Prognostic value of the emergency department cardiogram for in-hospital complications of acute myocardial infarction [corrected].

Abstract

To identify patients who are admitted from the emergency department with chest discomfort who are at low risk for life-threatening complications. Retrospective chart review. A 450-bed military medical center providing active duty and military beneficiaries. Six hundred twenty-one patients admitted to an ICU from the ED with the chief compliant of chest discomfort. Study participants were placed into low- and high-risk groups based on clinical criteria and ECGs. The groups were compared with respect to occurrence of life-threatening complications during the hospital course. Three of the 262 patients in the low-risk group experienced life-threatening events; two died. Twenty-nine of the 224 high-risk patients experienced life-threatening events; 17 died . Results were statistically evaluated using Fisher's exact test. Significance was achieved at a value of P < .01. Patients who meet low-risk group criteria have a low likelihood of immediate life-threatening events and could be admitted to an intermediate care unit.