MANAGEMENT OF CARDIAC SYMPTOMS AT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Cardiac diseases are a major public health problem worldwide. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have now become the leading cause of mortality in India. The CVD death rate of 272 per 100,000 population in India is higher than the global average of 235 per 100,000 population.[1]. Approximately 70% of patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department have an undiagnosed chest pain, the incidence of cardiovascular events in such patients is significantly high.[2] A hospital based prospective observational study, was conducted at a tertiary care hospital for 6 months. It included patients over 18 years of age presenting to the ED with symptoms related to cardiac diseases. Patients visiting the emergency room with complaints related to cardiac diseases were identified. Patients who met with inclusion criteria were recruited after obtaining informed consent and data was collected with the help of a data collection form. During the study period, 6700 patients visited the emergency department (ED), of which 775 had the cardiac symptoms. Acute chest pain was the most common presenting complaint (4.78% of ED visits). 46.58% were male and 53.42% female, with cardiac symptoms most prevalent in the age group of 41–45 years (18.06%). Acute Chest pain and Dyspnoea were the primary symptoms. ECG was performed in 89.6% of patients with chest pain and 61.2% with dyspnoea. PPIs (34.84%) and bronchodilators (29.03%) were the most frequently prescribed medications. Among those with chest pain, 53.05% received PPIs and 34.76% analgesics, while dyspnoeic patients were commonly treated with bronchodilators and diuretics (19.2%). Acute chest pain was the most common presentation among enrolled emergency department patients exhibiting potential cardiac etiologies. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and bronchodilators were the most frequently prescribed drugs. ECG monitoring was high, particularly in patients with suspected cardiac symptoms with coronary artery disease being the predominant cardiac diagnosis.