Zègre-Hemsey and collaborators receive emergency cardiac care research funding

Dr. Zègre-Hemsey and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh, including Dr. Salah Shafiq Al-Zaiti (PI), have received funding for a multi-site study called Electrocardiographic Detection of Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Events for Accelerated Classification of Chest Pain Encounters (R01HL137761). The goal of this work is to develop a real-time intelligent ECG system for detecting acute myocardial ischemia/infarction in patients transported by ambulance using a machine-learning approach. The project will include partnering with Orange County Emergency Services.

Brief Summary:

There is a clear need to develop improved tools to stratify risk in patients who seek emergency care for chest pain, one of the most common and potentially deadliest conditions encountered in acute care settings. The ECG has been the mainstay of initial evaluation of chest pain patients, yet is currently only diagnostic for a small subset of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Prior studies have identified candidate markers of ECG characteristics and preliminary algorithms that can identify patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction as well as those with very low risk of coronary artery disease. This study will enroll a cohort of consecutive chest pain patients needed to confirm the accuracy of these ECG markers and determine their maximal clinical utility as part of a risk stratification tool. With these improved tools, emergency providers (physicians, nurses, and paramedics) will be able to streamline the care provided to these patients beyond the costly and time-consuming overnight observation for serial cardiac enzymes and provocative testing.