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Ashburn NP, Snavely AC, Rikhi R, Shapiro MD, Chado MA, Ambrosini AP, Biglari AA, Kitchen ST, Millard MJ, Stopyra JP, Mahler SA. Rarely tested or treated but highly prevalent: Hypercholesterolemia in emergency department observation unit patients with chest pain. Am J Emerg Med 2023; 71:47-53. [PMID: 37329876 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypercholesterolemia (HCL) is common among Emergency Department (ED) patients with chest pain but is typically not addressed in this setting. This study aims to determine whether a missed opportunity for Emergency Department Observation Unit (EDOU) HCL testing and treatment exists. METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of patients ≥18 years old evaluated for chest pain in an EDOU from 3/1/2019-2/28/2020. The electronic health record was used to determine demographics and if HCL testing or treatment occurred. HCL was defined by self-report or clinician diagnosis. Proportions of patients receiving HCL testing or treatment at 1-year following their ED visit were calculated. HCL testing and treatment rates at 1-year were compared between white vs. non-white and male vs. female patients using multivariable logistic regression models including age, sex, and race. RESULTS Among 649 EDOU patients with chest pain, 55.8% (362/649) had known HCL. Among patients without known HCL, 5.9% (17/287, 95% CI 3.5-9.3%) had a lipid panel during their index ED/EDOU visit and 26.5% (76/287, 95% CI 21.5-32.0%) had a lipid panel within 1-year of their initial ED/EDOU visit. Among patients with known or newly diagnosed HCL, 54.0% (229/424, 95% CI 49.1-58.8%) were on treatment within 1-year. After adjustment, testing rates were similar among white vs. non-white patients (aOR 0.71, 95% CI 0.37-1.38) and men vs. women (aOR 1.32, 95% CI 0.69-2.57). Treatment rates were similar among white vs. non-white (aOR 0.74, 95% CI 0.53-1.03) and male vs. female (aOR 1.08, 95% CI 0.77-1.51) patients. CONCLUSIONS Few patients were evaluated for HCL in the ED/EDOU or outpatient setting after their ED/EDOU encounter and only 54% of patients with HCL were on treatment during the 1-year follow-up period after the index ED/EDOU visit. These findings suggest a missed opportunity to reduce cardiovascular disease risk exists by evaluating and treating HCL in the ED or EDOU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicklaus P Ashburn
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Section on Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Anna C Snavely
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Rishi Rikhi
- Section on Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Michael D Shapiro
- Section on Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Michael A Chado
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Amir A Biglari
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Spencer T Kitchen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Marissa J Millard
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jason P Stopyra
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Simon A Mahler
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Implementation Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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