Table 1.
Characteristics of Patients Seeking Care in the ED for ACS
| Women (n=112) | Men (n=144) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Acute Coronary | |||
| Syndrome | |||
| UA | 38 (34%) | 50 (35%) | .64 |
| NSTEMI | 40 (36%) | 44 (30%) | |
| STEMI | 34 (30%) | 50 (35%) | |
| Symptom Characteristics | |||
| Symptoms Constant | 69 (61.6%) | 86 (59.6%) | .66 |
| Self-Treat Symptoms | 67 (59.8%) | 91 (63.2%) | .34 |
| Similar Symptoms in Past | 63 (56.3%) | 82 (56.9%) | .51 |
| Symptoms Brought on by: | |||
| Exertion | 12 (10.7%) | 37 (25.7%) | <.01 |
| Emotional Upset | 26 (23.2%) | 28 (19.4%) | .28 |
| Rest | 23 (20.5%) | 19 (13.2%) | .08 |
| Other Causes* | 65 (58.0%) | 73 (50.7%) | .15 |
| Severity of Chest Pain | |||
| (Mean±SD- scale 0–10) | 6.08±3.37 | 6.84±3.01 | .06 |
| Severity of Worst Symptom | |||
| (Mean±SD- scale 0–10) | 7.56±2.54 | 7.13±2.89 | .21 |
| Total Number of Symptoms | |||
| (Mean±SD) | 8.36±3.62 | 7.48±3.65 | <.06 |
| Age, years | |||
| Mean (SD) | 67.1 (±13.2) | 62.3 (±13.6) | <.01 |
| Range | 39–97 | 24–90 | |
| Race/Ethnicity | |||
| Black | 27 (24%) | 24 (17%) | .28 |
| White (Non-Hispanic) | 80 (71%) | 111 (77%) | |
| Hispanic | 3 (3%) | 5 (3%) | |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0 | 3 (2%) | |
| Native American | 2 (2%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Education | |||
| <High School | 27 (24%) | 40 (28%) | .50 |
| High School diploma | 35 (31%) | 51 (35%) | |
| >More than High School | 50 (45%) | 53 (37%) | |
| Income* | |||
| ≤ $20,000 | 48 (43%) | 36 (25%) | .02 |
| $20.001–$50,000 | 35 (31%) | 56 (39%) | |
| >$50,000 | 12 (11%) | 35 (24%) |
Note: UA denotes unstable angina; NSTEMI denotes non ST-elevation myocardial infarction, and STEMI denotes ST-elevation myocardial infarction.