20 May 25
Article knowledge
Test in ER Can Rule outHeart Attack
Washington: A simple test appears very good at ruling out heart attacks in people who go to emergency rooms with chest pain.
A large study in Sweden found that the blood test plus the usual electrocardiogram of the heartbeat were 99 percent accurate at showing which patients could safely be sent home rather than be admitted for observation and more diagnostics.
“We believe that with this strategy, 20 to 25 percent of admissions to hospitals for chest pain may be avoided,” said lead researcher Dr Nadia Bandstein of the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.