BACKGROUND: Patients presenting with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) are at risk of early death. This may be reduced by timely assessment and treatment. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate if Nurse-led Early Triage (NET) in the coronary care unit (CCU) can improve time to assessment and management of NSTE-ACS patients. METHODS: Data on 79 consecutive chest pain patients admitted pre-NET to the acute admissions unit (AAU) and on 103 patients admitted in the first six months of the NET service in CCU, was re-examined and compared to subsequent data obtained on 92 patients admitted via NET five years later, in order to re-evaluate the service. RESULTS: NET resulted in significant improvements in: the number of patients with chest pain who had their 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed within 10 min of admission (94% vs 32%, p<0.001); the number of high-risk NSTE-ACS patients prescribed clopidogrel (72% vs 42%, p<0.01); and the number being managed in CCU (82% vs 34%, p<0.01). Comparison of the NET service at five years with the pre-NET service demonstrated measurable benefits were sustained (p<0.01) for the same comparative end points. There were no significant differences in these end-points of time to ECG, clopidogrel prescription nor management in CCU for high-risk patients between the NET groups at six months and five years, demonstrating that current triage is as effective as when first introduced. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the positive impact of nurse-led early triage for NSTE-ACS patients and that initial benefits have been sustained.
BACKGROUND: Patients presenting with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) are at risk of early death. This may be reduced by timely assessment and treatment. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate if Nurse-led Early Triage (NET) in the coronary care unit (CCU) can improve time to assessment and management of NSTE-ACS patients. METHODS: Data on 79 consecutive chest pain patients admitted pre-NET to the acute admissions unit (AAU) and on 103 patients admitted in the first six months of the NET service in CCU, was re-examined and compared to subsequent data obtained on 92 patients admitted via NET five years later, in order to re-evaluate the service. RESULTS: NET resulted in significant improvements in: the number of patients with chest pain who had their 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed within 10 min of admission (94% vs 32%, p<0.001); the number of high-risk NSTE-ACS patients prescribed clopidogrel (72% vs 42%, p<0.01); and the number being managed in CCU (82% vs 34%, p<0.01). Comparison of the NET service at five years with the pre-NET service demonstrated measurable benefits were sustained (p<0.01) for the same comparative end points. There were no significant differences in these end-points of time to ECG, clopidogrel prescription nor management in CCU for high-risk patients between the NET groups at six months and five years, demonstrating that current triage is as effective as when first introduced. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the positive impact of nurse-led early triage for NSTE-ACS patients and that initial benefits have been sustained.
Authors: José Carlos Nicolau; Gilson Soares Feitosa Filho; João Luiz Petriz; Remo Holanda de Mendonça Furtado; Dalton Bertolim Précoma; Walmor Lemke; Renato Delascio Lopes; Ari Timerman; José A Marin Neto; Luiz Bezerra Neto; Bruno Ferraz de Oliveira Gomes; Eduardo Cavalcanti Lapa Santos; Leopoldo Soares Piegas; Alexandre de Matos Soeiro; Alexandre Jorge de Andrade Negri; Andre Franci; Brivaldo Markman Filho; Bruno Mendonça Baccaro; Carlos Eduardo Lucena Montenegro; Carlos Eduardo Rochitte; Carlos José Dornas Gonçalves Barbosa; Cláudio Marcelo Bittencourt das Virgens; Edson Stefanini; Euler Roberto Fernandes Manenti; Felipe Gallego Lima; Francisco das Chagas Monteiro Júnior; Harry Correa Filho; Henrique Patrus Mundim Pena; Ibraim Masciarelli Francisco Pinto; João Luiz de Alencar Araripe Falcão; Joberto Pinheiro Sena; José Maria Peixoto; Juliana Ascenção de Souza; Leonardo Sara da Silva; Lilia Nigro Maia; Louis Nakayama Ohe; Luciano Moreira Baracioli; Luís Alberto de Oliveira Dallan; Luis Augusto Palma Dallan; Luiz Alberto Piva E Mattos; Luiz Carlos Bodanese; Luiz Eduardo Fonteles Ritt; Manoel Fernandes Canesin; Marcelo Bueno da Silva Rivas; Marcelo Franken; Marcos José Gomes Magalhães; Múcio Tavares de Oliveira Júnior; Nivaldo Menezes Filgueiras Filho; Oscar Pereira Dutra; Otávio Rizzi Coelho; Paulo Ernesto Leães; Paulo Roberto Ferreira Rossi; Paulo Rogério Soares; Pedro Alves Lemos Neto; Pedro Silvio Farsky; Rafael Rebêlo C Cavalcanti; Renato Jorge Alves; Renato Abdala Karam Kalil; Roberto Esporcatte; Roberto Luiz Marino; Roberto Rocha Corrêa Veiga Giraldez; Romeu Sérgio Meneghelo; Ronaldo de Souza Leão Lima; Rui Fernando Ramos; Sandra Nivea Dos Reis Saraiva Falcão; Talia Falcão Dalçóquio; Viviana de Mello Guzzo Lemke; William Azem Chalela; Wilson Mathias Júnior Journal: Arq Bras Cardiol Date: 2021-07 Impact factor: 2.667