Medical Decision Making in Patients with Chest Pain

Abstract

Medical decision making in patients who present with chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of acute coronary disease continues to evolve amid new forms of technology and treatment, limitations on resources, and substantial local variation in the number and types of intensive care unit beds. Recent work has ranged from the development of predictive instruments to assist in decisions about hospital admission to the development and testing of consensus guidelines for use in decisions about admission and transfer for patients in advanced care units.The principles underlying these instruments and guidelines are based on information traditionally used by doctors in . . .