Electrocardiogram and chest pain in real practice: A retrospective cohort study in family practicein Portugal

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

Paulo Santos (Author) FMUP; Carlos Martins (Author) FMUP; Pessanha, P (Author) Other; Viana, M (Author) Other; Luísa Sá (Author) FMUP; Alberto Hespanhol (Author) FMUP; Pereira, AC (Author) Other; Luciana Couto (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Research Journal of Medical Sciences

Vol. 9

Pages: 58-63

ISSN: 1815-9346

Publisher: Medwell

Indexing

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00G-X1N

DOI: 10.3923/rjmsci.2015.58.63

Abstract (EN): Electrocardiogram (ECG) plays a major role in the study of chest pain. To measure the impact of making an ECG in patients with Chest Pain (CP) in primary care. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with CP that made an ECG in a primary care setting by comparison with those who made the ECG as a routine test in order to measure the change of cardiovascular clinical guidance up to 6 months after ECG. Cases were categorized in atypical or typical CP. Secondary a clinical practice analysis was performed, counting the number of medical visits 12 months before and after ECG. We studied 480 patients, consecutively selected during 4 years, 333 in CP group (286 with atypical CP) and 147 controls. Patients with typical CP presented higher changing in clinical guidance (RR = 4.299; 95% CI: 2.378-7.772, pO.OOl) than patients with atypical CP (RR =1.116; 95% CI: 1.008-1.235, p = 0.047) when compared with controls. In the routine group, there wasn't any variation of visits counting as in the typical CP group but a reduction of 0.59 visits (95% CI: -0.90-0.29; p<0.001) occurred in the atypical CP patients 1 year after the ECG. Anxiety was significantly associated to atypical CP orientation. © Medwell Journals, 2015.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific