A new protocol using highly sensitive blood tests to determine whether someone is having a heart attack can reduce wait times and overcrowding in emergency departments, according to a new study from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
A new protocol using highly sensitive blood tests to determine whether someone is having a heart attack can reduce wait times and overcrowding in emergency departments, according to a new study from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
The findings, published online today in JAMA Open, are particularly meaningful during the current coronavirus pandemic when many people with chest pain may be fearful of going to the hospital.
“Patients are more reluctant to come to the ER with heart-related symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak. We do not want those with medical emergencies to avoid the hospital due to concern for risk from the virus,” says cardiologist Rebecca Vigen, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern.
The research team led by Vigen found that a new protocol for using high sensitivity cardiac troponin testing can improve efficiency in the ER by more quickly determining which patients are not having a heart attack. Troponins are proteins released when the heart muscle has been damaged. The protocol incorporates the HEART score – history, electrocardiogram, age, risk factors, and troponin – an emergency department risk assessment tool that guides decisions on discharge and stress testing.
Read more at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Image: A women having heart attack (Credit: UTSW)
