Abstract
Objective: To describe time to electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition, identify factors associated with timely acquisition, and evaluate the influence of time to ECG on adverse clinical outcomes. Methods: We measured the door-to-ECG time for emergency department patients enrolled in prospective chest pain registry. Clinical outcomes were defined as occurrence of myocardial infarction or death within 30 days of the visit. Results: Among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), 34% and 40.9% of patients with non-ST-elevation ACS and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), respectively, had an ECG performed within 10 minutes of arrival. A delay in ECG acquisition was only associated with an increase risk of clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI at 30 days (odds ratio, 3.95; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-14.72; P = .04). Conclusion: Approximately one third of patients with ACS received an ECG within 10 minutes. A prolonged door-to-ECG time was associated with an increased risk of clinical outcomes only in patients with STEMI.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1-7 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | American Journal of Emergency Medicine |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2006 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Emergency Medicine