Yield of Routine Provocative Cardiac Testing Among Patients in an Emergency Department-based Chest Pain Unit: Hermann LK, Newman DH, Pleasant WA, et al. JAMA Intern Med 2013;173:1128–33.

Abstract

The American Heart Association recommends provocative cardiac testing for patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms representing acute coronary syndrome, for further risk stratification to identify who might benefit from coronary revascularization. This study aimed to assess both the diagnostic and therapeutic yield of routine provocative stress testing in a single ED-based chest pain unit. Prospective data were collected between March 2004 and May 2010. All patients without a known history of coronary artery disease (CAD) who were admitted to the chest pain unit with negative ischemic electrocardiography findings and negative cardiac biomarkers were included in the study.