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CARDIAC DIAGNOSIS AND DECISION‐MAKING IN A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM
Author(s) -
Desser Kenneth B.,
Goldberg Emanuel
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1971.tb01549.x
Subject(s) - medicine , myocardial infarction , emergency department , chest pain , emergency medicine , anticipation (artificial intelligence) , medical emergency , surgery , artificial intelligence , psychiatry , computer science
A bstract The emergency room records of 140 patients with cardiac complaints were reviewed. The average age was 60 years. Chest pain was the most common symptom and a majority of patients with this complaint expressed fear of an acute coronary episode. Of 41 cases admitted with the initial diagnosis of myocardial infarction, only 21 had that diagnosis at the end of two weeks. Of 91 patients sent home from the emergency room, 83 were alive and well at the end of six weeks. A single patient died of acute myocardial infarction ten days after leaving the emergency room. No patient was averse to admission, and in 10 instances patients came to the emergency room equipped with personal items indicating anticipation of admission. Such studies are feasible and may elucidate further the role of the emergency room in the early care of the “coronary suspect.”