scholarly journals Diagnostic findings in patients with chest pain, cough, and shortness of breath during the COVID-19 pandemic: what else besides pneumonia?

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-29
Author(s):  
Dmitriy A. Doroshenko ◽  
Yuriy I. Rumyantsev ◽  
Oksana A. Shapsigova ◽  
Natalya A. Sokolova ◽  
Lev L. Klykov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chest Pain ◽  
Acute Chest Pain ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Single Center Study ◽  
Pulmonary Manifestations ◽  
Stage Of Diagnosis ◽  
Peripheral Lung ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Radiographic Changes

Purpose. Description and illustration of the most common alternative causes of shortness of breath, cough, and acute chest pain in pandemic COVID-19 conditions. Material and methods. Authors evaluated results of the retrospective single-center study and instrumental data of 67 patients with complaints of sudden chest pain, cough and shortness of breath. For patients admitted to the hospital between March, 27 and June, 30, 2020, the first stage of diagnosis was made with the performed multispiral computed tomography (MSCT) of the chest, confirming the presence of pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19. The study did not include patients with pneumothorax identified at the pre - and hospital stages. We describe early radiographic changes in the chest organs, main vessels, and coronary bed in patients with CT-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to O.M. Filatov Municipal Clinical Hospital No. 15, Moscow for sudden chest pain, cough, and shortness of breath. Results. In CT of the chest organs, combinations of COVID-19 and pulmonary artery thromboembolism, central/peripheral lung cancer, and acute aortic syndrome manifestations were most common. Combinations of radiation techniques in pandemic settings are COVID-19 required by patients with the acute coronary syndrome. However, it will be possible to analyze all cases of a combination of acute chest pain and sudden shortness of breath in patients with COVID-19 only after processing an extensive array of data. Conclusion. In pandemic conditions, COVID-19 performing standard imaging methods should be not lost about the most frequent causes of chest pain and sudden shortness of breath, complementing native MSCT with contrasting enhancement in suspected pathology of the main arteries, and small circulation in high-risk patients.

scholarly journals How Safe Is the Outpatient Management of Patients with Acute Chest Pain and Mildly Increased Cardiac Troponin Concentrations?

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 916-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Meune ◽  
Tobias Reichlin ◽  
Affan Irfan ◽  
Nora Schaub ◽  
Raphael Twerenbold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chest Pain ◽  
Cardiac Troponin ◽  
Troponin T ◽  
Acute Chest Pain ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Outpatient Management ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Serial Measurements

Abstract BACKGROUND The appropriate management of patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) with increased high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) but normal or borderline-high conventional cardiac troponin concentrations is unknown. METHODS We investigated 643 consecutive ED patients with acute chest pain who had been discharged for outpatient management after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) had been ruled out by serial measurements of conventional cardiac troponin. hs-cTnT was measured blindly, and we calculated the rates of all-cause mortality (primary endpoint) and subsequent AMI (secondary endpoint) at 30, 90, and 360 days. RESULTS hs-cTnT concentrations were increased (>14 ng/L) in 114 patients (18%) but <30 ng/L in 95% of these patients. Of those 114 patients, 96 (84%) had an adjudicated noncoronary cause of chest pain. Thirty-day mortality (95% CI) was 0.9% (0.1%–6.1%), 90-day mortality was 2.7% (0.9%–8.1%), and 360-day mortality was 5.2% (2.2%–11.9%) in patients with increased hs-cTnT; respective rates (95% CI) of AMI were 0.0%, 1.9% (0.5%–7.2%), and 7.6% (3.7%–15.3%). Increased hs-cTnT was associated with increased mortality and AMI at 90 days (P = 0.006 and P = 0.081, respectively) and 360 days (P = 0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS hs-cTnT is a strong prognosticator of intermediate and long-term mortality and AMI in low-risk patients discharged from the ED after AMI has been ruled out. The relatively low rate of 30-day events may suggest that patients without acute coronary syndrome and small increases in cardiac troponin are in need of further investigations and treatments, but not necessarily immediate hospitalization.

Abstract 681: Characteristics of Atherosclerotic Plaque Burden in Patients With and Without Acute Coronary Syndrome Presenting With Acute Chest Pain to the Emergency Department

Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Bamberg ◽  
Maros Ferecik ◽  
Quynh Truong ◽  
Ian Rogers ◽  
Michael Shapiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Chest Pain ◽  
Coronary Arteries ◽  
Atherosclerotic Plaque ◽  
Acute Chest Pain ◽  
Coronary Plaque ◽  
Plaque Burden ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Coronary Ct ◽  
Calcified Plaque

Background: Coronary computed tomography (CT) may improve the early triage of patients with acute chest pain in the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to compare the presence and extent of coronary atherosclerotic plaque as detected by coronary CT in patients with and without acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods: The study was designed as a prospective, observational cohort study in patients with acute chest pain but negative cardiac biomarkers and no diagnostic ECG changes, admitted to rule out myocardial ischemia. All patients underwent coronary CT prior to hospital admission. The presence of coronary plaque was treated as a dichotomous outcome, and the extent of CAD was defined as number of (1) coronary segments with plaque, or (2) major coronary arteries with plaque detected by MDCT as assessed by two independent observers. The clinical outcome (ACS) was adjudicated by a review committee using established AHA criteria; subjects with history of CAD (stent placement, bypass) were excluded. Results : Among 368 patients with acute chest pain (mean age 53±12 years, 61% male) 31 patients were determined to have ACS (8%). None of the 183 subjects without plaque (50%) had an ACS. Among the remaining 185 subjects (mean age 58.0±11.5 years, 68% male) in whom coronary plaque was detected, patients with ACS had a significantly more plaque (7.2±3.7 vs. 4.2±3.4, p<0.0001 segments) as compared to subjects without ACS. Similar results were seen for calcified plaque and non-calcified plaque (6.5±3.7 vs. 3.6±3.5 segments, p<0.0001; and 3.6±3.2 vs. 1.8±2.2 segments, p<0.0001, respectively). In addition, the rate of ACS increased with the number of major coronary arteries with plaque (1-vessel: 6.8%, 2-vessels: 10.6%, 3 vessels: 30.8%, and 4-vessels: 25%; p<0.01). In contrast, the ratio of non-calcified to calcified plaque was not different between patients with and without ACS (0.68±0.6 vs. 0.54±0.72, p=0.31). Conclusions: The extent of coronary plaque differs between subjects with and without ACS among patients presenting with acute chest pain. Detailed assessment of the extent and composition of coronary plaque may be helpful to assess risk of ACS among patients with acute chest pain but inconclusive initial ED evaluation.

Abstract 16639: Low Yield of Additional Non-invasive Testing in Moderate Worst Stenosis by cCTA in Acute Chest Pain Patients - Results From a Clinical ED cCTA Registry

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumbal A Janjua ◽  
Harshna V Vadvala ◽  
Pedro V Staziaki ◽  
Richard A Takx ◽  
Anand M Prabhakar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Chest Pain ◽  
Unstable Angina ◽  
Acute Chest Pain ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Fractional Flow ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Lipid Rich Plaque ◽  
Pain Patients

Introduction: Coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) allows efficient triage of low-intermediate risk patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS); appropriate management of patients with moderate stenosis by cCTA is unknown. We evaluated the yield of downstream testing in moderate stenosis patients in a clinical ED cCTA registry. Methods: All consecutive ED patients with acute chest pain undergoing cCTA as part of routine care between October 2012 and July 2014 were screened. Patients with moderate as their worst stenosis (50-69% stenosis) on cCTA were included. Plaque characteristics, resting left ventricular function (by cCTA), results of any functional downstream non-invasive testing, invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and interventions, and discharge diagnosis were reported. ACS was defined as acute myocardial infarction (MI) or unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and adjudicated by an independent committee. Ischemia was defined as clear, territorial abnormality by myocardial perfusion scintigraphy imaging (MPI) or rest or stress echocardiogram, significant dynamic ST-T shift by exercise treadmill test (ETT) and stenosis >70% on ICA or fractional flow reserve (FFR) <0.75. Results: 586 patients underwent cCTA, with 7.2% (n=42) deemed moderate stenosis. Rate of ACS was 14.2% (n=6) with all adjudicated as UAP. Of these, 83% had stenosis caused by lipid-rich plaque; 33% had wall motion abnormalities on cCTA. The majority (n=28; 66%) underwent downstream non-invasive testing. Overall, n=2 (6%) of the non-invasive tests were positive for ischemia while n=3 (42%) of the invasive tests were diagnosed as positive for ischemia (all revascularized) (Figure 1). Conclusions: Unstable angina but not myocardial infarction is frequent among acute chest pain patients with moderate stenosis by cCTA. cCTA findings of lipid-rich plaque and resting functional abnormalities had a relatively higher yield vs. other non-invasive tests to detect ischemia.

A 16-Year-Old Boy with Acute Chest Pain and Shortness of Breath

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 273-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prithvi Murthy ◽  
Laura Holmes ◽  
Ann L. Giese ◽  
John A. Howington
Keyword(s):  
Chest Pain ◽  
Acute Chest Pain ◽  
Shortness Of Breath

scholarly journals Rationale and design of a cohort study evaluating triage of acute chest pain in out-of-hours primary care in the Netherlands (TRACE)

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Manten ◽  
Cuny J.J. Cuijpers ◽  
Remco Rietveld ◽  
Emma Groot ◽  
Freek van de Graaf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Chest Pain ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Acute Chest Pain ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
Triage System ◽  
Out Of Hours ◽  
Coronary Syndrome

Abstract The aims of this study are (1) to evaluate the performance of current triage for chest pain; (2) to describe the case mix of patients undergoing triage for chest pain; and (3) to identify opportunities to improve performance of current Dutch triage system for chest pain. Chest pain is a common symptom, and identifying patients with chest pain that require urgent care can be quite challenging. Making the correct assessment is even harder during telephone triage. Temporal trends show that the referral threshold has lowered over time, resulting in overcrowding of first responders and emergency services. While various stakeholders advocate for a more efficient triage system, careful evaluation of the performance of the current triage in primary care is lacking. TRiage of Acute Chest pain Evaluation in primary care (TRACE) is a large cohort study designed to describe the current Dutch triage system for chest pain and subsequently evaluate triage performance in regard to clinical outcomes. The study consists of consecutive patients who contacted the out-of-hours primary care facility with chest pain in the region of Alkmaar, the Netherlands, in 2017, with follow-up for clinical outcomes out to August 2019. The primary outcome of interest is ‘major event’, which is defined as the occurrence of death from any cause, acute coronary syndrome, urgent coronary revascularization, or other high-risk diagnoses in which delay is inadmissible and hospitalization is necessary. We will evaluate the performance of the triage system by assessing the ability of the triage system to correctly classify patients regarding urgency (accuracy), the proportion of safe actions following triage (safety) as well as rightfully deployed ambulances (efficacy). TRACE is designed to describe the current Dutch triage system for chest pain in primary care and to subsequently evaluate triage performance in regard to clinical outcomes.

Emergency department triage of patients with acute chest pain: definition of cardiac troponin I decisional value to manage patients without electrocardiographic evidence of ischemia

2004 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Beyne ◽  
Erik Bouvier ◽  
Patrick Werner ◽  
Pierre Bourgoin ◽  
Damien Logeart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chest Pain ◽  
Cardiac Troponin ◽  
Troponin I ◽  
Acute Chest Pain ◽  
Final Diagnosis ◽  
Cardiac Troponin I ◽  
Reference Limit ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Upper Reference Limit

AbstractThe aim of this study was to define the use of a new cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assay for emergency patients with chest pain and no specific electrocardiographic changes consistent with the presence of ischemia. Patients (n=106) admitted in Emergency/Cardiology Departments for chest pain and suspicion of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were randomized into two diagnosis groups (ACS or non-ACS) by two independent cardiologists. cTnI measurements were performed at admission, and 6 hours and 12 hours later with a new generation assay (Access AccuTnI, Beckman Coulter). Using an upper reference limit of 0.04 μg/l, 27 patients had a cTnI elevation not related to the final diagnosis of ischemia; the positive predictive value (PPV) was 67% with specificity 48%. The decisional value was re-defined and set at 0.16 μg/l, a concentration corresponding to the 99th percentile of the non-ACS patient group. Precision (coefficient of variation) was 8% at this level, PPV 97% and specificity 98%. This new decisional value is now used in our institution and could be included in standard care guidelines to improve the management of patients presenting chest pain in emergency departments.

Chest pain and chest pain units

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Durand ◽  
Aurès Chaib ◽  
Etienne Puymirat ◽  
Nicolas Danchin
Keyword(s):  
Acute Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Chest Pain ◽  
Acute Coronary Syndromes ◽  
Acute Chest Pain ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cardiac Biomarkers ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Cardiology Department ◽  
Coronary Syndromes ◽  
Rule Out

Patients presenting at the emergency department with acute chest pain and suspected to represent an acute coronary syndrome were classically admitted as routine to the cardiology department, resulting in expensive and time-consuming evaluations. However, 2-5% of patients with acute coronary syndromes were discharged home inappropriately, resulting in increased mortality. To address the inability to exclude the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, chest pain units were developed, particularly in the United States. These provide an environment where serial electrocardiograms, cardiac biomarkers, and provocative testing can be performed to confirm or rule out an acute coronary syndrome. Eligible candidates include the majority of patients with non-diagnostic electrocardiograms. The results have been impressive; chest pain units have markedly reduced adverse events, while simultaneously increasing the rate of safe discharge by 36%. Despite evidence to suggest that care in chest pain units is more effective for such patients, the percentage of emergency or cardiology departments setting up chest pain units remains low in Europe.

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