Critical pathways in cardiology
-
Low-risk emergency department (ED) chest pain patients with a nondiagnostic electrocardiogram (ECG) and negative cardiac biomarkers are commonly evaluated with cardiac stress testing to detect undiagnosed coronary artery disease. Provocative testing incurs certain costs and may require additional time investment either in the ED or in an observation setting. Recent research has questioned the utility of provocative testing in young adults with negative cardiac biomarkers and nondiagnostic ECG. We sought to evaluate the utility of cardiac stress testing in our population of young adult patients with chest pain. ⋯ The population of chest pain patients younger than 40 years with no history of coronary disease, a nondiagnostic ECG, and negative serial biomarkers may not benefit from provocative testing. Our findings complement those reported previously on the limited utility of cardiac stress testing in this population.
-
Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the preferred method of reperfusion for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), if it can be performed in a timely manner by an experienced interventional cardiologist at a high volume STEMI Receiving Center. However, an estimated 50% of STEMI patients present to STEMI Referral Centers without PPCI capability. ⋯ Nonetheless, transfer of STEMI patients for PPCI has not been used extensively in the United States and is associated with markedly prolonged transfer times. This study demonstrates that rapid transfer of STEMI patients from community hospitals without PPCI capability to a STEMI Receiving Center is both safe and feasible using a standardized protocol with an integrated transfer system.
-
The estimated number of out-of-hospital care arrest cases is about 300,000 per year in the United States. Two landmark studies published in 2002 demonstrated that the use of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest decreased mortality and improved neurologic outcome. Based on these studies, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation and the American Heart Association recommended the use of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest. ⋯ In this article, we are reporting our latest project for the comprehensive management of survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The pathway is divided into 3 steps: Step I, From the field through the emergency department into the cardiac catherization laboratory and to the critical care unit; Step II, Induced invasive hypothermia protocol in the critical care unit (this step is divided into 3 phases: 1, invasive cooling for the first 24 hours; 2, rewarming; 3, maintenance); Step III, Management post the rewarming phase including the recommendation for out-of-hospital therapy and the ethical decision to define goal of care. We hope that this novel pathway will bridge the gap between the complex guidelines and the actual clinical practice and will improve the survival and neurologic condition of patients suffering cardiac arrest.
-
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association guidelines are the nationally accepted standards for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes. Despite this recognition, adherence to guideline recommendations remains suboptimal with 25% of opportunities to provide guideline appropriate care missed. To address performance gaps related to acute coronary syndrome care and improve patient outcomes, a performance improvement (PI) initiative was designed for cardiologists and emergency department physicians. ⋯ Identified areas of improvement were the standardization of treatment protocols, use of risk assessment scores, appropriate dosing of anticoagulants, and improvement in patient treatment times. A noted challenge of this PI initiative is the low rate of physician participation, with fewer than 10% of registered physicians actively submitting patient data. This fact may reflect several barriers to PI, such as: (1) lack of time to collect and submit data, (2) the belief that current practices do not need to be improved, and (3) the need for system-based improvements.
-
To compare length of stay (LOS), clinical and psychological outcomes, and patient satisfaction before and after implementation of a chest pain critical pathway. ⋯ A critical pathway can effectively and safely reduce LOS, increase patient satisfaction, and improve adherence to the guidelines for managing patients with chest pain. Anxiety is not statistically significantly reduced by this intervention.