Ann Acad Med Singap
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Diagnostic errors can result in tangible harm to patients. Despite our advances in medicine, the mental processes required to make a diagnosis exhibits shortcomings, causing diagnostic errors. Cognitive factors are found to be an important cause of diagnostic errors. ⋯ Different factors like cognitive biases and affective influences can also impel unwary clinicians to make diagnostic errors. Various strategies have been proposed to reduce the effect of cognitive biases and affective influences when clinicians make diagnoses; however evidence for the efficacy of these methods is still sparse. This paper aims to introduce the reader to the cognitive aspect of diagnostic errors, in the hope that clinicians can use this knowledge to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialElectrocardiograph changes, troponin levels and cardiac complications after orthopaedic surgery.
The relationship between electrocardiograph (ECG) changes and troponin levels after the emergency orthopaedic surgery are not well characterised. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between ECG changes (ischaemia or arrhythmia), troponin elevations perioperatively and cardiac complications. ⋯ Electrocardiograph changes do not necessarily accompany troponin elevations after the emergency orthopaedic surgery but are more likely to have higher troponin levels. The best predictor of postoperative cardiac complications is troponin elevation.