CanadiEM - By Richard Tang - May 9, 2017
"Chest Pain? Better check out the HEART (Score)!
Chest pain suspected to be of cardiac origin is a common presentation in the first-world Emergency Department, but trying to decide the appropriate level of care of these patients can often be challenging. What if the chest pain is not a straight-forward STEMI that needs to be sent to the cath lab? What do we say when the troponin levels are not high enough to impress the seasoned (and disgruntled) cardiologist at 2 am in the morning? Worse yet, what if the ECG and troponin levels are both normal in a person with a very suspicious history and multiple risk factors?
HEART Score – A Tool For the ED
The HEART score is an excellent tool that can be used in the ED setting to prognosticate and triage patients with possible Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) for admission for further workup and treatment versus safely discharging home with follow-up instructions. The scoring system is based on expert opinion and validated in several ED populations worldwide. Most importantly, the scoring system focuses on disposition via calculating the risk of a Major Adverse Cardiac Event (MACE) within 6 weeks. The HEART score is highly practical for the ED to help focus on identifying low risk as well as high risk patients, in order to offer appropriate care and disposition as early as possible..."
