Clinical Echocardiography and S' Wave for Early Recognition of Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Emergency Department, A Prospective Study

Launched by CLINIQUES UNIVERSITAIRES SAINT-LUC- UNIVERSITÉ CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN · Feb 28, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new way to detect a serious heart condition called acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients who go to the emergency department with chest pain. The researchers want to find out if a specific test called tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) S' wave can help identify ACS early, especially in patients who do not show signs of a certain type of heart attack on their initial heart test (ECG). They will also compare this test to other heart function tests to see which ones work best.

To participate in the study, individuals need to be at least 18 years old, have chest pain, and require continuous heart monitoring, but should not have the specific type of heart attack known as STEMI. Those with serious heart issues or certain other conditions will not be able to take part. If eligible, participants can expect to have their heart function tested and monitored over time, and the findings will be compared with their final diagnosis after three months to see how accurate the tests were in identifying ACS.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age ≥18 years
• • Presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute chest pain
• • No ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) on initial ECG
• • Requiring continuous cardiac monitoring based on triage decision
• • Able to provide informed consent (written consent required)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Known pre-existing cardiomyopathy (e.g., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy)
• • Severe valvular heart disease
• • Left bundle branch block (LBBB) or presence of a pacemaker
• • Arrhythmias (e.g., atrial fibrillation, frequent premature ventricular contractions)
• • Cardiac arrest or cardiogenic shock at presentation
• • Pulmonary hypertension
• • Pericardial effusion or tamponade
• • Non-cardiac cause of chest pain suspected as the primary diagnosis
• • Language barrier preventing informed consent (study materials available in English, French, and Dutch)