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Settelmeier S, Steven S, Post F, Ahrens I, Giannitsis E, Breuckmann F. New categorization of chest pain: noncardiac is in, atypical is out! Herz 2024; 49:181-184. [PMID: 38427126 DOI: 10.1007/s00059-024-05240-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Chest pain poses a diagnostic challenge in the emergency department and requires a thorough clinical assessment. The traditional distinction between "atypical" and "typical" chest pain carries the risk of not addressing nonischemic clinical pictures. The newly conceived subdivision into cardiac, possibly cardiac, and (probably) noncardiac causes of the presenting symptom complex addresses a much more interdisciplinary approach to a symptom-oriented diagnostic algorithm. The diagnostic structures of the chest pain units in Germany do not currently reflect this. An adaptation should therefore be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Settelmeier
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Steven
- Med. Klinik III-Department for Cardiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Felix Post
- Internal Medicine, General and interventional Cardiology, Katholisches Klinikum Koblenz-Montabaur, Rudolf-Virchow-Str. 7-9, 56073, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Ingo Ahrens
- Krankenhaus der Augustinerinnen, Department for Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jakobstr. 27-31, 50678, Köln, Germany
| | - Evangelos Giannitsis
- Department for Internal Medicine III, Cardiology, Vascular Medicine and Pneumology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Breuckmann
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
- Cardiology, Pneumology, Neurology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinik Kitzinger Land, Keltenstr. 67, 97318, Kitzingen, Germany.
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Imhof S, Hochadel M, Konstantinides S, Voigtländer T, Schmitt C, Nowak B, Rassaf T, Senges J, Münzel T, Giannitsis E, Breuckmann F. Cardiac, possible cardiac, and likely non-cardiac origin of chest pain : A hitherto underestimated parameter in German chest pain units. Herz 2024; 49:175-180. [PMID: 38155226 DOI: 10.1007/s00059-023-05230-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current guidelines emphasize the diagnostic value of non-cardiac or possibly cardiac chest pain. The goal of this analysis was to determine whether German chest pain units (CPUs) adequately address conditions with "atypical" chest pain in existing diagnostic structures. METHOD A total of 11,734 patients from the German CPU registry were included. The analyses included mode of admission, critical time intervals, diagnostic steps, and differential diagnoses. RESULTS Patients with unspecified chest pain were younger, more often female, were less likely to have classic cardiovascular risk factors and tended to present more often as self-referrals. Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) mostly had prehospital medical contact. Overall, there was no difference between these two groups regarding the time from the onset of first symptoms to arrival at the CPU. In the CPU, the usual basic diagnostic measures were performed irrespective of ACS as the primary working diagnosis. In the non-ACS group, further ischemia-specific diagnostics were rarely performed. Extra-cardiac differential diagnoses were not specified. CONCLUSION The establishment of broader awareness programs and opening CPUs for low-threshold evaluation of self-referring patients should be discussed. Regarding the rigid focus on the clarification of cardiac causes of chest pain, a stronger interdisciplinary approach should be promoted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Imhof
- Department of Cardiology, Pneumology, Neurology and Intensive Care, Klinik Kitzinger Land, Kitzingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Hochadel
- Institute for Myocardial Infarction Research Foundation, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Stavros Konstantinides
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Claus Schmitt
- Clinic for Cardiology and Angiology, Municipal Hospital Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Bernd Nowak
- CCB, Cardioangiologisches Centrum Bethanien, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tienush Rassaf
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jochen Senges
- Institute for Myocardial Infarction Research Foundation, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Thomas Münzel
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Frank Breuckmann
- Department of Cardiology, Pneumology, Neurology and Intensive Care, Klinik Kitzinger Land, Kitzingen, Germany.
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
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Arzuan M, Iram YA, Matetzky S, Herscovici R, Goldkorn R, Goitein O, Narodetsky M, Mazin I, Beigel R, Fardman A. Sex differences of patients with acute chest pain evaluated through a chest pain unit. J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 2023; 24:283-288. [PMID: 36957985 DOI: 10.2459/jcm.0000000000001466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although sex disparities between patients with acute myocardial infarction are well known, the data regarding sex differences among symptomatic patients with acute chest pain (ACP) are limited. METHODS We retrospectively evaluated the records of 1000 consecutive patients with ACP and hospitalized in a tertiary medical center chest pain unit (CPU). Patients were divided according to sex. The primary outcome was defined as a composite end point of readmission because of chest pain, incidence of acute coronary syndrome, revascularization, and death at 90 days and 1 year. RESULTS Overall, 673 men and 327 women were included in the current analysis. There was no difference in regard to sex for patients who underwent noninvasive evaluation, (87.8 vs. 87.3%, P = 0.85, for female vs. male, respectively). Among patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography, women were less likely to have significant coronary artery disease (CAD) (4.2 vs. 11.3%, P = 0.005). Similarly, women had fewer significant findings (4.4 vs. 7.6%, P = 0.007) on myocardial perfusion imaging. Consequently, fewer women underwent angiography (8 vs. 14%, P = 0.006) and revascularization (2.8 vs. 7.3%, P = 0.004). During follow-up, sex was not associated with the development of the primary composite outcome [odds ratio (OR) 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39-2.09, P-value = 0.82 and OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.65-2.06, P-value = 0.59 for 90-day and 1-year follow-up, respectively]. CONCLUSION Evaluation of patients through a CPU enables comparable noninvasive evaluation, appropriate utilization of invasive assessment with similar outcomes during the short and intermediate follow-up period regardless of patients' sex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yael Abramov Iram
- The Cardiovascular Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shlomi Matetzky
- The Cardiovascular Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Romana Herscovici
- The Cardiovascular Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronen Goldkorn
- The Cardiovascular Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Orly Goitein
- The Cardiovascular Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michael Narodetsky
- The Cardiovascular Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Israel Mazin
- The Cardiovascular Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Roy Beigel
- The Cardiovascular Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Alexander Fardman
- The Cardiovascular Division, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Settelmeier S, Hochadel M, Giannitsis E, Konstantinides S, Voigtländer T, Schmitt C, Haude M, Kerber S, Mudra H, Gonska BD, Senges J, Breuckmann F, Münzel T. Management of Pulmonary Embolism: Results from the German Chest Pain Unit Registry. Cardiology 2021; 146:304-310. [PMID: 33691308 DOI: 10.1159/000513695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Since 2008, specialized chest pain units (CPUs) were implemented across Germany ensuring structured diagnostics in acute chest pain. This study aims to analyze the management of pulmonary embolism (PE) patients in such certified CPUs. METHODS Data were retrieved from 13,902 patients enrolled in the German CPU registry and analyzed for the diagnosis of PE including patient characteristics, critical time intervals, diagnostic workup, treatment, and prognosis. PE patients were compared to the overall CPU patient cohort. Only patients with a complete 3-month follow-up were included. RESULTS Overall, 1.1% of all CPU patients were diagnosed with PE. Chest pain and dyspnea were the leading symptoms. Patients with PE were older, presented with higher heart rates, and more frequently exhibited signs of heart failure, despite a normal left ventricular function. PE patients showed significantly longer time delays between symptom onset and the first medical contact, while PE patients with chest pain presented earlier than PE patients with dyspnea only. Whereas more PE patients had to be transferred to the intensive care unit, in-CPU mortality and event rates over 3 months were low. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION This study suggests a certain risk for underdiagnosis and consecutive potential undertreatment of PE patients in German Cardiac Society (GCS)-certified CPUs, which is thought to result from an anticipated focus on patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Public awareness for PE beyond chest pain should be improved. Certified CPUs should be urged to implement strategic pathways for a better simultaneous diagnostic workup of differential diagnosis beyond ACS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Settelmeier
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Matthias Hochadel
- Institute for Myocardial Infarction Research Foundation, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | | | - Stavros Konstantinides
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Claus Schmitt
- Clinic for Cardiology and Angiology, Municipal Hospital Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Michael Haude
- Medical Clinic I, Städtische Kliniken Neuss, Lukaskrankenhaus GmbH, Neuss, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kerber
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Centre Bad Neustadt, Bad Neustadt, Germany
| | - Harald Mudra
- Heart and Vascular Center Munich Maffeistrasse and Nymphenburg (Klinikum 3. Orden), München, Germany
| | | | - Jochen Senges
- Institute for Myocardial Infarction Research Foundation, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Frank Breuckmann
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany,
| | - Thomas Münzel
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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