Summary
Diagnosing Acute Coronary Syndrome in the ED: Improvements From the First Decade of the Twenty-First Century
Hamilton BH, Hollander JE
Affiliation of the authors
Departamento de Emergencias. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Filadelfia, USA.
DOI
Quote
Hamilton BH, Hollander JE. Diagnosing Acute Coronary Syndrome in the ED: Improvements From the First Decade of the Twenty-First Century. Emergencias. 2010;22:293-0
Summary
The methods of diagnosis and risk stratification of patients who present with signs and
symptoms of a possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have evolved considerably
over the past decade. ACS, although potentially lethal, can be notoriously subtle in
presentation. Recent advances in diagnostic imaging and cardiac biomarkers hold promise,
and this review places current advances in a historical context. It is our hope that
advancements rooted in the discoveries described in this review will render as obsolete
many of the existing difficulties inherent to the current protocol for ‘ruling out myocardial
infarction,’ and form the foundation for an accurate, comprehensive, and rapid
methodology for diagnosing ACS in the emergency department.