HEART score to further risk stratify patients with low TIMI scores.

OBJECTIVE: The ability to risk stratify patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is critical. The thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) risk score can risk stratify ED patients with potential ACS but cannot identify patients safe for ED discharge. The symptom-based HEART score identifies very low-risk patients. Our hypothesis was that patients with a TIMI score of 0 or 1 may be stratified further with the HEART score to identify a group of patients at less than 1% risk of 30-day cardiovascular events. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study in a tertiary care hospital ED. Patients with potential ACS who were >30 years of age were included. Data collected included demographics, history, electrocardiogram, laboratories, and components of the TIMI and HEART scores. Follow-up was conducted by structured record review and phone. The main outcome was a composite of death, acute myocardial infarction, or revascularization at 30 days. RESULTS: There were 8815 patients enrolled (mean age, 52.8 ± 15.1 years; 57% women, and 69% black). At 30 days, the composite event rate was 8.0% (660 patients): 108 deaths, 410 acute myocardial infarction, and 301 revascularizations. Of the 485 patients with both a TIMI score of 0 and a HEART score of 0, there were no cardiovascular events (95% confidence interval, 0-0.8%); but no other score combination had an upper limit confidence interval less than 1%. CONCLUSION: At all levels of TIMI score, the HEART score was able to further substratify patients with respect to 30-day risk. A HEART score of 0 in a patient with a TIMI of 0 identified a group of patients at less than 1% risk for 30-day adverse events.

Comparison of cardiac risk scores in ED patients with potential acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: : The ability to risk stratify patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is critical. Several risk scores for patients with definite ACS have been developed, but only the TIMI risk score has been shown to risk stratify ED patients with potential ACS. We compared the prognostic value of the GRACE and PURSUIT risk scores to the TIMI score in the broader ED patient population presenting with potential ACS. METHODS: : We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study that enrolled patients who presented to the ED with potential ACS. Demographics, history, and components of the TIMI, GRACE, and PURSUIT scores were obtained. Follow-up was conducted by structured record review and phone. The main outcome was a composite of 30-day death, nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, and revascularization. The GRACE scores ranged from 0 to 330 and PURSUIT scores ranged from 0 to 18 and were subsequently divided into 8 equivalent strata to correspond with TIMI score range and to facilitate comparison. For each of the 3 risk scores, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare prediction of 30-day event rates. RESULTS: : There were 4743 patients enrolled (mean age: 52.5 ± 13.3; 56% female; 65% black). By 30 days, there were 59 deaths, 172 acute myocardial infarctions, and 175 revascularizations. The area under the curve for TIMI was 0.757 (95% CI: 0.728-0.785); GRACE, 0.728 (95% CI: 0.701-0.755); and PURSUIT, 0.691 (95% CI: 0.662-0.720). CONCLUSION: : In this large cohort of ED patients, the TIMI risk score had the best discriminatory ability to predict 30-day cardiovascular events.

Fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli carriage in long-term care facility.

We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, colonization with fluoroquinolone (FQ)-resistant Escherichia coli in residents in a long-term care facility. FQ-resistant E. coli were identified from rectal swabs for 25 (51%) of 49 participants at study entry. On multivariable analyses, prior FQ use was the only independent risk factor for FQ-resistant E. coli carriage and was consistent for FQ exposures in the previous 3, 6, 9, or 12 months. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of FQ-resistant E. coli identified clonal spread of 1 strain among 16 residents. Loss (6 residents) or acquisition (7 residents) of FQ-resistant E. coli was documented and was associated with de novo colonization with genetically distinct strains. Unlike the case in the hospital setting, FQ-resistant E. coli carriage in long-term care facilities is associated with clonal spread.