Skip to main content

Table 1 Clinical characteristics. Clinical characteristics of St George emergency department patients with triage code 1 or 2 and provisional ED diagnosis of chest pain or cardiovascular disease.

From: An outbreak of cardiovascular syndromes requiring urgent medical treatment and its association with environmental factors: an ecological study

  

Comparison period (April & May 2002–2004)

Outbreak period (April & May 2005)

  

Average count per year

%

Count

%

Age in years

(median; IQR)

71; 56–81

 

70; 55–82

 

Age group

0–34 years

7.0

5%

9

4%

 

35–64 years

51.3

35%

87

35%

 

65 years and over

87.7

60%

151

61%

Male

 

92.0

63 %

134

54%

Disposition from ED

Discharged from ED

26.3

18%

20

8%

 

Admitted to ward

55.3

38%

89

36%

 

Admitted to critical care

51.7

35%

128

52%

 

Died in ED

11.3

8%

7

3%

 

Transferred to other facility

1.3

1%

3

1%

Hospital length of stay in days

(median; IQR)

4; 2–8

 

4; 1–8

 

Major procedures in hospital

Coronary angiography +/- stent insertion

27.0

25%

48

22%

 

Coronary artery bypass grafting

6.7

6%

10

5%

 

Cardioversion

1.0

1%

3

1%

 

Insertion of pacemaker

2.0

2%

4

2%

Final disposition from hospital

Home

92.3

86%

179

82%

 

Transferred to other facility

8.3

8%

26

12%

 

Died

6.3

6%

12

6%

Final discharge diagnosis

Acute myocardial infarction

29.3

27%

51

24%

 

Angina

14.3

13%

29

13%

 

Non cardiac chest pain

11.7

11%

40

18%

 

Arrhythmia

14.7

14%

26

12%

 

Cardiac failure

10.3

10%

15

7%

 

Other

26.7

25%

56

26%

Total

 

146.0

100%

247

100%

  1. Length of stay, procedures and final disposition and diagnosis only available for patients admitted to an inpatient ward