Project description:ImportancePatients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain are routinely risk stratified for major adverse cardiac events using the HEART (History, Electrocardiogram, Age, Risk factors, and Troponin) score pathway, which incorporates clinical features, risk factors, electrocardiography findings, and initial serum troponin testing. A new HEART pathway incorporating high-sensitivity troponin level may improve risk stratification among patients with possible acute myocardial infarction (AMI).ObjectiveTo compare health outcomes and resource use among emergency department patients undergoing cardiac risk stratification with a HEART pathway using conventional vs high-sensitivity serum troponin.Design, setting, and participantsThis multicenter pre-post cohort study was conducted between January 1 and September 6, 2021, at 16 Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospitals during uptake of a high-sensitivity serum troponin assay and included 17 384 adult patients who presented to an emergency department with chest pain and were risk stratified with a HEART pathway based on conventional troponin or high-sensitivity troponin.ExposuresA HEART pathway incorporating either conventional or high-sensitivity serum troponin was used to stratify study groups for risk of major adverse cardiac events within 30 days.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was detection of AMI in the emergency department and within 30 days.ResultsOf the 17 384 patients (median age, 58 years [IQR, 45-69 years]; 9767 women [56.2%]), 12 440 (71.6%) were risk stratified with a HEART pathway based on conventional troponin, and 4944 (28.4%) were risk stratified with a HEART pathway based on high-sensitivity troponin. Detection of AMI within 30 days was higher for the high-sensitivity troponin group than the conventional troponin group (288 [5.8%] vs 545 [4.4%]; P < .001), while the 30-day all-cause mortality rate was unchanged (16 [0.3%] vs 50 [0.4%]; P = .50). In the emergency department, 228 of 4944 patients (4.6%) in the high-sensitivity troponin group received a diagnosis of AMI compared with 251 of 12 440 patients (2.0%) in the conventional troponin group (P < .001). Among those who did not receive a diagnosis of AMI in the emergency department, an additional 60 patients (1.2%) in the high-sensitivity troponin group and 294 (2.4%) in the conventional troponin group (P < .001) received a diagnosis within 30 days. Patients in the high-sensitivity troponin group had lower rates of health care use compared with the conventional troponin group, including admission (605 [12.2%] vs 1862 [15.0%]; P < .001), stress testing within 7 days (506 [10.2%] vs 1591 [12.8%]; P < .001), and coronary revascularization within 30 days (51 [1.0%] vs 244 [2.0%]; P < .001).Conclusions and relevanceThis multicenter pre-post cohort study suggests that a new HEART pathway incorporating high-sensitivity troponin may improve detection of AMI and decrease resource use among emergency department patients with chest pain.
Project description:Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) presenting to the emergency department (ED) often have elevated cardiac troponin T (TnT) levels without evidence of type 1 myocardial infarction. We sought to explore the causes and significance of minor TnT elevations in patients with AF at the ED. All patients with AF admitted to the ED of Turku University Hospital between 1 March, 2013 and 11 April, 2016, and at least two TnT measurements, were screened. Overall, 2911 patients with a maximum TnT of 100 ng/L during hospitalization were analyzed. TnT was between 15 and 100 ng/L in 2116 patients. The most common primary discharge diagnoses in this group were AF (18.1%), infection (18.3%), ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (10.7%), and heart failure (5.0%). Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was equally uncommon both in patients with normal TnT and elevated TnT (4.4% vs. 4.5%). Age ≥75 years, low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), high C-reactive protein (CRP), and hemoglobin <10.0 g/dL, were the most important predictors of elevated TnT. Importantly, TnT elevation was a very frequent (>93%) finding in elderly (≥75 years) AF patients with either low eGFR or high CRP. In conclusion, minor TnT elevations carry limited diagnostic value in elderly AF patients with comorbidities.
Project description:ImportanceThe clinical implications of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) measurements in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) in the emergency department (ED) are largely unknown.ObjectivesTo investigate associations between serum creatinine (SCr) concentrations and hs-cTnT kinetics, as well as the clinical accuracy of hs-cTnT for myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with AKI.Design, setting, and participantsThis retrospective cohort study included 15 111 patient visits to 7 EDs in Sweden from December 9, 2010, to August 31, 2017, by patients 18 years or older fulfilling AKI criteria with 2 or more SCr measurements and 1 or more hs-cTnT measurement. Statistical analysis was performed from October 2, 2022, to September 28, 2023.ExposureDynamic change in SCr during the ED visits.Main outcomes and measuresLinear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the log-linear regression of kinetic change in hs-cTnT. Logistic regression models were applied to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for change in hs-cTnT indicating acute myocardial injury (Δhs-cTnT >20% and elevated hs-cTnT >14 ng/L) in association with change in SCr, and to assess the diagnostic performance of hs-cTnT for MI in patients with chest pain.ResultsThere was a total of 15 211 visits by 13 638 patients (median age, 74 years [IQR, 64-83 years]; 8709 men [57%]), of whom 1174 (8%) had an MI. Overall, 11 353 of patients at 14 037 visits without an MI diagnosis (81%) had myocardial injury, and 4396 patients at 14 037 visits (31%) had acute myocardial injury. The change in hs-cTnT among patients without MI was 1.8-fold higher in the highest vs the lowest change in SCr quartile (64.7% [95% CI, 58.4%-71.5%] vs 36.3% [95% CI, 32.4%-40.7%]; exponentiated β coefficient, 1.78 [95% CI, 1.62-1.96]). Patients in the former group were twice as likely to have acute myocardial injury (39% [1378 of 3516 visits] vs 23% [817 of 3507 visits]; adjusted OR, 2.32 [95% CI, 2.08-2.59]). Using a 0 hours hs-cTnT cutoff value of 52 ng/L or higher assigned 627 of 2388 patients (26%) with chest pain to a high-risk group in whom the specificity and positive predictive value for MI was low (78.5% [95% CI, 76.7%-80.2&] and 27.6% [95% CI, 24.1%-31.3%], respectively).Conclusions and relevanceThis cohort study of patients in the ED suggests that dynamic change in SCr among patients with AKI was associated with hs-cTnT concentrations indicative of acute myocardial injury. These observations were accompanied by poor performance of recommended hs-cTnT-based algorithms for MI risk stratification.
Project description:High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) is a widely used biomarker to identify ischemic chest pain in the Emergency Department (ED), but the clinical impact on emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (eCABG) remains undetermined. We aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of hs-cTnI measured at the ED by comparing outcomes of eCABG in patients with non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) which comprises unstable angina (UA) and non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). From January 2012 to March 2016, 242 patients undergoing eCABG were grouped according to serum hs-cTnI level in the ED. The primary endpoint was major cardiovascular cerebral event (MACCE) defined as a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, and stroke. The incidence of each MACCE composite, in addition to postoperative complications such as acute kidney injury, reoperation, atrial fibrillation, and hospital stay duration were also compared. Patients were divided into two groups: UA [<0.04 ng/mL, n = 102] and NSTEMI [≥0.04 ng/mL, n = 140]. The incidence of MACCE did not differ between the two groups. Postoperative acute kidney injury was more frequent in the NSTEMI group after adjusting for confounding factors (6.9% vs. 23.6%; odds ratio, 2.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-6.99; p-value = 0.032). In-hospital stay was also longer in the NSTEMI group (9.0 days vs. 15.4 days, p-value = 0.008). ECABG for UA and NSTEMI patients showed comparable outcomes, but hs-cTnI elevation at the ED may be associated with immediate postoperative complications.
Project description:PurposeTo determine the nature and frequency of duplicate prescriptions (DPs) in the emergency department (ED) by utilization of a novel categorization of DPs which differentiates between appropriate DPs (ADPs) and potentially inappropriate DPs (PIDPs).MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, adult patients who presented to the ED for internal medicine of a large university hospital in northern Germany in 2018 and 2019 were screened for the presence of DPs. Descriptive statistical methods were used to characterize the nature and frequency of PIDPs compared to the frequency of ADPs.ResultsA total of 4208 patients were enrolled into the study. The median age of the study population was 63 years (interquartile range (IQR) 48-77), 53.9% were female. The patients took a median of 5 drugs (IQR 3-9). 10.9% of the study population were affected by at least one PIDP (at least one grade-1 PIDP: 6.1%; at least one grade-2 PIDP: 4.5%; at least one grade-3 PIDP: 1.1%). Non-opioid analgesics accounted for the majority of grade-1 PIDPs, while inhalatives were most frequently responsible for grade-2 and grade-3 PIDPs. Nearly half of the study population (48.6%) displayed at least one ADP.ConclusionPIDPs pose a frequent pharmacological challenge in the ED. The medication review should comprise a systematic screening for PIDPs with a particular focus on non-opioid analgesics and inhalatives. ADPs were detected more frequently than PIDPs, questioning the predominant notion in the medical literature that DPs are exclusively deleterious.
Project description:Study objectiveTo evaluate whether the introduction of a 1-hour high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-TnT) pathway for patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) improves ED patient flow without changing the rate of "missed" major adverse cardiac events (MACE), compared to use of conventional cardiac troponin with an associated 3-hour pathway.MethodsThis was a prospective, uncontrolled observational study conducted before and after implementation of a 1-hour hs-TnT pathway at a high-volume urban ED. Patients undergoing evaluation for ACS in the ED were enrolled during their initial visit and clinical outcomes were assessed at 30 and 90 days. Throughput markers were extracted from the electronic medical record and compared. The primary outcome was provider-to-disposition decision time.ResultsA total of 1892 patients were enrolled, 1071 patients while using conventional troponin and 821 after introduction of hs-TnT. With the new assay and pathway, median interval between troponin tests decreased from 4.7 hours (interquartile range [IQR] 3.9-5.7 hours) to 2.3 hours (IQR 1.5-3.4 hours) (P < 0.001). However, there was no difference in median provider-to-disposition decision time, which measured 4.7 hours (IQR 2.9-7.2) and 4.8 hours (IQR 3.1-7.1) (P = 0.428) respectively. Total 30-day MACE rate in discharged patients was low in both groups, occurring in only 4/472 (0.85%) encounters in the first cohort and 4/381 (1.0%) encounters in the second.ConclusionIntroduction of a 1-hour hs-TnT ACS evaluation pathway reduced the troponin collection interval but did not reduce provider to disposition time. There was no difference in rate of 30-day MACE in patients discharged from the ED.
Project description:IntroductionCurrent evidence suggests that high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-cTnT) values differ based on sex, race, age, and kidney function. However, most studies examining the relationship of hs-cTnT and these individual factors are in healthy participants, leading to difficulty in interpreting hs-cTnT values in the Emergency Department (ED) setting. We seek to examine the relationship between hs-cTnT values and sex, race, age, and kidney function in a contemporary, urban academic setting.MethodsED visits from June 2018 through April 2019 with at least 1 hs-cTnT and no diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at an academic medical center in the south side of Chicago were retrospectively analyzed. Median hs-cTnT values were stratified by sex (male or female), race (African American or Caucasian), age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and stage of chronic kidney disease.Results9679 encounters, representing 7989 distinct patients, were included for analysis (age 58 ± 18 years, 59% female, 85% black). Males had significantly higher median hs-cTnT values than females (16 [8-34] vs. 9 [6-22] ng/L, p < 0.001), African Americans had a significantly lower median value than Caucasians (10 [6-24] vs. 15 [6-29] ng/L, p < 0.001), and those with atrial fibrillation (27 [16-48] vs. 9 [6-19] ng/L, p < 0.001) and heart failure (28 [14-48] vs. 8 [6-15] ng/L, p < 0.001) had higher median values than those without. Median hs-cTnT values increased significantly with increased age and decreased eGFR. All relationships continued to be significant even after multivariable regression of sex, age, race, eGFR, presence of atrial fibrillation, and presence of heart failure (p < 0.01).ConclusionsAnalysis of hs-cTnT in non-AMI patients during ED encounters showed that males have higher values than females, African Americans have lower values than Caucasians, those with atrial fibrillation and heart failure have higher values than those without, and that older age and lower eGFR were associated with higher median values.
Project description:ObjectivesThe analytical sensitivity of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hsTnT) assays has enabled rapid myocardial infarction rule-out algorithms for emergency department (ED) presentations. Few studies have analyzed the real-world impact of hsTnT algorithms on outcomes and operations.MethodsComparison of ED length of stay (LOS) and 30-day outcomes (return to ED, inpatient admission, and mortality) for patients presenting with chest pain during 2 separate 208-day periods using a 0/1-hour hsTnT-enabled algorithm or fourth-generation TnT.ResultsDischarge, 30-day readmission, and 30-day mortality rates were not significantly different with fourth-generation TnT vs hsTnT. Thirty-day return rates were significantly decreased with hsTnT (17.4% vs 14.9%; P < .01). For encounters with TnT measured at least twice and resulting in discharge, median ED LOS decreased by 61 minutes with the use of hsTnT (488 vs 427 minutes; P < .0001). Median time between first and second TnT results decreased by 82 minutes with hsTnT (202 vs 120 minutes; P < .0001), suggesting that the 0/1-hour algorithm was incompletely adopted.ConclusionsImplementation of the hsTnT algorithm was associated with decreased 30-day return rates and decreased ED LOS for a subset of patients, despite incomplete adoption of the 0/1-hour algorithm.
Project description:PurposeTo investigate the characteristics of ADRs in patients admitting at the emergency room of a tertiary hospital.MethodsWe collected the patient records of 1600 emergency room visits of a university hospital in 2018. The patient files were studied retrospectively and all possible ADRs were identified and registered. Patient characteristics, drugs associated with ADRs, causality, severity, preventability, and the role of pharmacogenetics were assessed.ResultsThere were 125 cases with ADRs, resulting in a 7.8% overall incidence among emergency visits. The incidence was greatest in visits among elderly patients, reaching 14% (men) to 19% (women) in the 80-89 years age group. The most common causative drugs were warfarin, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), apixaban, and docetaxel, and the most common ADRs were bleedings and neutropenia and/or severe infections. Only two of the cases might have been prevented by pharmacogenetic testing, as advised in Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines.ConclusionThe same ATC classes, antithrombotics and cytostatics, were involved in ADRs causing university clinic hospitalizations as those identified previously in drug-related hospital fatalities. It seems difficult to prevent these events totally, as the treatments are vitally important and their risk-benefit-relationships have been considered thoroughly, and as pharmacogenetic testing could have been useful in only few cases.
Project description:BackgroundTroponin elevation is frequently observed in various scenarios in the Emergency Department (ED), yet there is a paucity of studies investigating simultaneously measured high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and troponin I (hs-cTnI) within a diverse cohort in a clinical setting.MethodsAll patients who underwent troponin testing at a single center were eligible for this study. Only patients with simultaneous samples with hs-cTnI (Siemens) and hs-cTnT (Roche) were included, regardless of chief complaint.ResultsAnalysis of 1987 samples from 1134 patients showed a significant correlation between hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI (r = 0.86, p < 0.01). Of these samples, 65% exceeded the upper reference limit (URL) for hs-cTnT, and 30% for hs-cTnI with 39% who exhibited elevated hs-cTnT levels alongside normal hs-cTnI levels. The area under the curve (AUC) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) for the index visit was 0.80 (95% CI; 0.75-0.85) for hs-cTnT and 0.87 (95% CI; 0.83-0.91) for hs-cTnI. Sensitivity and specificity were 91% and 39% for hs-cTnT, and 80% and 80% for hs-cTnI. Positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) was 9.3% and 98.5% for hs-cTnT respectively, corresponding for hs-cTnI was 21.3% and 98.3% respectively. Hazard ratios for 1-year mortality were 1.52 (95% CI; 1.40-1.66) for hs-cTnT and 1.26 (95% CI; 1.18-1.34) for hs-cTnI.ConclusionElevated troponins above the URL were very common in this diverse cohort, particularly for hs-cTnT, which was twice as frequent compared to hs-cTnI, resulting in low specificity and PPV for AMI.