Study objectives:
@EN To determine whether routine performance of an ECG could have been safely avoided in a subset of ED(emergency department) patients admitted to a university hospital.
@ES Design:
@EN Retrospective consecutive case series.
@ES Setting:
@EN University teaching hospital.
@ES Type of participants:
@EN All patients admitted through Yeungnam university hospital during a three month period.
@ES Methods and interventions:
@EN Acceptable indications for an admission ECG were prospectively developed. Charts of all patients were review to determine whether any of these were present, whether an admission ECG performed, and whether an admission ECC resulted in a change
in
patients management or outcome.
@ES Measurements and main results:
@EN There were 984 admissions through ED during the study period. Of these 60.8 patients had an ECG performed at ED. Of the 60.8 patients 140(23.0%)had at least one acceptable indication and 468(77.0%) had no for an ECG. Among the 140 who had an
indication for an ECG at ED, 56(40.0%) patients ECG were interpreted abnormal (95% confidence interval[CI], 32%~48%). Among the 468 who had no indications, only 3(0.64%) patients ECG were interpreted abnormal (95% CI, 0%~1.36%) and the ECG result
in a
change in management, but no change in outcome (95% CI, 0%~0.64%).
@ES Conclusion:
@EN The routine or admission ECG could have been avoided in no acceptable ED indication. We should have to try continuously for making acceptable criteria of ECG in ED of Korea, and then we have to prevent needless ECG and cardiac work up that
increasing the cost and evacuation time ED.
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