Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in Singapore

Abstract Objective Chest pain scores allow emergency department (ED) physicians to identify low‐risk patients for whom discharge can be safely expedited. Although these have been extensively validated in Western cohorts, data in patients of Asian heritage are lacking. This study aimed to determine t...

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Main Authors: Mingwei Ng, Hong Jie Gabriel Tan, Fei Gao, Jack Wei Chieh Tan, Swee Han Lim, Marcus Eng Hock Ong, R Ponampalam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2020-10-01
Series:Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12242
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author Mingwei Ng
Hong Jie Gabriel Tan
Fei Gao
Jack Wei Chieh Tan
Swee Han Lim
Marcus Eng Hock Ong
R Ponampalam
author_facet Mingwei Ng
Hong Jie Gabriel Tan
Fei Gao
Jack Wei Chieh Tan
Swee Han Lim
Marcus Eng Hock Ong
R Ponampalam
author_sort Mingwei Ng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Objective Chest pain scores allow emergency department (ED) physicians to identify low‐risk patients for whom discharge can be safely expedited. Although these have been extensively validated in Western cohorts, data in patients of Asian heritage are lacking. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of HEART, ED Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS), and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) in risk‐stratifying which chest pain patients are at risk of major adverse cardiovascular events within 30 days (composite of all‐cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization). Methods This single‐center prospective cohort‐study that enrolled 1200 patients was conducted by a large urban tertiary center in Singapore. Chest pain scores were reported before disposition by research assistants blinded to the physician's clinical assessment. Outcomes were assessed independently by a blinded cardiologist and emergency physician, while another cardiologist adjudicated in the case of discrepancies. Results Of the 1195 patients analyzed, 135 (11.3%) suffered major adverse cardiovascular events within 30 days. HEART, which ruled out major adverse cardiovascular events in 52.8% of patients with 88.1% sensitivity, and EDACS, which ruled out major adverse cardiovascular events in 57.5% of patients with 83.7% sensitivity, proved comparable to clinical judgment that ruled out major adverse cardiovascular events in 73.0% of patients with 85.5% sensitivity. GRACE was weaker—ruling out major adverse cardiovascular events in 79.2% of patients with a dismal sensitivity of 45.0%. The correlation‐statistic for HEART (79.4%) was superior to EDACS (69.9%) and GRACE (69.2%). Conclusions HEART more accurately identified low‐risk chest pain patients in an Asian ED, demonstrating comparable performance characteristics to clinical judgment. This has major implications on the use of chest pain scores to safely expedite disposition decisions for low‐risk chest pain patients.
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spelling doaj-art-15d0009d04f24db0a730bd6a91ebf0452025-08-20T02:00:34ZengElsevierJournal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open2688-11522020-10-011572372910.1002/emp2.12242Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in SingaporeMingwei Ng0Hong Jie Gabriel Tan1Fei Gao2Jack Wei Chieh Tan3Swee Han Lim4Marcus Eng Hock Ong5R Ponampalam6Department of Emergency Medicine Singapore General Hospital SingaporeDepartment of Internal Medicine Singapore General Hospital SingaporeDepartment of Cardiology National Heart Centre Singapore SingaporeDepartment of Cardiology National Heart Centre Singapore SingaporeDepartment of Emergency Medicine Singapore General Hospital SingaporeDepartment of Emergency Medicine Singapore General Hospital SingaporeDepartment of Emergency Medicine Singapore General Hospital SingaporeAbstract Objective Chest pain scores allow emergency department (ED) physicians to identify low‐risk patients for whom discharge can be safely expedited. Although these have been extensively validated in Western cohorts, data in patients of Asian heritage are lacking. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of HEART, ED Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS), and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) in risk‐stratifying which chest pain patients are at risk of major adverse cardiovascular events within 30 days (composite of all‐cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization). Methods This single‐center prospective cohort‐study that enrolled 1200 patients was conducted by a large urban tertiary center in Singapore. Chest pain scores were reported before disposition by research assistants blinded to the physician's clinical assessment. Outcomes were assessed independently by a blinded cardiologist and emergency physician, while another cardiologist adjudicated in the case of discrepancies. Results Of the 1195 patients analyzed, 135 (11.3%) suffered major adverse cardiovascular events within 30 days. HEART, which ruled out major adverse cardiovascular events in 52.8% of patients with 88.1% sensitivity, and EDACS, which ruled out major adverse cardiovascular events in 57.5% of patients with 83.7% sensitivity, proved comparable to clinical judgment that ruled out major adverse cardiovascular events in 73.0% of patients with 85.5% sensitivity. GRACE was weaker—ruling out major adverse cardiovascular events in 79.2% of patients with a dismal sensitivity of 45.0%. The correlation‐statistic for HEART (79.4%) was superior to EDACS (69.9%) and GRACE (69.2%). Conclusions HEART more accurately identified low‐risk chest pain patients in an Asian ED, demonstrating comparable performance characteristics to clinical judgment. This has major implications on the use of chest pain scores to safely expedite disposition decisions for low‐risk chest pain patients.https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12242Asianchest pain scoresEDACSemergency departmentHEART
spellingShingle Mingwei Ng
Hong Jie Gabriel Tan
Fei Gao
Jack Wei Chieh Tan
Swee Han Lim
Marcus Eng Hock Ong
R Ponampalam
Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in Singapore
Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open
Asian
chest pain scores
EDACS
emergency department
HEART
title Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in Singapore
title_full Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in Singapore
title_fullStr Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in Singapore
title_full_unstemmed Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in Singapore
title_short Comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in Singapore
title_sort comparative prospective study of the performance of chest pain scores and clinical assessment in an emergency department cohort in singapore
topic Asian
chest pain scores
EDACS
emergency department
HEART
url https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12242
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