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VIDEO: HEART Score displays real-world success in stratifying ACS risk, could curb resource use
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CHICAGO — James K. McCord, MD, of the Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute in Detroit, provides investigator insight on the prognostic utility of the HEART Score in patients presenting to the ED with undifferentiated chest pain and uncertain ACS diagnosis.
He offers background on the development of the risk-stratification tool — its acronym representing History, EKG, Age, Risk factors and Troponin level at presentation — and context for what sets it apart from the TIMI and GRACE risk scores.
After outlining the scoring process, McCord shares the success witnessed in a real-world setting, detailing 30-day data on major adverse cardiac event rates and long-term mortality rates.
“Low-score patients could be used to risk-stratify ED patients evaluated for ACS and sent home rather than having stress-testing and CTA, which is done in many, many patients,” he said. “Further studies suggest … up to 50% of patients now evaluated in observation units with stress-testing and CTA and very long observation stays could be sent home immediately with a low HEART score if that were used throughout the country.”