Emergency Medicine: Open Access
Open Access

Bas LJH Kietselaer

Publications

• Case Report
  Diagnosing Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Challenge for General Practitioners and Cardiologists
  Author(s): Robert TA Willemsen, Bas LJH Kietselaer, Ron Kusters, Frank Buntinx, Jan FC Glatz and Geert Jan Dinant Robert TA Willemsen, Bas LJH Kietselaer, Ron Kusters, Frank Buntinx, Jan FC Glatz and Geert Jan Dinant
  
  Three patients present with chest pain to their general practitioner. In all three cases, the patient is suspected of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In the first case, a coronary artery disease causing the complaints is ruled out since troponin levels remain within the normal range. In the second case, troponin is elevated due to non STelevated myocardial infarction. In the third case, troponin is elevated due to cardiac cell damage in severe pneumonia (i.e. cardiac damage is not caused by a coronary artery occlusion). In cardiology, diagnostic tools for ruling ACS in or out are becoming increasingly sensitive. In general practice, diagnostic means to discriminate between ACS and less severe causes of chest complaints remain poor. Both situations challenge physicians working in their respective fields. Cardiologists must deal with a decrease in testing specificity due to the increasin.. View More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2165-7548.1000242

  Abstract PDF

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