Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Observational Study
Admission glycaemia and its association with acute coronary syndrome in Emergency Department patients with chest pain.
This study aims to evaluate admission blood glucose level (BGL) in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) as a risk factor for a major adverse cardiac event (MACE) on presentation and up to 30 days post discharge. Admission BGL is a prognostic indicator in patients with confirmed acute coronary syndrome (ACS). It is unclear if admission BGL improves the diagnosis and stratification of patients presenting to the ED with suspected ACS. ⋯ Admission BGL is an independent risk factor for a MACE in patients with suspected ACS. Hyperglycaemia should be considered a risk factor for MACEs and consideration be given to its inclusion in existing diagnostic tools.
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Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) can be a diagnostic challenge in the emergency department (ED). Recently, the HEART score was developed, a simple bedside scoring system that quantifies risk of ischaemic events in patients with undifferentiated chest pain presenting in the ED. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that HEART score and clinical gestalt have similar diagnostic accuracy for diagnosing ACS in an unselected population of patients with chest pain presenting in the ED.