Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Survivors of acute cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, such as acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stroke, may experience significant psychological distress during and following the acute event. Long-term adverse effects may follow, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), increased overall all-cause mortality, and recurrent cardiac events. The goal of this concepts paper is to describe and summarize the rates of adverse psychological outcomes, such as PTSD, following cardiovascular emergencies, to review how these psychological factors are associated with increased risk of future events and long-term health and to provide a theoretical framework for future work. ⋯ Psychological stress is often present in patients undergoing evaluation for acute CVD events. Understanding such associations provides a foundation to appreciate the potential contribution of psychological variables on acute and long-term cardiovascular recovery, while also stimulating future areas of research and discovery.
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Multicenter Study
Can emergency physician gestalt "rule in" or "rule out" acute coronary syndrome: validation in a multi-center prospective diagnostic cohort study.
Chest pain is a common problem presenting to the emergency department (ED). Many decision aids and accelerated diagnostic protocols have been developed to help clinicians differentiate those needing admission from those who can be safely discharged. Some early evidence has suggested that clinician judgment or gestalt alone could be sufficient. ⋯ Clinician gestalt is not sufficiently accurate or safe to either rule in or rule out ACS as a decision-making strategy. This study will enable emergency physicians to understand the limitations of our clinical judgment.