Western Journal of Emergency Medicine (Mar 2016)

Reduction in Radiation Exposure through a Stress Test Algorithm in an Emergency Department Observation Unit

  • Margarita E. Pena, MD,
  • Michael R. Jakob, MD, BMSc,
  • Gerald I. Cohen, MD,
  • Charlene B. Irvin, MD,
  • Nastaran Solano, MD,
  • Ashley R. Bowerman, MD,
  • Susan M. Szpunar, MPH, DrPH,
  • Mason K. Dixon, FACHE

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5811/westjem.2015.12.27895
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 2
pp. 97 – 103

Abstract

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Clinicians are urged to decrease radiation exposure from unnecessary medical procedures. Many emergency department (ED) patients placed in an observation unit (EDOU) do not require chest pain evaluation with a nuclear stress test (NucST). We sought to implement a simple ST algorithm that favors non-nuclear stress test (Non-NucST) options to evaluate the effect of the algorithm on the proportion of patients exposed to radiation by comparing use of NucST versus Non- NucST pre- and post-algorithm

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