Identifying and managing patients with acute coronary conditions.
In 2004, the then National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a technology-appraisal guideline on the treatment of patients with unstable angina (UA) or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). This article reports the results of a study in which triage and treatment for this patient group in one emergency department (ED) was assessed against this NICE guideline. The study found that patients were triaged by ED staff successfully but that there had been a lack of awareness of prognostic risk groupings and that compliance with guidelines on early antiplatelet therapy had not been ideal. The authors conclude, therefore, that the introduction of an ED pathway for patients with UA or NSTEMI would improve clinicians' compliance with the NICE guideline.
Sen
Bas
B
Emergency Department, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
McNab
Angela
A
Burdess
Christopher
C
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy; D019091:Critical Pathways; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy; D009731:Nursing Audit; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014218:Triage
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors