title: Chest pain units: management of special populations.
abstract: Chest pain units provide an important alternative to traditional hospital admission for patients who present to the emergency department with symptoms compatible with acute coronary syndrome and a normal or inconclusive initial evaluation. Although patient subgroups such as women, diabetics, those with established coronary artery disease,and those with symptoms related to stimulant use present unique challenges,management in a chest pain unit appears to be appropriate in these populations. Judicious application of accelerated diagnostic protocols and current testing methods can promote safe, accurate, and cost-effective risk stratification of special populations to identify patients who can be safely discharged and patients who require hospital admission for further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California School of Medicine (Davis) and Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. dbdiercks@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Deborah B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Diercks
authors.forename: J Douglas
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: Ezra A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Amsterdam
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000209:etiology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003325:Coronary Care Units; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants