Improving the Accuracy of Referrals of Patients With Chest Pain

VieCuri Medical Centre852 enrolled

Overview

This is a multicenter, prospective, investigator-initiated, randomized controlled trial aiming to reduce the percentage of non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) patients admitted to the cardiac emergency department (ED) by performing the modified HEART score by emergency medical transport (EMT) personnel.

Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) should be referred to the hospital promptly. However, referring all patients with chest pain is not feasible, as recent studies showed that up to 80% of the patients with acute chest pain do not have ACS. Bedside point-of-care (POC) high sensitive troponin testing (in fingerprick blood/capillary blood) and the modified HEART score have become available and might play a substantial role in the triage and diagnosis of chest pain patients in a pre-hospital setting by general practitioners (GPs) and EMT personnel in the future. We hypothesize that patients with chest pain can be referred more accurately by using the modified HEART score.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

852

Conditions

Chest Pain Acute Coronary Syndrome Myocardial Infarction Myocardial Ischemia Heart Attack

Interventions

modified HEART score (including POC hs cTnI analysis)DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

The modified HEART score was developed in 2007 and has been validated to stratify the risk of short-term adverse cardiac events in patients with chest pain at the ED. Negative predictive value (NPV) of the modified HEART score for ACS as well as positive predictive value (PPV) for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) within 6 weeks after presentation is high. The modified HEART score is an acronym for history, ECG, age, risk factors and troponin at arrival.The components can be rated 0,1 or 2 points each and result in a total score between 0 and 10.

Standard care and triage according to the local (EMT)protocol.OTHER

Standard care and triage of chest pain patients according to the local (EMT)protocol.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years. * Chest pain or other complaints suspect of ACS for at least 2 hours where the GP or emergency medical personnel are in need of further diagnostics or risk stratification to come to a decision of referral. * Patients, who have been informed of the nature of the study, agree to its provisions and have provided written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Electrocardiographic ST-segment elevation/High suspicion of STE-ACS. * Suspicion of an acute non-coronary diagnosis e.g. pulmonary embolism, thoracic aortic dissection or other life-threatening disease. * Patients presenting cardiogenic shock, defined as: systolic blood pressure \<90mmHg and heart rate \>100 and peripheral oxygen saturation \<90% (without oxygen administration) * Patients presenting with sudden onset heart rhythm disorders and second or third degree atrioventricular block. * Patients with confirmed ACS, PCI or CABG \<30 days prior to inclusion. * Impaired consciousness defined as an EMV \<8. * Severe shortness of breath. * Patients with known end-stage renal disease (dialysis and/or MDRD \< 30 ml/min). * Patients with known cognitive impairment. * Communication issues with patient/language barrier. * Patients already participating in an interventional cardiology or cardiovascular trial.

Locations (2)

Laurentius Hospital Roermond

Roermond, Limburg, Netherlands

RECRUITING

Viecuri Medical Centre Northern Limburg

Venlo, Limburg, Netherlands

RECRUITING

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

The incidence of non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) patients admitted at the cardiac ED (percentage, %)

Evaluation of the percentage of NCCP patients admitted to the cardiac ED by performing the modified HEART score in comparison to our control group (regular triage and care). We aim to detect a reduction of minimal 10% in unnecessarily referred chest pain patients (NCCP patients) but expect an even higher percentage. A lower percentage of NCCP patients indicates improval of the triage of chest pain patients.

Time frame: 30 days

The incidence of MACE (percentage, %)

The mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) i.e. acute myocardial infarction, non-elective percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting or all cause death within 30 days, 6 months and 1 year after initial presentation in the intervention group versus control group. We aim that the proportion of MACE in the intervention group (modified HEART score) is non-inferior to the control group (regular care and triage). Preliminary results of the second phase of FAMOUS Triage trial showed 15.7% (13.1-18.6) MACE rate.We used the expected incidence of 15.7% as the point estimate (meaning no difference between control and intervention). A higher MACE rate (%) in the intervention group suggests a worst outcome.

Time frame: 30 days, 6 months and 1 year

Secondary Outcomes

The incidence of MACE in subgroups (percentage, %)

Prespecified subgroup analyses of primary outcomes will be performed for: 1. Diabetic patients versus non-diabetic patients. 2. Male versus female patients 3. Patients referred by GP versus patient referred by triage nurse at GP cooperatives (GPC) versus self referrals.

Time frame: 30 days, 6 months and 1 year

The incidence of non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) patients admitted at the cardiac ED in subgroups (percentage, %)

Central Contacts

Lisa Frenk, Drs.

CONTACT

0031773205555 lfrenk@viecuri.nl

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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