. 36%; not significant [n.s.]) and exercise test-ing (14% vs. 32%; n.s.). Frequency and intensity of chest pain remained unchanged in 34% of the patients. Symptoms regressed in more patients with an initially negative exercise test compared to patients who had a positive exercise test (78% vs. 54%;p < 0.05). The decrease in patients taking nitrates did not differ significantly between both groups (-42% vs. -27%; n.s.). CONCLUSION: Patients suffering from angina-like chest pain with normal coronary angiograms have a good long-term prognosis which does not differ from the general population of the same age. Patients with positive stress tests will have less relief from their symptoms than patients with a negative stress test over many years.     

Prognosis in diabetics with chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction.

We evaluated the prognosis of 599 diabetics who came to the emergency department with chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). They made up 8% of the patients with such symptoms (n = 7,157). Diabetics had a 1-year mortality rate of 25% as compared with 10% for nondiabetics (p less than 0.001). The difference remained significant regardless of whether there was a strong or a vague initial suspicion of AMI. On admission, independent risk factors for death were age, acute congestive heart failure and initial degree of suspicion of AMI. We conclude that among diabetics who appear in the emergency department with chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of AMI, 25% are dead within 1 year. The prognosis is directly related to the initial suspicion of AMI.