CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Chest pain with nondiagnostic electrocardiogram in the emergency department: a randomized controlled trial of two cardiac marker regimens.
Early detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) may save lives. In the emergency setting, it is unclear whether the early use of certain cardiac markers (myoglobin and cardiac troponin I [cTnI]) assists in making appropriate decisions whether to admit or discharge patients with chest pain of possible ischemic cause who have nondiagnostic electrocardiograms (ECGs). We performed a study to determine whether the addition of new cardiac markers in the emergency department results in improved clinical decisions. ⋯ The optimal cardiac marker panel to be used in the emergency department remains unknown. The addition of serial testing of myoglobin with cTnI confirmation to the standard panel did not substantially change the clinical management or outcomes of patients presenting with chest pain and nondiagnostic ECGs.
-
Case Reports
Anaphylactoid reactions and angioedema during alteplase treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
Among 105 patients given recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA, alteplase) intravenously for acute stroke, 2 (1.9%) had lingual angioedema, which progressed to a fatal anaphylactoid reaction in 1. The authors review the 2 cases and possible mechanisms responsible. They warn that patients who are taking an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor may be at increased risk for angioedema with concomitant alteplase therapy.