Missed Diagnoses of Acute Coronary Syndromes in the Emergency Room — Continuing Challenges

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes, or acute cardiac ischemia, account for nearly 1.7 million hospital admissions per year in the United States. Between 2 and 8 percent of patients with myocardial infarction are mistakenly released from the emergency department.13 In addition to the implications for patient care of the failure to diagnose acute coronary syndromes, the threat of malpractice suits is also of concern. An estimated 20 percent of the money awarded in malpractice suits against emergency department physicians is related to the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of acute coronary syndromes. Thus, it is not surprising that physicians in . . .