Podcast 649: Normal Triage EKGs

<p><strong>Contributor:  Samuel Killian, MD</strong></p> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Anecdotally, when the computer reads a triage EKG as normal it is most often normal</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">One study tested this theory by examining 855 computer-read EKGS (222 of which were read as normal)</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Two cardiologists reviewed these 222 normal EKGs and only found 13 EKGs that were slightly abnormal with nonspecific abnormalities</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Two EM physicians then reviewed these EKGs and only one physician on one EKG said they would change the patient’s course of care by rooming them faster</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The study may support eliminating physician review of normal triage EKGs as a safe practice that would decrease physician interruption</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hughes KE, Lewis SM, Katz L, Jones J. Safety of Computer Interpretation of Normal Triage Electrocardiograms. Acad Emerg Med. 2017 Jan;24(1):120-124. doi: 10.1111/acem.13067. PMID: 27519772.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Summarized by John Spartz, MS3 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD</span></em></p> <p><br /> <br /></p>