Early Noninvasive Cardiac Testing After ED Evaluation for Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome

Early noninvasive cardiac testing was associated with slight decreases in death and myocardial infarction.

To study the effect of early (<72 hours) noninvasive cardiac testing (NIT) for emergency department (ED) patients with chest pain and normal troponin levels, researchers analyzed data from a well-integrated California healthcare system from 2015 to 2017. Exclusions included diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI), troponin level >0.5 ng/mL, do-not-resuscitate order, transfer from another hospital, or death in the ED. ED clinicians could order NIT to be done before or after discharge.

Of 79,040 patients, 16,164 (20.5%) underwent early NIT, most (83%) before discharge. Patients in the early NIT group were older (mean age, 62 vs. 56) and had a slightly higher Elixhauser comorbidity index (mean, 3.7 vs. 3.5). At 30 days, the primary outcome — co…

Reviewing Author

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Benton R. Hunter, MD

Disclosures

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine (Chair, Evidence Based Healthcare Interest Group)

Early Noninvasive Cardiac Testing After ED Evaluation for Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome

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Reviewing Author