Assessment Of Chest Pain Research Articles

Accelerated Diagnostic Protocols Based on High-Sensitivity Troponin in the Diagnosis of Thoracic Pain: A Systematic Review

Background: The progress of high-sensitivity troponin for accelerated diagnostic protocols to assess chest pain, allows the identification of patients admitted to the emergency room with low-risk chest pain for a major adverse cardiovascular event, that could be early and safely discharged, saving time and resources. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess clinical trials using accelerated diagnostic protocols based on high-sensitivity troponin. Methods: A search of randomized clinical trials evaluating accelerated diagnostic protocols based on high-sensitivity troponin in emergency services was carried out in MEDLINE/Ovid, Cochrane and EMBASE database, using the assessment criteria of the Cochrane manual and the PRISMA strategy. Results: After screening 3509 studies, 5 clinical trials, including 1513 patients, were analyzed. Early discharges were identified in 409 (27%) of patients, in 91% of cases for ESC 0/3-h protocols, 72% for 0/1-h, 48% for EDACS, 40% for HEART, 19% and 32% for ADPT and 8% and 18% for standard care protocols. The negative predictive value was high, in the 99.1-100% range. Mean length of hospital stay was lower for the 0/1-h and ESC 0/3-h protocols, with 4.6 and 5.6 hours, respectively. Conclusions: Accelerated diagnostic protocols in chest pain using high-sensitivity troponin allow a higher proportion of early discharges with a low rate of major cardiovascular events, with reduction in length of hospital stay and resources used.

Comparing the Diagnostic Performance of Calcium Score and Functional Tests for Chest Pain Assessment

Comparing the Diagnostic Performance of Calcium Score and Functional Tests for Chest Pain Assessment

Granulomatous inflammation mimicking a hematoma around the replaced ascending aorta in magnetic resonance imaging: a case report

BackgroundGranulomatous inflammation results from various causes including infections and allergic reactions. It can appear as high signal intensity in T2-weighted or contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here, we describe a case of granulomatous inflammation looking like a hematoma on an ascending aortic graft in MRI.Case presentationA 75-year-old female was undergoing assessment for chest pain. She had a history of hemi-arch replacement for aortic dissection 10 years earlier. The initial chest computed tomography and subsequent chest MRI were suggestive of a hematoma, implying a pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta, which is associated with high mortality in reoperation. Through redo median sternotomy, severe adhesion was found in the retrosternal space. A sac in the pericardial space contained yellowish and pus-like material, confirming that there was no hematoma around the ascending aortic graft. The pathologic finding was chronic necrotizing granulomatous inflammation. Microbiological tests including polymerase chain reaction analysis were negative.ConclusionOur experience indicates that an MRI finding of a hematoma at the site long after cardiovascular surgery suggests that there may be granulomatous inflammation.

The therapeutic validation of long COVID

The therapeutic validation of long COVID

P63 THE EQUIVOCAL AND DANGEROUS CLASSIFICATION OF STABLE CHEST PAIN

Abstract Background The classification of suspected anginal stable chest pain into typical, atypical, and non anginal is equivocal and may lead to patient perceptions and physician decisions that do not match the importance of the clinical picture. The study compares the clinical and ischemic burden with that of the cardiovascular risk. Methods Over 15 years, 3588 outpatients, >35 years old (mean 64±9, female 55%) were evaluated for stable chest pain. 290 patients with findings indicative of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, valvular disease were excluded. In the others we applied the classification of typical, atypical and nonanginal pain (Table 1). All were evaluated for the presence of HEART score risk factors (smoking, obesity, family history of cardiovascular events, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia) as well as age. All patients with typical or atypical angina and those with non–anginal pain according to the doctor‘s judgment performed functional tests to search for ischemia. Results In Table 2 we find the results of the classification of chest pain and the positivity of the functional test. In Table 3 we have the major events at follow–up stratified according to the initial assessment of chest pain. Table 4 stratifies events according to risk factors and age. Prognosis and event rate differ significantly only when stratified by risk factors and age. Approximately 1% presented a clinical event regardless of the type of pain and the presence of ischemia and 87% of the events involved patients with ≥ 3 risk factors or heavy smokers. 9% of heavy smokers aged <65 years had a major event and are the highest risk group with a peak of 12.5% ​​in those with atypical pain. Conclusions The traditional classification of stable chest pain is dangerous and misleading, both for the identification of ischemia and prognosis, which appears to be linked to the burden of cardiovascular risk and above all to cigarette smoking in patients aged <65 years, rather than the clinical and ischemic burden. It will be necessary to evaluate whether the anatomical burden for the search for high–risk coronary lesions improves the prognosis with an added value with respect to the treatment of lifestyles and risk factors.

Rare diagnosis of coexistent antiphospholipid syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus in a male patient with successful management: a case report.

A 28-year-old male, referred to our hospital for the assessment of chest pain. Past medical history was significant for extensive deep venous thrombosis despite the appropriate management with a therapeutic dose of direct-acting oral anticoagulant. Prolonged partial thromboplastin time was not corrected by mixing study along with positive lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, and B-2 glycoprotein antibodies. In addition, antinuclear antibodies, anti-DNA antibodies, and direct Coombs were positive with decreased levels of C3. The patient was diagnosed with SLE with brain, heart, and kidney involvement in the setting of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. He was treated successfully with full recovery. SLE and APS both have sneaky ways of manifestation. Ineffective diagnosis and therapy could cause irreversible organ damage. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for APS, particularly in young patients who approach with spontaneous or unprovoked thromboses or unexplained recurrent early or late pregnancy loss. Anticoagulation, modifying cardiovascular risk factors, and identifying and treating any underlying inflammatory diseases are all part of the multidisciplinary care that is needed for management. Although male affection is rare, SLE and APS should be considered in male patients as these conditions tend to be more aggressive than in the female.

Focused Chest Pain Assessment for Early Detection of Acute Coronary Syndrome: Development of a Cardiovascular Digital Health Intervention.

Chest pain misinterpretation is the leading cause of pre-hospital delay in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aims to identify and differentiate the chest pain characteristics associated with ACS. A total of 164 patients with a primary complaint of chest pain in the ER were included in the study. ACS diagnosis was made by a cardiologist based on the WHO criteria, and the patients were interviewed 48 hours after their admission. Furthermore, every question was analysed using the crosstabs method to obtain the odds ratio, and logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the model of focused questions on chest pain assessment. Among the samples, 50% of them had an ACS. Four questions fitted the final model of ACS chest pain focused questions: 1) Did the chest pain occur at the left/middle chest? 2) Did the chest pain radiate to the back? 3) Was the chest pain provoked by activity and relieved by rest? 4) Was the chest pain provoked by food ingestion, positional changes, or breathing? This model has 92.7% sensitivity, 84.1% specificity, 85% positive predictive value (PPV), 86% negative predictive value (NPV), and 86% accuracy. After adjusting for gender and diabetes mellitus (DM), the final model has a significant increase in Nagelkerke R-square to 0.737 and Hosmer and Lemeshow test statistic of 0.639. Focused questions on 1) left/middle chest pain, 2) retrosternal chest pain, 3) exertional chest pain that is relieved by rest, and 4) chest pain from food ingestion, positional changes, or breathing triggering can be used to rule out ACS with high predictive value. The findings from this study can be used in health promotion materials and campaigns to improve public awareness regarding ACS symptoms. Additionally, digital health interventions to triage patients' suffering with chest pain can also be developed.

Implementation and Outcomes of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner Telephone Chest Pain Clinic Developed in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual telephone advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) led chest pain clinic was set up because face-to-face clinic visits had ceased. MethodsThis retrospective cohort analysis compared the ANP virtual chest pain clinic to the face-to-face nurse specialist-led clinic. ResultsAutonomous nursing management was significantly higher in the virtual clinic, and significantly fewer patients were referred for functional testing. Coronary arterial disease (CAD) diagnosis did not differ. ConclusionANP autonomy and experience enabled continued chest pain assessment and CAD diagnosis via a virtual telephone clinic.

The Incremental Value of Functional Testing for Acute Chest Pain Assessment in the Context of High-sensitivity Troponin T

Background: Functional testing for acute chest pain assessment is a common practice that has not been re-examined in the era of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin. This population poses a significant analytical dilemma for physicians to achieve accurate diagnosis, balanced against the inherent risks of hospital admission and invasive downstream testing. This single-centre study evaluated outcomes in patients who underwent chest pain assessment, whose initial diagnosis was not consistent with a MI, comparing subsequent functional testing versus no functional testing. Methods: An inverse probability propensity-matched analysis of patients who underwent chest pain assessment in the emergency department and not initially referred for coronary angiography was performed to examine whether functional testing was associated with a lower rate of death or MI at 30 days. Results: In total, 3,101 patients were included. Functional testing was performed in 986 patients, while 2,115 did not undergo functional testing. The quality of propensity matching for covariates was high. The overall event rate of all-cause mortality and MI was low, totalling at five events. There was no significant difference between those who underwent functional testing versus those who did not undergo functional testing. Conclusion: Functional testing is not likely to be associated with a reduced risk of death or MI within 30 days, and provides limited further diagnostic benefit in the acute timeframe in the context of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin testing.

Telehealth Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic: Initial Experience During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics (RACPCs) provide safe and efficient follow-up for outpatients presenting with new-onset chest pain. RACPC delivery by telehealth has not been reported. We sought to evaluate a telehealth RACPC established during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. There was a need to reduce the frequency of additional testing arranged by the RACPC during this time, and the safety of this approach was also explored. Methods: This was a prospective evaluation of a cohort of RACPC patients reviewed by telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with a historical control group of face-to-face consultations. The main outcomes included emergency department re-presentation at 30 days and 12 months, major adverse cardiovascular events at 12 months, and patient satisfaction scores. Results: One hundred forty patients seen in the telehealth clinic were compared with 1,479 in-person RACPC controls. Baseline demographics were similar; however, telehealth patients were less likely to have a normal prereferral electrocardiogram than RACPC controls (81.4% vs. 88.1%, p = 0.03). Additional testing was ordered less often for telehealth patients (35.0% vs. 80.7%, p < 0.001). Rates of adverse cardiovascular events were low in both groups. One hundred twenty (85.7%) patients reported being satisfied or highly satisfied with the telehealth clinic service. Conclusions: In the setting of COVID-19, a telehealth RACPC model with reduced use of additional testing facilitated social distancing and achieved clinical outcomes equivalent to a face-to-face RACPC control. Telehealth may have an ongoing role beyond the pandemic, supporting specialist chest pain assessment for rural and remote communities. Pending further study, it may be safe to reduce the frequency of additional testing following RACPC review.

Death rates following emergency department chest pain assessment.

We sought to define the rate of unexpected death from acute coronary syndrome or arrhythmia in chest pain patients directly discharged from the ED. Retrospective audit of all chest pain patients at a tertiary ED for 7 years. Medical and post-mortem records of the deceased were reviewed with independent cardiologist adjudication to determine outcomes. Primary outcome measure was 28-day unexpected death secondary to acute coronary syndrome or arrhythmia. During the study period, 25 924 patients presented with chest pain, 292 (1.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99-1.01%) died within 28 days. Of these, 16 680(64%, 95% CI 63.88-64.12%) were discharged by ED, two (0.01%, 95% CI 0-0.011%) of this group died from the primary outcome. Unexpected death is very uncommon after ED discharge of chest pain patients.

PET vascular activity score for predicting new angiographic lesions in patients with Takayasu arteritis: a Chinese cohort study.

To investigate the ability of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT to predict new lesions in Takayasu arteritis. Eighty-two Chinese patients with newly diagnosed Takayasu arteritis were recruited. Their clinical characteristics, serum biomarkers and imaging results were recorded at baseline and every visit. They were followed up for at least 2 years. New angiographic lesions were evaluated by magnetic resonance angiography. Baseline PET vascular activity scores (PETVAS) for predicting new lesions were evaluated. At baseline, a moderate correlation was observed between PETVAS and ESR (r = 0.74, P < 0.01) and CRP level (r = 0.69, P < 0.01). Overall, 18 (22%) patients showed new lesions on imaging during a median follow-up time of 36 months. The median time to the first occurrence of new lesions was 18 months. Compared with patients without new lesions, the patients with new lesions included more female patients (67.2% vs 94.4%, P = 0.03), patients with higher ESR values (20 vs 49, P = 0.02) and patients with active disease (62.5% vs 94.4%, P < 0.01). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed PETVAS was an independent risk factor for new angiographic lesions (PETVAS ≥8, hazard ratio = 7.56; 95% CI 2.20, 26.01, P < 0.01) with adjustment of age, sex, chest pain, ESR and Physician Global Assessment. Furthermore, patients with PETVAS ≥8 at baseline were more likely to experience adverse events including arterial ischaemic events during the follow-up. PETVAS showed good performance in predicting new lesions in Takayasu arteritis.

Emergency Department Admissions of Children with Chest Pain before and during COVID-19 Pandemic

We compared the number of accesses, causes, and instrumental evaluations of chest pain in children between the pre-COVID-19 era and the COVID-19 period and analyzed the assessment performed in children with chest pain, highlighting unnecessary examinations. We enrolled children with chest pain admitted to our emergency department between January 2019 and May 2021. We collected demographic and clinical characteristics and findings on physical examinations, laboratory tests, and diagnostic evaluations. Then, we compared the number of accesses, causes, and instrumental assessments of chest pain between the pre-COVID-19 era and the COVID-19 era. A total of 111 patients enrolled (mean age: 119.8 ± 40.48 months; 62 males). The most frequent cause of chest pain was idiopathic (58.55%); we showed a cardiac origin in 4.5% of the cases. Troponin determination was performed in 107 patients, and the value was high only in one case; chest X-rays in 55 cases and echocardiograms in 25 cases showed pathological findings, respectively, in 10 and 5 cases. Chest pain accesses increased during the COVID-19 era (p < 0.0001), with no differences in the causes of chest pain between the two periods. The increase in accesses for chest pain during the COVID-19 pandemic confirms that this symptom generates anxiety among parents. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that the evaluation of chest pain is still extensive, and new chest pain assessment protocols in the pediatric age group are needed.

Assessment of chest pain

In general practice, chest pain is a common presentation, with a wide range of potential causes, some of which are potentially life-threatening. It is essential that GPs, often the first point of contact for patients, can assess and differentiate causes of chest pain to provide appropriate management in a timely manner. This article aims to provide readers with a diagnostic framework for assessing the patient presenting with chest pain and summarises the management of some key diagnoses.

CT coronary angiography first prior to rapid access chest pain clinic review: a retrospective feasibility study.

Since rapid access chest pain clinics (RACPC) were established to streamline stable chest pain assessment, CT coronary angiography (CTCA) has become the recommended investigation for patients without known coronary artery disease (CAD), with well-defined indications. This single-centre retrospective study assessed the feasibility of General Practice (GP)-led CTCA prior to RACPC. RACPC pathway patients without pre-existing CAD electronic records were reviewed (September-October 2019). Feasibility assessments included appropriateness for RACPC, referral clinical data vs RACPC assessment for CTCA indication and safety, and a comparison of actual vs hypothetical pathways, timelines and hospital encounters. 106/172 patients screened met inclusion criteria (mean age 61 ± 14, 51% female). 102 (96%) referrals were 'appropriate'. No safety concerns were identified to preclude a GP-led CTCA strategy. The hypothetical pathway increased CTCA requests vs RACPC (84 vs 71), whilst improving adherence to guidelines and off-loading other services. 22% (23/106) had no CAD, representing cases where one hospital encounter may be sufficient. The hypothetical pathway would have reduced referral-to-diagnosis by at least a median of 27 days (interquartile range 14-33). A hypothetical GP-led CTCA pathway would have been feasible and safe in a real-world RACPC patient cohort without pre-existing CAD. This novel strategy would have increased referrals for CTCA, whilst streamlining patient pathways and improved NICE guidance adherence. GP-led CTCA is a feasible and safe pathway for patients without pre-existing CAD referred to RACPC, reducing hospital encounters required and may accelerate time to diagnosis. This approach may have implications and opportunities for other healthcare pathways.

Sensitivity and Specificity of Instrumentation Lab Age-Adjusted D-Dimer Threshold Values in a Single Hospital Site: A Retrospective Analysis.

Introduction The D-dimer is a common test in the assessment of chest pain in acute settings. With a high sensitivity and low specificity, a significant number of false positive outcomes occur, leading to unnecessary medical intervention. There is good evidence supporting the use of an age-adjusted D-dimer model to increase diagnostic specificity in the context of a conventional "D-dimer" assay. There is, however, a lack of evidence validating the age adjustment process when considering the less common but still widely utilized "instrumentation lab" assay. Methods A retrospective audit was carried out in a district general hospital by obtaining all acute computed tomography pulmonary angiograms carried out between December 2020 and August 2021. The age-adjusted D-dimer was calculated for each patient by multiplying the patient's age by 5. Thereafter, sensitivity and specificity were reassessed. Results After exclusion, 133 patients under 50 years of age with low pre-test probability scores were included in the analysis. Age-adjusted D-dimer was found to increase specificity from 2% to 28% whilst maintaining a sensitivity of 94%. Conclusion Utilization of the 5x age-adjusted instrumentation lab assay D-dimer results in increased specificity with the potential to reduce the number of unnecessary admissions, radiation exposure, and medication use, improving patient safety and reducing healthcare burden.

2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: a cardiac imager´s perspective in the assessment of stable chest pain

2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: a cardiac imager´s perspective in the assessment of stable chest pain

Dissecting the Medical Student Approach to Chest Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study Focusing on Aortic Dissection.

Background and purpose: To understand if medical students consider rarer, but highly fatal conditions, such as acute aortic dissection, when assessing chest pain.Methods:An online virtual clinical case (in two 'stages') was distributed to medical students. Stage one presented a chest pain scenario, asking participants to give relevant questions, clinical findings, investigations, and differential diagnoses. In the second stage, students were given a detailed case, populated with the aortic dissection ‘red flags’ and asked to re-evaluate their differential diagnosis and investigations. A total of 113 students in their final two years of study, across six United Kingdom (UK) medical schools, were accepted into the study.Results: During stage one, students were able to assess chest pain with radiation (93%), character (83%), and onset (89%), which were asked commonly. However, students failed to enquire on severity (38%) and important risk factors such as connective tissue disorders (4%) and hypertension (46%), or clinical signs such as blood pressure differences (5%). Myocardial infarction (97%) and pulmonary embolism (78%) were the most considered differentials with acute aortic dissection only considered by 31%. However, in stage two, 73% recognised the acute aortic dissection and 76% were able to request a CT thorax.Conclusions: Students effectively consider myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism when assessing chest pain, but often fail to examine acute aortic dissection. This could lead to delayed treatment of a cataclysmic event and may be due to a deficiency in diagnostic synthesis rather than a lack of knowledge. More can be done to ensure these conditions form part of their diagnostic workup.

Whats new in 2020 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST segment elevation?

The article sumarizes the 2020 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation. The diagnostics of ACS consists in assessment of chest pain, EKG and cardiac troponin. Troponin should be evaluated by high sensitivity assay. 0h/1h algorithms should be used to rule-in or rule-out ACS. Patients with a positive troponin have higher risk of cardivascular events and mortality and the early invasive treatment should be applied in these patients. In the guidelines several antithrombotic stretegies for different clinical conditions are mentioned, where the cornerstone for the length and intensity of antithrombotic treatment is the evaluation of bleeding risk. Further on the revascularization aspects and strategies are debated in the guidelines. Finally there are mentioned two specific conditions of ACS - Myocardioal infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries and Spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

Collaborative advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) and senior cardiac physiologist (SCP) ECHO use in a community chest pain clinic: an audit of case management and clinical outcomes.

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background In the primary care setting chest pain is a common presenting complaint with an over diagnosis/suspicion of stable angina, however General Practitioners (GPs) lack access to a cardiac specialist in a timely fashion, as a result 31% of all ED chest pain patients are referred to the emergency department. The Integrated community chest pain clinic (ICCPC) provides an alternative pathway for GPs to refer patients with non-acute chest pain. This clinic is advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) led in partnership with a senior cardiac physiologist (SCP) to provide cardiac diagnostics. ESC guidelines recommend echocardiography (ECHO) as a level 1b recommendation for patients with suspected coronary artery disease for the assessment of chest pain. Purpose The aim of this study is to assess referral to and impact of SCP provided ECHO in an integrated community chest pain clinic. Methods A retrospective clinical audit of all patients who were referred for ECHO over a 15-month period was performed. Clinical indication for referral, case management and final diagnosis were evaluated, approved by the hospital audit department. Results A total of 89 patients were referred by the ANP to the SCP for ECHO, (18%) of total patient cohort. All patients presented with chest pain and the clinical reason for referral included abnormal ECG n=25 (28%), hypertension n=24 (26%), dyspnoea n=19 (21%) or new murmur n=6 (7%). Other referral rational n= 15 (18%) included elevated NT-proBNP and long covid. Seventy percent of all cases were managed by collaborative autonomy between the ANP and SCP and discharged to the general practitioner. Collaboration with the Consultant Cardiologist was required for n=26 (30%) of cases. Of these n=4 were discharged. Twenty-two or 24% of the total number of ECHOs performed showed notable abnormalities requiring further management. This included dilated aortic root n= 6, valve disease n=8, one of which was severe requiring surgical valve replacement and regional wall motion abnormalities n=5. Three patients exhibited significant myocardial disease including Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy with Severe Asymmetrical Hypertrophy. Discussion The integrated community chest pain clinic provides the patient with non-acute chest pain access to and advanced nurse practitioner and senior cardiac physiologist outside the acute setting. The provision of SCP led ECHO provides a timely and useful diagnostic tool as per ESC guidelines. Most patients post ECHO were managed by the ANP in collaboration with the cardiac physiologist. Chest pain is not always due to coronary heart disease and patients with significant myocardial and valve disease were diagnosed and promptly managed in the community setting. Advanced practice nursing and cardiac physiologist led care with access to ECHO has proven vital for this patient cohort.