Effect of a Triage-Based Screening Protocol on Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Coronary Syndrome in a Tanzanian Emergency Department: A Prospective Pre-Post Study.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Background Evidence suggests that acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is underdiagnosed in sub-Saharan Africa. Triage-based interventions have improved ACS diagnosis and management in high-income settings but have not been evaluated in sub-Saharan African emergency departments (EDs). Our objective was to estimate the effect of a triage-based screening protocol on ACS diagnosis and care in a Tanzanian ED. Methods and Results All adults presenting to a Tanzanian ED with chest pain or shortness of breath were prospectively enrolled. Treatments and clinician-documented diagnoses were observed and recorded. In the preintervention phase (August 2018 through January 2019), ACS testing and treatment were dictated by physician discretion, as per usual care. A triage-based protocol was then introduced, and in the postintervention phase (January 2019 through October 2019), research assistants performed ECG and point-of-care troponin I testing on all patients with chest pain or shortness of breath upon ED arrival. Pre-post analyses compared ACS care between phases. Of 1020 total participants (339 preintervention phase, 681 postintervention phase), mean (SD) age was 58.9 (19.4) years. Six (1.8%) preintervention participants were diagnosed with ACS, versus 83 (12.2%) postintervention participants (odds ratio [OR], 7.51; 95% CI, 3.52-19.7; P<0.001). Among all participants, 3 (0.9%) preintervention participants received aspirin, compared with 50 (7.3%) postintervention participants (OR, 8.45; 95% CI, 3.07-36.13; P<0.001). Conclusions Introduction of a triage-based ACS screening protocol in a Tanzanian ED was associated with significant increases in ACS diagnoses and aspirin administration. Additional research is needed to determine the effect of ED-based interventions on ACS care and clinical end points in sub-Saharan Africa.
Full Text
Duke Authors
- Bartlett, John Alexander
- Bettger, Janet Prvu
- Bloomfield, Gerald
- Hertz, Julian T
- Thielman, Nathan Maclyn
Cited Authors
- Hertz, JT; Sakita, FM; Kweka, GL; Bloomfield, GS; Bartlett, JA; Tarimo, TG; Temu, G; Bettger, JP; Thielman, NM
Published Date
- August 18, 2020
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 9 / 16
Start / End Page
- e016501 -
PubMed ID
- 32772764
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC7660831
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 2047-9980
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1161/JAHA.120.016501
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- England