title: Outcomes in patients with chest pain evaluated in a chest pain unit: the chest pain evaluation in the emergency room study cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limited data exist on the long-term outcomes of patients who undergo evaluation in a chest pain unit (CPU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study included patients with chest pain at intermediate risk for acute cardiovascular events enrolled in the CHEER study. The primary outcome included a composite of death, myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, stroke, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The secondary outcome included a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, stroke, revascularization, and unstable angina. Data were obtained through a medical record review. We compared outcomes between groups randomized to the CPU versus admission, those admitted from the CPU versus dismissed home, and those who were admitted versus dismissed home after a cardiac stress test in the emergency department.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final analysis included 407 patients. Median surveillance length was 5.5 years. No differences in the primary outcome or secondary outcome existed between patients randomized to the CPU versus admitted to hospital (21.6% vs 20.2% and 29.9% vs 33.0%, respectively, P > .05 for all comparisons). Patients admitted from the CPU had higher rates of the secondary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio 2.26) than patients dismissed from the CPU. Patients admitted after a cardiac stress test in the CPU had higher rates of the secondary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio 2.42) than patients dismissed from the CPU.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A CPU does not increase long-term adverse outcomes in patients with chest pain at intermediate risk for an acute event.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. cullen.michael@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Guy S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Reeder
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Farkouh
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kopecky
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Smars
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Behrenbeck
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Allison
mesh_terms: D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010343:Patient Admission; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends