As the popularity and accessibility of urgent care centers have expanded, patients frequently present to urgent care without a working knowledge of the center’s clinical capabilities. Between 75% and 90% of patients seeking medical care for chest pain are not experiencing acute coronary syndromes, but it is imperative to quickly identify patients with true acute coronary syndromes and immediately disposition them to a higher level of care. Clinicians can avoid overtriage by using clinical findings and decision-making tools to identify patients with low-risk chest pain who can be safely evaluated in urgent care. This article reviews recommendations for evidence-based risk stratification of chest pain using decision-making tools that are appropriate for outpatient settings.
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Keywords: chest pain, angina, coronary artery disease, CAD, acute coronary syndromes, ACS, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, MACE, major adverse cardiac event, ECG, EKG, electrocardiogram, risk stratification, clinical risk score, low risk, HEAR, Marburg, triple rule out, biomarker, troponin
Keith Pochick, MD, FACEP
Editor-in-Chief; Attending Physician, Urgent Care
Lorilea Johnson, FNP-BC, DNP
Update Author; Veterans Affairs Clinics of Cape Girardeau
Huai Lee Phen, MD
Diane Sixsmith, MD, MPH
James B. Haering, DO, SFHM, CHCQM
November 1, 2022
November 1, 2025   CME Information
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