Cardio

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a new accelerated diagnostic protocol (ADP) for possible cardiac chest pain could identify low-risk patients suitable for early discharge (with follow-up shortly after discharge). BACKGROUND: Patients presenting with possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS), who have a low short-term risk of adverse cardiac events may be suitable for early discharge and shorter hospital stays. METHODS: This prospective observational study tested an ADP that included pre-test probability scoring by the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) score, electrocardiography, and 0 + 2 h values of laboratory troponin I as the sole biomarker...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

In the United States each year, >5.3 million patients present to emergency departments with chest discomfort and related symptoms. Ultimately, >1.4 million individuals are hospitalized for unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. For emergency physicians and cardiologists alike, these patients represent an enormous challenge to accurately diagnose and appropriately treat. This update of the 2002 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Unstable Angina and Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (UA/NSTEMI) provides an evidence-based approach to the diagnosis and treatment of these patients in the emergency department, in-hospital, and after hospital discharge...