title: [Value of early exercise stress testing in a chest pain unit protocol].
abstract: Early exercise testing (first 24 hours) was evaluated in the stratification of patients seen in the emergency room for chest pain. One hundred and forty-two consecutive patients without ischemia in the ECG or troponin I elevation were included. Ninety-two patients were discharged after the exercise testing (group I, 82 negative and 10 inconclusive test results) and 50 patients were hospitalized (group II, 29 positive and 21 inconclusive test results). In group I, cardiac events (unstable angina and non-fatal infarction) occurred in the next 30 days of follow-up in 2 patients with inconclusive test results; no cardiac events occurred in patients with negative test results. In group II, unstable angina was diagnosed in 30 patients and 3 presented recurrent angina. There were no complications during exercise testing. In conclusion, early exercise testing is safe and useful in the stratification of patients seen in the emergency room for chest pain. Only patients with negative test results should be discharged early.
authors.affiliation: Servei de Cardiologia. Hospital Clínic Universitari. València. España. sanchis_juafor@gva.es
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchis
authors.forename: Vicent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bodí
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Llácer
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Chorro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D018579:Patient Selection; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors