Table 2.
Clinical setting: The patient presenting with acute chest pain at the emergency department. Decision: ‘Would you send this patient home without any further diagnostic testing (eg, no serial troponin testing or exercise testing)’? | |
---|---|
Attribute | Attribute level |
Age (years) | <50 |
50–75 | |
>75 | |
Gender | Male |
Female | |
Known coronary artery disease | No |
Yes | |
Chest pain classification based on history taking | A-specific chest pain |
Atypical angina pectoris | |
Typical angina pectoris | |
Symptoms of chest pain still present at presentation | No |
Yes | |
Risk factors* | No risk factors |
One risk factor | |
More than one risk factor | |
ECG | Normal |
Atypical changes | |
Typical ischaemic changes | |
Troponin† | Below reference level and representative |
Below reference level, not representative | |
Above reference level |
*Classic five: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, smoking and positive family history.
†According to cardiologists’ own hospital standards.