Lack of utility of telemetry monitoring for identification of cardiac death and life-threatening ventricular dysrhythmias in low-risk patients with chest pain.
Publication/Presentation Date
1-1-2004
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE: Low-risk patients with chest pain are often admitted to monitored beds; however, the use of telemetry beds in this cohort is not evidence based. We tested the hypothesis that monitoring admitted low-risk patients with chest pain for dysrhythmia is low yield (< 1% detection of life-threatening dysrhythmias requiring treatment).
METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of emergency department (ED) patients with chest pain with a Goldman risk score of less than 8%, a normal initial creatine kinase-MB level, and a negative initial troponin I level admitted to non-ICU monitored beds. Investigators followed the hospital course daily. The main outcome was cardiovascular death and life-threatening ventricular dysrhythmia during telemetry.
RESULTS: Of 3,681 patients with chest pain who presented to the ED, 1,750 patients were admitted to non-ICU monitored beds. Of these, 1,029 patients had a Goldman risk score of less than 8%, a troponin I level of less than 0.3 ng/mL, and a creatine kinase-MB level of less than 5 ng/mL (accounting for 59% of all chest pain telemetry admissions). During hospitalization, there were no patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation requiring treatment on the telemetry service (0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0% to 0.3%). There were 2 deaths: neither was cardiovascular in nature or preventable by monitoring (cardiovascular preventable death rate=0%; 95% CI 0.0% to 0.3%).
CONCLUSION: The routine use of telemetry monitoring for low-risk patients with chest pain is of limited utility. Admission to nonmonitored beds might help alleviate ED crowding without increasing risk of adverse events caused by dysrhythmia in patients with a Goldman risk of less than 8%, an initial troponin I level of less than 0.3 ng/mL, and a creatine kinase-MB level of less than 5 ng/mL.
Volume
43
Issue
1
First Page
71
Last Page
76
ISSN
1097-6760
Published In/Presented At
Hollander, J. E., Sites, F. D., Pollack, C. V., Jr, & Shofer, F. S. (2004). Lack of utility of telemetry monitoring for identification of cardiac death and life-threatening ventricular dysrhythmias in low-risk patients with chest pain. Annals of emergency medicine, 43(1), 71–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0196-0644(03)00719-4
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
14707944
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article