Application Value of NLR,PLR,LMR,HEART score,and POCT in Early Warning and Accurate Graded Diagnosis of High-Risk Chest Pain in Emergency Medicine

Objective: To evaluate the application value of neutrophils/lymphocytes (NLR), platelets/lymphocytes (PLR), lymphocytes/monocytes (LMR), HEART (history, electrocardiogram, age, risk factors, and troponin) score, and point-of- care testing (POCT) in the early warning and precise diagnosis of high-risk chest pain in emergency medicine. Methods: A total of 157 patients with acute chest pain who were admitted to the emergency department and chest pain treatment unit of our hospital between August 2022 and September 2023 were selected. Rapid testing of bedside myocardial markers (ultrasensitive troponin (hs-cTnI), myoglobin (MYO), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), D-dimer (D-Dimer), and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-proBNP)) was performed on the patients using a POCT device (ThermoKing BioMQ60proB). A HEART score was used to classify the patients into low (n = 53), intermediate (n = 59), and high-risk (n = 45) groups, and the NLR, PLR, and LMR were calculated. The NLR, PLR, and LMR values were compared among the three groups of patients, and the optimal cutoff values as well as sensitivity and specificity were determined based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: The HEART scores of patients in the low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups were (2.72 ± 0.24), (4.75 ± 0.56), and (5.32 ± 0.73) respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with the low-risk group, the intermediate-risk group and high-risk group had a significantly higher NLR and PLR, and a significantly lower LMR;the high-risk group had higher NLR and PLR and lower values of LMR as compared to the other two groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The ROC curves suggested that the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity of the combined diagnosis of NLR, PLR, LMR, HEART score, and POCT were greater than those of LR, PLR, and LMR with HEART score and POCT alone. Conclusion: The combined application of NLR, PLR, LMR, HEART score, and POCT has significant application value in the early warning and precise diagnosis of emergency high-risk chest pain. It provides a more simple, easy-to-access, and efficient assessment index for the clinical prediction and treatment of emergency high- risk chest pain.

Impact of Optimizing Emergency Nursing Processes on Resuscitation Success in Patients with Acute Chest Pain

Objective:To analyze the effect of optimizing the emergency nursing process in the resuscitation of patients with acute chest pain and the impact on the resuscitation success rate.Methods:66 patients with acute chest pain received by the emergency department of our hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects and divided into two groups according to the differences in the emergency nursing process,i.e.,33 patients receiving routine emergency care were included in the control group,and 33 patients receiving the optimization of emergency nursing process intervention were included in the observation group.Patients’resuscitation effect and satisfaction with nursing care in the two groups were compared.Results:The observation group’s consultation assessment time,reception time,admission to the start of resuscitation time,and resuscitation time were shorter than that of the control group,the resuscitation success rate was higher than that of the control group,and the incidence of adverse events was lower than that of the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05);and the observation group’s satisfaction with nursing care was higher than that of the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion:Optimization of emergency nursing process intervention in the resuscitation of acute chest pain patients can greatly shorten the rescue time and improve the success rate of resuscitation,with higher patient satisfaction.

Exploring the Feasibility of Machine Learning to Predict Risk Stratification Within 3 Months in Chest Pain Patients with Suspected NSTE-ACS

Objective We aimed to assess the feasibility and superiority of machine learning(ML)methods to predict the risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events(MACEs)in chest pain patients with NSTE-ACS.Methods Enrolled chest pain patients were from two centers,Beijing Anzhen Emergency Chest Pain Center Beijing Bo’ai Hospital,China Rehabilitation Research Center.Five classifiers were used to develop ML models.Accuracy,Precision,Recall,F-Measure and AUC were used to assess the model performance and prediction effect compared with HEART risk scoring system.Ultimately,ML model constructed by Naïve Bayes was employed to predict the occurrence of MACEs.Results According to learning metrics,ML models constructed by different classifiers were superior over HEART(History,ECG,Age,Risk factors,&Troponin)scoring system when predicting acute myocardial infarction(AMI)and all-cause death.However,according to ROC curves and AUC,ML model constructed by different classifiers performed better than HEART scoring system only in prediction for AMI.Among the five ML algorithms,Linear support vector machine(SVC),Naïve Bayes and Logistic regression classifiers stood out with all Accuracy,Precision,Recall and F-Measure from 0.8 to 1.0 for predicting any event,AMI,revascularization and all-cause death(vs.HEART≤0.78),with AUC from 0.88 to 0.98 for predicting any event,AMI and revascularization(vs.HEART≤0.85).ML model developed by Naïve Bayes predicted that suspected acute coronary syndrome(ACS),abnormal electrocardiogram(ECG),elevated hs-cTn I,sex and smoking were risk factors of MACEs.Conclusion Compared with HEART risk scoring system,the superiority of ML method was demonstrated when employing Linear SVC classifier,Naïve Bayes and Logistic.ML method could be a promising method to predict MACEs in chest pain patients with NSTE-ACS.

New scoring system for acute chest pain risk stratification: Is it worth SVEAT-ing it?

The emergency room is a very potent environment in the hospital.With the growing demands of the population,improved accessibility to health resources,and the onslaught of the triple pandemic,it is extremely crucial to triage patients at presentation.In the spectrum of complaints,chest pain is the commonest.Despite it being a daily ailment,chest pain brings concern to every physician at first.Chest pain could span from acute coronary syndrome,pulmonary embolism,and aortic dissection(all potentially fatal)to reflux,zoster,or musculoskeletal causes that do not need rapid interventions.We often employ scoring systems such as GRACE/PURSUIT/TIMI to assist in clinical decision-making.Over the years,the HEART score became a popular and effective tool for predicting the risk of 30-d major adverse cardiovascular events.Recently,a new scoring system called SVEAT was developed and compared to the HEART score.We have attempted to summarize how these scoring systems differ and their generalizability.With an increasing number of scoring systems being introduced,one must also prevent anchorage bias;i.e.,tools such as these are only diagnosis-specific and not organ-specific,and other emergent differential diagnoses must also be kept in mind before discharging the patient home without additional workup.

Health-related quality of life in gastroesophageal reflux patients with noncardiac chest pain: Emphasis on the role of psychological distress

AIM To investigate the effects of depression and anxiety on health-related quality of life(QoL)in gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)patients and those suffering from cardiac(CCP)and noncardiac(NCCP)chest pain in Wuhan,China.METHODS In this cross-sectional study,a total of 358 consecutive patients with GERD were enrolled in Wuhan,China,of which 176 subjects had complaints of chest pain.Those with chest pain underwent coronary angiography and were divided into a CCP group(52 cases)and NCCP group(124 cases).Validated GERD questionnaires were completed,and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey and Hospital Anxiety/Depression Scale were used for evaluation of Qo L and psychological symptoms,respectively.RESULTS There were similar ratios and levels of depression and anxiety in GERD with NCCP and CCP.However,the QoL was obviously lower in GERD with CCP than NCCP(48.34±17.68 vs 60.21±20.27,P<0.01).In the GERD-NCCP group,rather than the GERD-CCP group,the physical and mental QoL were much poorer in subjects with depression and/or anxiety than those without anxiety or depression.Anxiety and depression had strong negative correlations with both physical and mental health in GERD-NCCP(all P<0.01),but only a weak relationship with mental components of QoL in GERD-CCP.CONCLUSION High levels of anxiety and depression may be more related to the poorer QoL in GERD patients with NCCP than those with CCP.This highlights the importance of evaluation and management of psychological impact for improving QoL in GERD-NCCP patients.

A modified HEART risk score in chest pain patients with suspected non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome

ObjectiveTo validate a modified HEART [History, Electrocardiograph （ECG）, Age, Risk factors and Troponin] risk score in chest pain patients with suspected non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome （NSTE-ACS） in the emergency department （ED）.Methods This retrospective cohort study used a prospectively acquired database and chest pain patients admitted to the emergency department with suspected NSTE-ACS were enrolled. Data recorded on arrival at the ED were used. The serum sample of high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin I other than conventional cardiac Troponin I used in the HEART risk score was tested. The modified HEART risk score was calculated. The end point was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events （MACE） defined as a composite of acute myocardial infarction （AMI）, percu-taneous intervention （PCI）, coronary artery bypass graft （CABG）, or all-cause death, within three months after initial presentation.Results A total of 1,300 patients were enrolled. A total of 606 patients （46.6%） had a MACE within three months： 205 patients （15.8%） were diag-nosed with AMI, 465 patients （35.8%） underwent PCI, and 119 patients （9.2%） underwent CABG. There were 10 （0.8%） deaths. A progres-sive, significant pattern of increasing event rate was observed as the score increased （P ＆lt; 0.001 byχ2 for trend）. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.84. All patients were classified into three groups： low risk （score 0-2）, intermediate risk （score 3-4）, and high risk （score 5-10）. Event rates were 1.1%, 18.5%, and 67.0%, respectively （P ＆lt; 0.001）.ConclusionsThe modified HEART risk score was validated in chest pain patients with suspected NSTE-ACS and may complement MACE risk assessment and patients triage in the ED. A prospective study of the score is warranted.

Prognostic performance of interleukin-10 in patients with chest pain and mild to moderate coronary artery lesions an 8-year follow-up study

Background Interleukin （IL）-10, IL-6 and their ratio （IL-6/IL-10） play an important role in the risk of developing coronary artery disease, and may correlate with its outcomes. Few clinical trials have investigated the prognostic impact of these factors on long-term car- diovascular events in patients presented with chest pain. Methods A prospective study was performed on 566 patients admitted with chest pain and identified mild to moderate coronary artery lesions. 1L-10, IL-6 and IL-6/IL-10 were measured. Results A total of 511 patients com- pleted the follow-up. The median follow-up time was 74 months. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a clear increase of the incidence of major adverse cardiac events during the follow-up period in patients with below-median levels of IL-10 （P = 0.006） and above-median levels of IL-6/IL-10 （P = 0.012）. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated the IL-10 levels to be strong independent predictors after adjustment for underlying confounders. Conclusions Elevated IL-10 levels are associated with a more favorable long-term prognosis in patients with chest pain and mild to moderate coronary artery lesions. IL-10 could be used for early risk assessment of long-term prognosis.

Experimental human pain models in gastro-esophageal reflux disease and unexplained chest pain

Methods related to experimental human pain research aim at activating different nociceptors, evoke pain from different organs and activate specific pathways and mechanisms. The different possibilities for using mechanical, electrical, thermal and chemical methods in visceral pain research are discussed with emphasis of combinations (e.g., the multimodal approach). The methods have been used widely in assessment of pain mechanisms in the esophagus and have contributed to our understanding of the symptoms reported in these patients. Hence abnormal activation and plastic changes of central pain pathways seem to play a major role in the symptoms in some patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease and in patients with functional chest pain of esophageal origin. These findings may lead to an alternative approach for treatment in patients that does not respond to conventional medical or surgical therapy.

Diagnosis of chest pain with foregut symptoms in Chinese patients

AIM:To evaluate the diagnosis of chest pain with foregut symptoms in Chinese patients. METHODS:Esophageal manometric studies, 24-h introesophageal pH monitoring and 24-h electrocardiograms(Holter electrocardiography)were performed in 61 patients with chest pain. RESULTS:Thirty-nine patients were diagnosed with non-specific esophageal motility disorders(29 patients with abnormal gastroesophageal reflux and eight patients with myocardial ischemia).Five patients had diffuse spasm of the esophagus plus abnormal gastroesophageal reflux(two patients had concomitant myocardial ischemia),and one patient was diagnosed with nutcracker esophagus. CONCLUSION:The esophageal manometric studies, 24-h intra-esophageal pH monitoring and Holter electrocardiography are significant for the differential diagnosis of chest pain,particularly in patients with foregut symptoms.In cases of esophageal motility disorders,pathological gastroesophageal reflux may be a major cause of chest pain with non-specific esophageal motility disorders.Spasm of the esophageal smooth muscle might affect the heart-coronary smooth muscle,leading to myocardial ischemia.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy misdiagnosed as acute myocardial infarction under the Chest Pain Center model:A case report

BACKGROUND With the spread and establishment of the Chest Pain Center in China,adhering to the idea that“time is myocardial cell and time is life”,many hospitals have set up a standardized process that ensures that patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI)who meet emergency percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)guidelines are sent directly to the DSA room by the prehospital emergency doctor,saving the time spent on queuing,registration,payment,re-examination by the emergency doctor,and obtaining consent for surgery after arriving at the hospital.Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is an acute disease that is triggered by intense emotional or physical stress and must be promptly differentiated from AMI for its appropriate management.CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old female patient was taken directly to the catheterization room to perform PCI due to 4 h of continuous thoracalgia and elevation of the ST segment in the V3–V5 lead,without being transferred to the emergency department according to the Chest Pain Center model.Loading doses of aspirin,clopidogrel and statins were administered and informed consent for PCI was signed in the ambulance.On first look,the patient looked nervous in the DSA room.Coronary angiography showed no obvious stenosis.Left ventricular angiography showed that the contraction of the left ventricular apex was weakened,and the systolic period was ballooning out,showing a typical“octopus trap”change.The patient was diagnosed with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.Five days later,the patient had no symptoms of thoracalgia,and the serological indicators returned to normal.She was discharged with a prescription of medication.CONCLUSION Under the Chest Pain Center model for the treatment of patients with chest pain showing ST segment elevation,despite the urgency of time,Takotsubo cardiomy-opathy must be promptly differentiated from AMI for its appropriate management.

Exercise-provoked esophageal motility disorder in patients with recurrent chest pain

AIM:To investigate the relationship between exerciseprovoked esophageal motility disorders and the prognosis for patients with chest pain.METHODS:The study involved 63 subjects with recurrent angina-like chest pain non-responsive to empirical therapy with proton pump inhibitor(PPI).In all,a coronary artery angiography,panendoscopy,24-h esophageal pH-metry and manometry,as well as a treadmill stress test with simultaneous esophageal pH-metry and manometry monitoring,were performed.Thirtyfive subjects had no significant coronary artery lesions,and 28 had more than 50% coronary artery narrowing.In patients with hypertensive esophageal motility disorders,a calcium antagonist was recommended.The average follow-up period was 977 ± 249 d.RESULTS:The prevalence of esophageal disorders,such as gastroesophageal reflux or diffuse esophageal spasm,was similar in patients both with and without significant coronary artery narrowing.Exercise prompted esophageal motility disorders,such as a decrease in the percentage of peristaltic and effective contractions and their amplitude,as well as an increase in the percentage of simultaneous and non-effective contractions.In 14(22%) patients the percentage of simultaneous contractions during the treadmill stress test exceeded the value of 55%.Using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the proportional hazard Cox regression model,it was shown that the administration of a calcium channel antagonist in patients with such an esophageal motility disorder significantly decreased the risk of hospitalization as a result of a suspicion of acute coronary syndrome after the 2.7-year follow-up period.CONCLUSION:In patients with chest pain non-responsive to PPIs,a diagnosis of exercise-provoked esophageal spasm may have the effect of lowering the risk of the next hospitalization.

Exertional esophageal pH-metry and manometry in recurrent chest pain

AIM: To investigate the diagnostic efficacy of 24-h and exertional esophageal pH-metry and manometry in patients with recurrent chest pain. METHODS: The study included 111 patients (54% male) with recurrent angina-like chest pain, non-respon- sive to therapy with proton pump inhibitors. Sixty-five (59%) had non-obstructive lesions in coronary artery angiography, and in 46 (41%) significant coronary artery narrowing was found. In all patients, 24-h esophageal pH-metry and manometry, and treadmill stress tests with simultaneous esophageal pH-metry and manometry monitoring were performed. During a 24-h examination the percentage of spontaneous chest pain (sCP) episodes associated with acid reflux or dysmotility (symptom index, SI) was calculated. Patients with SI > 50% for acid gastroesophageal reflux (GER) were classified as having GER-related sCP. The remaining symptomatic individuals were determined as having non-GER-related sCP. During the stress test, the occurrence of chest pain, episodes of esophageal acidification (pH < 4 for 10 s) and esophageal spasm with more than 55% of simultaneous contractions (exercise-provoked esophageal spasm or EPES) were noted. RESULTS: Sixty-eight (61%) individuals reported sCP during 24-h esophageal function monitoring. Eleven of these (16%) were classified as having GER-related sCP and 53/68 (84%) as having non-GER-related sCP. The exercise-provoked chest pain during a stress test occurred in 13/111 (12%) subjects. In order to compare the clinical usefulness of 24-h esophageal function monitoring and its examination limited only to the treadmill stress test, the standard parameters of diagnostic test evaluation were determined. The occurrence of GER- related or non-GER-related sCP was assumed as a "gold standard". Afterwards, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. These parameters expressed a prediction of GER-related or non-GER-related sCP occurrence by the presence of chest pain, esophageal acidification and EPES. Accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of chest pain during the stress test predicting any sCP occurrence were 28%, 35% and 80%, respectively, predicting GER- related sCP were 42%, 0% and 83%, respectively, and predicting non-GER-related sCP were 57%, 36% and 83%, respectively. Similar values were obtained for exercise-related acidification with pH < 4 longer than 10 s in the prediction of GER-related sCP (44%, 36% and 92%, respectively) and EPES in relation to non-GER-related sCP (48%, 23% and 84%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The presence of chest pain, esophageal acidification and EPES had greater than 80% specificity to exclude the GER-related and non-GER-related causes of recurrent chest pain.

WeChat Group of Chest Pain Center for Patients with Acute ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction:Faster Treatment Speed and Better Prognosis

Objective:To explore the effect of establishing a WeChat platform for a chest pain center as a medium to increase the treatment speed and improve the prognosis of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PPCI).Methods:The chest pain center,established by the creation of a WeChat group,included primary hospitals in Chongqing that are not able to perform PPCI and the First Affi liated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University,which is the core of the center and which includes medical staff of the catheter laboratory,the cardiology department,the emergency,the vascular surgery department,and the cardiothoracic surgery department.Patients with acute STEMI who underwent PPCI from January 2017 to November 2018 in the First Affi liated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were enrolled.The patients(including emergency department visitors,120 callers,and patients transferred from the critical care unit or other departments)were divided into a WeChat pre-admission startup group(n=311)and a non-WeChat pre-admission startup group(control group,n=172).Patients’door-to-balloon time,standard door-toballoon time achievement rate,artery puncture to balloon dilation time,heart failure rate,length of stay,and incidence of adverse events(including fatal arrhythmia,cardiogenic shock,and death)during hospitalization were compared between the two groups.Results:Four hundred eight-three consecutive patients were enrolled.There was no signifi cant difference in patients’sex,age,length of stay,and cardiovascular events during hospitalization between the two groups(P>0.05).The door-to-balloon time of the patients in the WeChat pre-admission startup group was much shorter than that of patients in the non-WeChat pre-admission startup group(27.35±10.58 min vs.88.15±53.79 min,P<0.05).The standard door-to-balloon time achievement rate was signifi cantly higher in the WeChat pre-admission startup group than in the non-WeChat pre-admission startup group(100%vs.72.09%,P<0.05).Conclusion:The application of a WeChat platform signifi cantly shortened the door-to-balloon time of patients receiving PPCI and increased the standard door-to-balloon time achievement rate for patients with STEMI.In addition,the platform is also conducive to integrating medical resources and sharing medical information.The establishment of the platform increased the treatment speed and improved the prognosis of patients with STEMI.

An unusual emergency department case： ruptured ectopic pregnancy presenting as chest pain

INTRODUCTIONEctopic pregnancy occurs at a rate of 1%-2% of all pregnancies, and tends to occur at a higher rate （up to 4%） in patients receiving fertility treatments. Women with ectopic pregnancies are often asymptomatic or may complain of amenorrhea, vaginal spotting, and lower abdominal cramping pain.

Risk stratification of patients who present with chest pain and have normal troponins using a machine learning model

BACKGROUND Risk stratification tools exist for patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency room and have achieved the recommended negative predictive value(NPV)of 99%.However,due to low positive predictive value(PPV),current stratification tools result in unwarranted investigations such as serial laboratory tests and cardiac stress tests(CSTs).AIM To create a machine learning model(MLM)for risk stratification of chest pain with a better PPV.METHODS This retrospective cohort study used de-identified hospital data from January 2016 until November 2021.Inclusion criteria were patients aged>21 years who presented to the ER,had at least two serum troponins measured,were subsequently admitted to the hospital,and had a CST within 4 d of presentation.Exclusion criteria were elevated troponin value(>0.05 ng/mL)and missing values for body mass index.The primary outcome was abnormal CST.Demographics,coronary artery disease(CAD)history,hypertension,hyperlipidemia,diabetes mellitus,chronic kidney disease,obesity,and smoking were evaluated as potential risk factors for abnormal CST.Patients were also categorized into a high-risk group(CAD history or more than two risk factors)and a low-risk group(all other patients)for comparison.Bivariate analysis was performed using a χ^(2) test or Fisher’s exact test.Age was compared by t test.Binomial regression(BR),random forest,and XGBoost MLMs were used for prediction.Bootstrapping was used for the internal validation of prediction models.BR was also used for inference.Alpha criterion was set at 0.05 for all statistical tests.R software was used for statistical analysis.RESULTS The final cohort of the study included 2328 patients,of which 245(10.52%)patients had abnormal CST.When adjusted for covariates in the BR model,male sex[risk ratio(RR)=1.52,95%confidence interval(CI):1.2-1.94,P<0.001],CAD history(RR=4.46,95%CI:3.08-6.72,P<0.001),and hyperlipidemia(RR=3.87,95%CI:2.12-8.12,P<0.001)remained statistically significant.Incidence of abnormal CST was 12.2%in the high-risk group and 2.3%in the low-risk group(RR=5.31,95%CI:2.75-10.24,P<0.001).The XGBoost model had the best PPV of 24.33%,with an NPV of 91.34%for abnormal CST.CONCLUSION The XGBoost MLM achieved a PPV of 24.33%for an abnormal CST,which is better than current stratification tools(13.00%-17.50%).This highlights the beneficial potential of MLMs in clinical decision-making.

Correlation between lipid profile and troponin Ⅰ test results in patients with chest pain in Nepal

Objective:To study the usefulness of traditional lipid profile levels in screening subjects who had developed chest pain due lo cardiac event as indicated by a positive troponin I test.Methods:In this retrospective study data of ihe 430 patients presented lo the emergency department with symptoms of cardiac ischemia who underwent both troponin and lipid profiles tests were compared with the lipid profiles of 165 normal healthy subjects(controls).The troponin was detected qualitatively when a specimen contains troponin I(cTnI)above the 99th percentile(TnI】0.5 ng/mL).The total cholesterol,high density lipoproteins cholesterol,very low density lipoproteins and Iriacvl glycerol levels were also analyzed and Ion densilv lipoprotein level was calculated using Friedewald’s formula.Results:Patients with chest pain and positive troponin test(with confirmed cardiac event)were found lo have significantly elevated levels of total cholesterol,triacyl glycerol levels,low density lipoprotein level and significantly reduced high densilv lipoproteins cholesterol levels when compared lo the patients who experienced only chesl pain(negative troponin)and healthy controls.Conclusions:Traditional lipid profile levels is still can be used in screening popiilalions lo identify the subjecis with high risk of developing cardiacevent in case if the laboratory set up has not troponin test facilities.

Throat Infection,Neck and Chest Pain and Cardiac Response:A Persistent Infection-Related Clinical Syndrome

Dizziness, chest discomfort, chest depression and dyspnea are a group of symptoms that are common complaints in clinical practice. Patients with these symptoms are usually informed that while neurosis consequent to coronary heart disease is excluded nonetheless they remain unhealthy with no rational explanation or treatment. 165 cases of these symptoms and 85 control subjects were reviewed and underwent further medical history inquiry, routine EKG test and cardiac ultrasound examination. Thirty-five patients received coronary artery angiography to exclude coronary heart disease. Serum myocardial autoantibodies against beta1-adrenoceptor, alpha-myosin heavy chain, M2-muscarinic receptor and adenine-nucleotide translocator were tested, and inflammatory cytokines and high sensitivity C-reaction protein were measured and lymphocyte subclass was assayed by flow cytometry. All patients had a complex of four symptoms or tetralogy： （1） persistent throat or upper respiratory tract infection, （2） neck pain, （3） chest pain and （4） chest depression or dyspnea, some of them with anxiety. Anti-myocardial autoantibodies （AMCAs） were present in all patients vs. 8% in controls. TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 were significantly higher in patients than in controls （P〈0.01）. CD3^＋ and CD4-CD8^＋ lymphocytes were significantly higher and CD56＋ lymphocytes lower in patients than those in controls （P〈0.01）. The ratio of serum pathogen antibodies positive against Coxsackie virus-B, cytomegalovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae were all markedly higher in patients. These data led to identification of a persistent respiratory infection-related clinical syndrome, including persistent throat infection, neck spinal lesion, rib cartilage inflammation, symptoms of cardiac depression and dyspnea with or without anxiety.

Accuracy of gestalt perception of acute chest pain in predicting coronary artery disease

AIM To test accuracy and reproducibility of gestalt to predict obstructive coronary artery disease(CAD)in patients with acute chest pain.METHODS We studied individuals who were consecutively admitted to our Chest Pain Unit.At admission,investigators performed a standardized interview and recorded14 chest pain features.Based on these features,a cardiologist who was blind to other clinical characteristics made unstructured judgment of CAD probability,both numerically and categorically.As the reference standard for testing the accuracy of gestalt,angiography was required to rule-in CAD,while either angiography or non-invasive test could be used to rule-out.In order to assess reproducibility,a second cardiologist did the same procedure.RESULTS In a sample of 330 patients,the prevalence of obstructive CAD was 48%.Gestalt’s numerical probability was associated with CAD,but the area under the curve of0.61(95%CI:0.55-0.67)indicated low level of accuracy.Accordingly,categorical definition of typical chest pain had a sensitivity of 48%(95%CI:40%-55%)and specificity of 66%(95%CI:59%-73%),yielding a negligible positive likelihood ratio of 1.4(95%CI:0.65-2.0)and negative likelihood ratio of 0.79(95%CI:0.62-1.02).Agreement between the two cardiologists was poor in the numerical classification(95%limits of agreement=-71%to 51%)and categorical definition of typical pain(Kappa=0.29;95%CI:0.21-0.37).CONCLUSION Clinical judgment based on a combination of chest pain features is neither accurate nor reproducible in predicting obstructive CAD in the acute setting.

Chest pain in a heart transplant recipient:A case report

BACKGROUND Heart transplantation is recommended for the treatment of patients with refractory heart failure.Chest pain after heart transplantation is usually considered noncardiac owing to the denervated heart.However,data from case reports on tacrolimus-induced achalasia after heart transplantation are limited.We aimed to present a case of tacrolimus-induced achalasia that developed after heart tran-splantation,which was successfully relieved by laparoscopic Heller myotomy.CASE SUMMARY A 67-year-old man with a history of Type 2 diabetes mellitus,hyperlipidemia,and dilated cardiomyopathy had congestive heart failure following orthotopic heart transplantation with tacrolimus treatment 12 years ago.At the 10-year follow-up after the heart transplantation,the patient presented with persistent cough,dysphagia,heartburn,and retrosternal chest pain lasting for 2 wk.Upper endoscopy revealed no specific findings.Two years later,the patient experienced the same symptoms,including chest pain lasting for 4 wk.Esophagogram and manometry confirmed the presence of achalasia.Previous reports showed that discontinuing calcineurin inhibitor(CNI)treatment and endoscopic botulinum toxin injection could treat CNI-induced achalasia.Owing to the risk of rejection of the transplanted heart and considering the temporary benefits of botulinum toxin injection in achalasia,the patient underwent laparoscopic Heller myotomy.Dysphagia was relieved without complications.Eight months later,he had no signs of recurrence of the achalasia.CONCLUSION In transplant patients with chest pain and gastrointestinal symptoms, CNIinducedachalasia may be one of the differential diagnoses. Esophagogram/manometry is useful for diagnosis.

Performance of HEART and TIMI scores in predicting major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs)of chest pain patients in the emergency department:A prospective observational study

Objective:To compare the value of HEART and TIMI scores in predicting major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs)of patients with chest pain in the emergency department at a tertiary care hospital in Ahmedabad,a city in western India.Methods:A prospective study was conducted on chest pain patients from January to December 2019.All adult patients with non-traumatic chest pain presenting to the emergency department were included,and their HEART and TIMI scores were evaluated.The patients were followed up within 4 weeks for monitoring any major adverse cardiac events or death.The receiver-operating characteristics(ROC)curve was used to determine the value of HEART and TIMI scores in predicting MACEs.Besides,the specificity,sensitivity,positive predictive value(PPV),and negative predictive value(NPV)of the two scores were assessed and compared.Results:A total of 350 patients were evaluated[mean age(55.03±16.6)years,56.6%of males].HEART score had the highest predictive value of MACEs with an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.98,followed by the TIMI score with an AUC of 0.92.HEART score had the highest specificity of 98.0%(95%CI:96.4%-99.6%),the sensitivity of 75.0%(95%CI:70.7%-79.3%),and PPV of 97.0%(95%CI:94.1%-99.9%)and NPV of 82.5%(95%CI:74.6%-90.4%)for low-risk patients.TIMI score had a specificity of 95.0%(95%CI:92.4%-97.6%),sensitivity of 75.0%(95%CI:69.4%-80.6%),PPV of 92.3%(95%CI:88.1%-96.5%)and NPV of 82.3%(95%CI:73.8%-90.8%)for low-risk patients.Conclusions:HEART score is an easier and more practical triage instrument to identify chest pain patients with low-risk for MACEs compared to TIMI score.Patients with high HEART scores have a higher risk of MACEs and require early therapeutic intervention and aggressive management.