Table 3.
Patterns of diagnosis and management of emergency department patients with chest pain or shortness of breath, northern Tanzania, 2018 (N = 339).
| Number of patients | (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| ECG performed | 170 | (50.1) |
| Cardiac biomarkers ordered | 9 | (2.7) |
| Other laboratory investigations ordered | 246 | (72.6) |
| Treatments administered in the ED | ||
| Aspirin | 3 | (0.9) |
| Clopidogrel | 2 | (0.6) |
| Furosemide | 33 | (9.7) |
| Anti-hypertensive | 26 | (7.6) |
| Supplemental oxygen | 24 | (7.1) |
| Analgesic | 8 | (2.4) |
| Other | 23 | (6.8) |
| No medication administered | 247 | (72.9) |
| Diagnosis | ||
| Symptomatic hypertension | 104 | (30.7) |
| Heart failure | 99 | (29.2) |
| PUD/gastritis | 27 | (8.0) |
| Non-specific chest pain | 14 | (4.1) |
| Pneumonia | 12 | (3.5) |
| Asthma/COPD | 11 | (3.2) |
| Malignancy | 11 | (3.2) |
| Acute coronary syndrome | 6 | (1.8) |
| Other | 55 | (16.2) |
| Admitted to hospital | 116 | (34.2) |
PUD: peptic ulcer disease.
COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.