Uncommon cause of chest pain: Case report of esophageal foreign body diagnosed by chest computed tomography scan.

A 44-year-old man with a history of epilepsy presented with mild, persistent chest pain lasting 3 days, despite normal cardiac evaluations. A chest computed tomography scan revealed 3 artificial dental prostheses lodged in his esophagus, which the patient had inadvertently swallowed during a recent seizure. Endoscopic removal of the foreign bodies resolved his chest pain without complications. This case emphasizes the importance of considering esophageal foreign bodies as a differential diagnosis for persistent chest pain, particularly in patients with neurological conditions, and highlights the role of early imaging for accurate diagnosis and timely intervention.

Diagnosis and Management of Noncardiac Chest Pain.

Noncardiac chest pain is a challenging condition often encountered by primary care providers, emergency medicine physicians, and gastroenterologists. It is frequently accompanied by persistent symptoms, diagnostic uncertainty, decreased quality of life, and high health care burden. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the most common esophageal cause followed by functional chest pain, and at least half of patients with noncardiac chest pain have psychiatric comorbidities such as anxiety or depression. Management is focused on identification of an underlying cause to target treatment and address psychiatric comorbidities. This article discusses the evaluation and management of the common gastrointestinal causes of noncardiac chest pain.

Esophageal chest pain resembles heartburn in reflux metrics and response to proton pump inhibitor therapy.

BACKGROUND: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common cause for noncardiac chest pain (NCCP), with an estimated prevalence rate ranging between 30% and 60%. Heartburn and NCCP may share common mechanisms. AIMS/METHODS: To assess whether particular patterns of impedance-pH variables characterize patients with dominant heartburn, regurgitation, or NCCP and their ability to predict proton pump inhibitor (PPI) response for each symptom, GERD patients, evaluated with high-resolution manometry (HRM) and impedance-pH, were included. RESULTS: In total, 109 NCCP, 68 heartburn, and 64 regurgitation patients were included. Pathological reflux episodes were observed in 28%, 19%, and 56% (p < 0.001). Pathological mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI) values were observed in 55%, 53%, and 34% (p < 0.05). Hypomotility was more frequent in NCCP compared to heartburn patients (p < 0.05). When comparing NCCP with heartburn, hypomotility was associated with NCCP perception (OR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.23-4.43; p < 0.01). When comparing NCCP with regurgitation, >80 refluxes and type 2/3 esophagogastric junction (EGJ) were associated with regurgitation perception (OR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.16-0.59; p < 0.001, and OR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.27-0.93; p < 0.05), while pathological MNBI was associated with NCCP perception (OR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.23-4.43; p < 0.01). 45.5% NCCP patients, 45.6% with heartburn, and 36% with regurgitation responded to PPIs (p < 0.05). At multivariate analysis, pathological MNBI or PSPW index were associated with PPI responsiveness in patients with NCCP or heartburn, while in patients with regurgitation, pathological MNBI was associated with PPI responsiveness and a reflux number >80 to PPI refractoriness. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight the usefulness of an accurate clinical and functional evaluation of GERD patients, allowing to discriminate particular characteristics in patients with dominant heartburn, NCCP, or regurgitation, which may benefit of distinct therapeutic strategies.

Effectiveness of rapid access chest pain clinics: a systematic review of patient outcomes and resource utilisation.

BACKGROUND: Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics (RACPC) are widely used for the outpatient assessment of chest pain, but there appears to be limited high-quality evidence justifying this model of care. This study aimed to review the literature to determine the effectiveness of RACPCs. METHODS: A systematic review of studies evaluating the effectiveness of RACPCs was conducted to assess the quality of the evidence supporting this model. Outcomes related to effectiveness included major adverse cardiovascular events, emergency department reattendance, cost-effectiveness and patient satisfaction. Study quality was assessed using the RoB 2 tool, Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment tool or the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies checklist, as appropriate. RESULTS: Thirty-two studies were eligible for inclusion, including one randomised trial. Five analytical cohort studies were included, with three comparing outcomes against non-RACPC controls. Three qualitative studies were included. Most reports were descriptive. Findings were consistent with RACPCs being associated with favourable clinical outcomes, reduced emergency department reattendance, cost-effectiveness and high patient satisfaction. However, there was significant heterogeneity in care models, and overall literature quality was low, with a high risk of publication bias. CONCLUSION: While the literature suggests RACPCs are safe and efficient, the quality of the available evidence is limited. Further high-quality data from adequately controlled clinical trials or large scare registries are needed to inform healthcare resource allocation decisions. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023417110.

Low-Risk Chest Pain Patients: Exploring the Impact of Socioeconomy on Emergency Department Revisits.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chest pain and undetectable high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) in the emergency department (ED) have a low short-term risk of cardiovascular events, but the frequency of ED revisits in this group is unknown. This study investigated the associations between disposable income and risk of ED revisits in patients with chest pain and undetectable hs-cTnT. METHODS: All first visits to 7 EDs in Sweden from 2010 to 2017 by patients with chest pain and hs-cTnT <5 ng/l were included. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated to estimate the ED revisit risk in relation to disposable income according to data obtained from Swedish government agencies (Statistics Sweden). RESULTS: Altogether, 61,539 patients with a first ED visit were included, in whom 126,650 revisits occurred. The adjusted 30-day risk of a revisit was 1.3- (IRR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.23-1.42) and 1.5-fold (IRR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.40-1.60), and for any revisit during the follow-up 1.6- (IRR 1.63, 95% CI: 1.59-1.66) and 1.8-fold (IRR 1.78, 95% CI 1.72-1.79), in patients with middle-low and low versus high income, respectively. During a median follow-up of 6.8 years, 1714 (2.8%) deaths occurred, and the adjusted cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events at 1 and 5 years was only 0.3% (95% CI: 0.2-0.4%) and 1.1% (95% CI: 0.8-1.4%) higher in patients with the lowest versus highest income levels. CONCLUSIONS: Disposable income level is inversely associated with the risk of ED revisits among patients presenting with chest pain and undetectable hs-cTnT, in whom cardiovascular risks are low.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Salzburg Myocarditis Score in Differentiating Acute Coronary Syndrome and Myocarditis Among Adults Presenting With Acute Chest Pain: An Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Acute chest pain is a common and challenging clinical presentation, necessitating rapid and accurate differentiation between potentially life-threatening etiologies like acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and acute myocarditis. The Salzburg Myocarditis Score (SMS), designed to aid in the early detection of myocarditis, offers a structured approach to this diagnostic challenge. However, the lack of a reliable clinical score for differentiating between these two conditions has been highlighted in recent literature, particularly in the context of limitations in using troponin levels alone for myocarditis diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the SMS for differentiating ACS and myocarditis in adult patients presenting with acute chest pain at Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, India. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted involving 100 consecutive patients presenting with acute chest pain. The SMS was calculated for each patient, and the final diagnoses of ACS or myocarditis were confirmed through comprehensive cardiac imaging (echocardiography or cardiac MRI) and additional biomarker analysis, following recommendations from established guidelines. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and a chi-square test were employed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Among the 100 patients, 60 were diagnosed with ACS, and one was diagnosed with myocarditis. The SMS demonstrated high sensitivity (84.09%) and specificity (88.76%) for ACS, aligning with previous research findings. However, for myocarditis, the sensitivity was notably lower (25.81%), while specificity remained high (95.12%), consistent with concerns raised about the limitations of the score in identifying myocarditis. The PPV and NPV for ACS were 60% and 100%, respectively, while for myocarditis, the PPV and NPV were 2.5% and 100%, respectively. A chi-square test revealed a significant association between SMS predictions and the final diagnosis (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The SMS is a valuable tool for identifying ACS in patients with acute chest pain. However, due to its low sensitivity for myocarditis, additional diagnostic tests, such as cardiac MRI, are crucial when myocarditis is suspected, despite a low SMS.

Olanzapine-Induced Acute Pulmonary Embolism.

Pulmonary embolism is defined as the abrupt obliteration of the trunk or a branch of the pulmonary artery by an embolus most often from a deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs. It is serious, underdiagnosed, and can be life-threatening. We report the case of a patient who presented with a massive acute pulmonary embolism while taking olanzapine. The interest of our case lies in its rarity, its seriousness but also the possibility of prevention and adequate management in the case of any suggestive clinical symptoms.

Bayesian intelligence for medical diagnosis: a pilot study on patient disposition for emergency medicine chest pain.

OBJECTIVES: Clinicians can rapidly and accurately diagnose disease, learn from experience, and explain their reasoning. Computational Bayesian medical decision-making might replicate this expertise. This paper assesses a computer system for diagnosing cardiac chest pain in the emergency department (ED) that decides whether to admit or discharge a patient. METHODS: The system can learn likelihood functions by counting data frequency. The computer compares patient and disease data profiles using likelihood. It calculates a Bayesian probabilistic diagnosis and explains its reasoning. A utility function applies the probabilistic diagnosis to produce a numerical BAYES score for making a medical decision. RESULTS: We conducted a pilot study to assess BAYES efficacy in ED chest pain patient disposition. Binary BAYES decisions eliminated patient observation. We compared BAYES to the HEART score. On 100 patients, BAYES reduced HEART's false positive rate 18-fold from 58.7 to 3.3 %, and improved ROC AUC accuracy from 0.928 to 1.0. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot study results were encouraging. The data-driven BAYES score approach could learn from frequency counting, make fast and accurate decisions, and explain its reasoning. The computer replicated these aspects of diagnostic expertise. More research is needed to reproduce and extend these finding to larger diverse patient populations.

Impact of admission glucose and 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events on patients with chest pain in an emergency setting: insights from the China EMPACT registry.

Objective: Although the association between admission glucose (AG) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) is well-documented, its relationship with 30-day MACE in patients presenting with cardiac chest pain remains unclarified. In light of this, this study aims to examine the correlation between AG levels and the incidence of MACE in patients with chest pain in an emergency setting. Materials and methods: We consecutively enrolled patients who presented to the emergency department for chest pain symptoms within 24 h from the EMPACT cohort in Eastern China (clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier: NCT02536677). The primary outcome was 30-day MACE, including all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, urgent target vessel revascularization, stroke, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac arrest (CA). The associations of AG levels with 30-day MACE were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models. Results: Among 1,705 patients who were included in this study, 154 (9.03%) patients met the primary outcome at 30 days. The average age of the patients was 65.23 ± 12.66 years, with 1,028 (60.29%) being male and 500 (29.33%) having diabetes. The median AG levels were 7.60 mmol/L (interquartile range: 6.30-10.20). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed significant differences in the 30-day MACE risk (P < 0.001 according to the log-rank test). We found that the highest AG level (Q4) was associated with increased MACE risk compared with the lowest AG level [adjusted hazard radio (aHR): 2.14; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-3.815; P = 0.010]. In addition, Q4 level was also associated with increased all-cause death risk (aHR: 3.825; 95% CI: 1.613-9.07; P = 0.002) and increased CA risk (aHR: 3.14; 95% CI: 1.251-7.884; P = 0.015). Conclusions: An elevated AG level significantly correlates with a higher incidence of 30-day MACE in patients with acute chest pain. The findings reveal the importance of managing AG levels to potentially reduce the risk of adverse cardiac events.

Development of an Initial Screening Scale to Detect Patients With Chest Pain From Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: Identifying patients with chest pain potentially due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) early is crucial for triage nurses. They need a reliable, validated screening tool. AIMS: This study aims to develop an initial screening scale to detect ACS in patients presenting with chest pain in the emergency department. METHODS: We analyzed electronic medical records of 3131 chest pain patients from 103,041 emergency department visits between January 2018 and December 2019. ACS diagnosis was confirmed by cardiologists through clinical symptoms, electrocardiograms, and cardiac enzyme levels. The study proceeded in four stages: (1) identifying potential ACS predictors through a literature review, (2) validating these predictors with experts, (3) comparing data between ACS and non-ACS patients and (4) developing a screening scale based on identified predictors. Statistical methods included univariate analysis and binary logistic regression. The scale's accuracy was assessed using ROC curve analysis and compared to existing tools. RESULTS: Eight significant ACS predictors were identified: male sex, age over 49 for males and over 65 for females, typical symptoms, initial pain scale score of 6 or higher, pain duration of at least 10 min, history of ACS, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Each predictor was scored, with typical symptoms and severe pain receiving higher scores, totaling up to 10 points. A score of 6 or more indicated high ACS risk, demonstrating accuracy comparable to the HEART and TIMI score systems. CONCLUSION: This study developed a new ACS screening scale for use by triage nurses in emergency departments. This scale can facilitate early detection and intervention for patients at high risk of ACS.

Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) Findings in COVID-19.

(1) Background: The novel SARS-CoV-2 virus infects the endothelium. Vasculitis may lead to specific coronary artery wall lesions. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) imaging findings have not been systematically reported. The aim of this study was to describe a case series using CTA. (2) Methods: Patients with recent RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection referred for coronary CTA for clinical indications (e.g., chest pain, troponin+, and ECG abnormalities) were included. Coronary CTA findings, such as atypical coronary lesions suggestive of vasculitis, perivascular inflammation measured by using pericoronary fat attenuation (PCAT) index, coronary artery disease, and extracoronary findings were collected. (3) Results: Results for 12 patients (54.8 ± 22 years; four females) with SARS-CoV-2 infection within 60 days (four acute care and eight stable patients) are reported. Time to positive RT-PCR was a mean of 15.1 days (range, 0-51). In four acute patients with signs of myocardial injury, plaque rupture (n = 1), hyperenhancing myocardium/MINOCA (n = 1), MINOCA (n = 1), and pericarditis with acute heart failure (LVEF 20%) (n = 1) were found. All (100%) had pericardial effusion and signs of perivascular inflammation. Among eight stable patients, pericardial effusion or perivascular inflammation were found in only two (25%). Coronary artery disease was ruled out in five (62.5%) (4) Conclusions: Coronary CTA is a useful imaging modality in the diagnostic work up of patients with COVID-19 infection, and is able to describe coronary and other cardiac abnormalities.

Identifying the Hiccup-Induced Esophagogastric Waveform: A Case Series Report Using High-Resolution Manometry.

Hiccups result from involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, driven by a complex neuromuscular reflex. Three patients with persistent hiccups underwent esophageal high-resolution manometry during hiccup episodes, revealing a consistent finding: sustained contraction of the esophagogastric junction with intermittent pressure peaks. This pattern, termed the "Hiccup-Induced Esophagogastric Waveform," shows significant esophageal pressure changes linked to hiccup reflex. It may reflect a compensatory mechanism to expel excess esophageal residue or gas. These findings suggest hiccups could exacerbate symptoms of esophageal disorders, such as dysphagia and chest pain, and highlight the need for targeted therapeutic strategies. Further research is needed to explore these mechanisms.

The High-Sensitivity HEART Pathway Safely Reduces Hospitalizations Regardless of Sex or Race in a Multisite Prospective US Cohort.

BACKGROUND: The high-sensitivity HEART pathway (hs-HP) risk stratifies emergency department (ED) patients with chest pain. It is unknown if its safety and effectiveness vary by sex or race. METHODS: We conducted a subgroup analysis of the hs-HP implementation study, a pre-post interrupted time series at five US EDs. The pre-implementation period (January 2019 to April 2020) utilized the traditional HEART pathway with contemporary troponin (Siemens) and the post-implementation period (November 2020 to February 2022) used the hs-HP using hs-cTnI (Beckman Coulter). Patients were risk-stratified using the hs-HP to rule-out, observation, and rule-in groups. Safety and effectiveness outcomes were 30-day all-cause mortality or myocardial infarction (MI) and 30-day hospitalization. RESULTS: Twenty-six thousand and one hundred twenty-six patients were accrued (12 317 pre- and 13 809 post-implementation), of which 35.3% were non-White and 52.7% were female. Among 9703 patients with complete hs-HP assessments, 48.6% of White and 55.4% of non-White patients were ruled-out (p < 0.001). Additionally, 47.3% of males and 54.4% of females were ruled-out (p < 0.001). Among rule-out patients, 0.3% of White versus 0.3% of non-White patients (p = 0.98) and 0.3% of females versus males 0.3% (p = 0.90) experienced 30-day death or MI. Post-implementation, 30-day hospitalization decreased 17.2% among White patients (aOR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.45-0.52), 14.1% among non-White patients (aOR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.48-0.59), 15.6% among females (aOR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.46-0.54), and 16.6% among males (aOR 0.51, 95% CI: 0.47-0.56). The interactions for 30-day hospitalization between hs-HP implementation and race (p = 0.10) and sex (p = 0.69) were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The hs-HP safely decreases 30-day hospitalizations regardless of sex or race. However, it classifies more non-White patients and women to the rule-out group.

Safety and efficiency of implementation of high-sensitivity troponin T in the assessment of emergency department patients with cardiac chest pain.

BACKGROUND: For emergency department (ED) patients with cardiac chest pain, introduction of high-sensitivity troponin (hsTnT) pathways has been associated with reductions in length of stay of less than 1 h. METHODS: At two urban Canadian sites, we introduced hsTnT on January 26, 2016. While the prior diagnostic algorithm required troponin testing at 0 and 6 h, serial hsTnT serial testing was conducted at 0 and 3 h. We identified consecutive patients who presented with cardiac chest pain from January 1, 2015, to March 31, 2017, along with 30-day outcomes. The primary outcome was a missed 30-day major adverse cardiac event, (MACE) defined as death, revascularization, or readmission for myocardial infarction occurring in a patient-discharged home with a minimizing diagnosis and without cardiac-specific follow-up. Secondary outcomes included admission rate, ED length of stay, and MACE. We compared pre- and post- implementation periods using descriptive methods and repeated this analysis in patients with noncardiac chest pain. RESULTS: We collected 5585 patients with cardiac chest pain, (2678 pre- and 2907 post-introduction) and 434 had (7.8%, 95% CI 7.1 to 8.5%) MACE, with 1 missed MACE. (0.2%, 95% CI 0.04 to 1.3%). Admission rate was stable at 24.1% pre- and 23.7% while median length of stay decreased from 464 to 285 min, a difference of 179 min. (95% CI 61 to 228 min). For 11,611 patients with noncardiac chest pain, admission rate (9%) and length of stay (191 versus 193 min) remained constant. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of hsTnT for evaluation of ED chest pain patients was safe and associated with a 3-h decrease in length of stay.

RéSUMé: CONTEXTE: Pour les patients des urgences (DE) souffrant de douleurs cardiaques à la poitrine, l'introduction de voies de troponine à haute sensibilité (hsTnT) a été associée à une réduction de la durée du séjour de moins d'une heure. MéTHODES: Dans deux sites urbains canadiens, nous avons présenté la hsTnT le 26 janvier 2016. Alors que l'algorithme de diagnostic précédent exigeait des essais de troponine à zéro et six heures, les essais en série hsTnT ont été effectués à zéro et trois heures. Nous avons identifié des patients consécutifs qui ont présenté une douleur cardiaque à la poitrine du 1er janvier 2015 au 31 mars 2017, ainsi que des résultats de 30 jours. Le principal résultat était un événement cardiaque indésirable majeur (AAMMA) de 30 jours, défini comme la mort, la revascularisation ou la réadmission pour infarctus du myocarde survenant chez un patient qui avait été libéré avec un diagnostic minimisant et sans suivi spécifique au cœur. Les critères secondaires comprenaient le taux d'admission, la durée du séjour en salle d'opération et le MACE. Nous avons comparé les périodes pré- et post-mise en œuvre à l'aide de méthodes descriptives et répété cette analyse chez des patients souffrant de douleurs thoraciques non cardiaques. RéSULTATS: Nous avons recueilli 5585 patients souffrant de douleurs cardiaques à la poitrine (2678 avant et 2907 après l'introduction) et 434 avec MACE (7.8 %, IC à 95 % 7.1 à 8.5 %), dont un MACE manqué. (0.2 %, IC à 95 % 0.04 à 1.3 %). Le taux d'admission était stable à 24.1 % avant et 23.7 %, tandis que la durée médiane du séjour diminuait de 464 à 285 minutes, soit une différence de 179 minutes (IC 95 % 61 à 228 minutes). Pour 11611 patients souffrant de douleurs thoraciques non cardiaques, le taux d'admission (9 %) et la durée du séjour (191 contre 193 minutes) sont restés constants. CONCLUSION: La mise en œuvre de la TTS pour l'évaluation des patients souffrant de douleur thoracique en salle d'opération était sans danger et associée à une diminution de trois heures de séjour.

Predicting troponin biomarker elevation from electrocardiograms using a deep neural network.

BACKGROUND: Elevated troponin levels are a sensitive biomarker for cardiac injury. The quick and reliable prediction of troponin elevation for patients with chest pain from readily available ECGs may pose a valuable time-saving diagnostic tool during decision-making concerning this patient population. METHODS AND RESULTS: The data used included 15 856 ECGs from patients presenting to the emergency rooms with chest pain or dyspnoea at two centres in Sweden from 2015 to June 2023. All patients had high-sensitivity troponin test results within 6 hours after 12-lead ECG. Both troponin I (TnI) and TnT were used, with biomarker-specific cut-offs and sex-specific cut-offs for TnI. On this dataset, a residual convolutional neural network (ResNet) was trained 10 times, each on a unique split of the data. The final model achieved an average area under the curve for the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.7717 (95% CI±0.0052), calibration curve analysis revealed a mean slope of 1.243 (95% CI±0.075) and intercept of -0.073 (95% CI±0.034), indicating a good correlation between prediction and ground truth. Post-classification, tuned for F1 score, accuracy was 71.43% (95% CI±1.28), with an F1 score of 0.5642 (95% CI±0.0052) and a negative predictive value of 0.8660 (95% CI±0.0048), respectively. The ResNet displayed comparable or surpassing metrics to prior presented models. CONCLUSION: The model exhibited clinically meaningful performance, notably its high negative predictive accuracy. Therefore, clinical use of comparable neural networks in first-line, quick-response triage of patients with chest pain or dyspnoea appears as a valuable option in future medical practice.

Association between inflammatory burden index and coronary slow flow phenomenon in patients with chest pain and no obstructive coronary arteries.

BACKGROUND: The inflammatory burden index (IBI), a novel inflammation-based indicator, to is associated with the presence and prognosis of various diseases. However, few studies have focused on exploring the relationship between IBI and the coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP). In this study, we aimed to investigate the predictive value of IBI for CSFP in patients with chest pain and no obstructive coronary artery disease. METHODS: A total of 1126 individuals with chest pain and no obstructive coronary arteries were consecutively included in this study. 71 patients developed CSFP were included in the CSFP group. A 1:2 age- and sex-matched patient with normal blood flow and angiographically proven normal coronary arteries was selected as the control group (n = 142). Plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts were measured to determine the value of IBI. RESULTS: The IBI were significantly higher in the CSFP group than in the controls (21.1 ± 6.5 vs. 14.5 ± 6.4, P < 0.001). The IBI increasedelevated with the increase of the numbers of vessels affected by CSFP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that IBI and body mass index (BMI) were independent predictors of CSFP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that when IBI was > 15.74, the sensitivity and specificity were 77.5% and 67.6%, respectively, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.799 (95% CI: 0.737-0.862, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The IBI may be an independent predictor of CSFP in patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries. The IBI could improve the predictive value of CSFP compared with the indicators alone.

Case Report: Massive intrapericardial hematoma following acupuncture therapy.

Cardiac tamponade is a critical cardiovascular condition where timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial. The formation of an intrapericardial hematoma following acupuncture therapy is clinically rare. This paper reports a case of an elderly female patient who experienced severe chest pain and syncope during acupuncture therapy, subsequently diagnosed with traumatic hemopericardium and acute cardiac tamponade, complicated by cardiogenic shock. Under ultrasound guidance, pericardial puncture and drainage were successfully performed. The patient's symptoms were alleviated, her vital signs stabilized, and follow-up outcomes were favorable. This case provides valuable reference for understanding the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of pericardial hemorrhage following acupuncture therapy, integrating both clinical practice and literature review.