Table 2.

Major themes regarding Emergency Physicians’ clinical approach and disposition rationale for emergency department patients with palpitations.

Theme	Examples
Clinical Approach
1- Risk-stratification	Patient is categorized as high, medium or low risk based on key clinical factors.
2- Diagnostic categorization	Symptoms are categorized as organic versus functional, cardiac versus psychiatric.
3- Algorithmic management	Certain clinical variables dictate specific actions, e.g. associated chest pain triggers ischemic work up
4- Case-specific gestalt	Physicians use their intuitive judgment on an individual basis
Disposition
1- Presence of a serious diagnosis made in the ED	Ventricular dysrhythmia revealed on cardiac monitor
2- Perceived need for further cardiac testing/monitoring	Patient requires in-patient provocative stress testing
3- Presence of key associated symptoms	Patient has associated chest pain or syncope
4- Request of other physician or patient desire	The patient, primary doctor or consultant request the patient be admitted