Annals of emergency medicine
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Little is known about COVID-19 booster vaccine hesitancy. We sought to determine the uptake of booster vaccines, as well as the prevalence of and reasons for booster hesitancy in emergency department (ED) patients. ⋯ Of almost half of this urban ED population who had not received a COVID-19 booster vaccine, more than one third stated that lack of opportunity to receive one was the primary reason. Furthermore, more than half of the nonboosted participants were booster hesitant, with many expressing concerns or a desire for more information that may be addressed with booster vaccine education.
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Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for emergency ambulance calls. Patients are routinely transported to the hospital to prevent acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of clinical pathways in the out-of-hospital environment. The Troponin-only Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes decision aid and History, ECG, Age, Risk Factors, Troponin score require cardiac troponin (cTn) measurement, whereas the History and ECG-only Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes decision aid and History, ECG, Age, Risk Factors score do not. ⋯ With point-of-care cTn testing, decision aids can identify patients at a low risk of type 1 AMI in the out-of-hospital environment. When used alongside clinical judgment, and with appropriate training, such tools may usefully enhance out-of-hospital risk stratification.