Potential health promotion benefits of lipid testing for all patients presenting with chest pain to an emergency department

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To establish the prevalence of previously undiagnosed dyslipidaemia in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with non-traumatic chest pain and, more particularly, the prevalence in the subgroup which was discharged home from the ED, the group that traditionally would not have received a lipid test. METHODS: Prospective, observational study of adult patients presenting to an ED with non-traumatic chest pain as the presenting complaint. RESULTS: A total of 185 eligible patients underwent lipid testing during their presentation: 96 in the ED and 89 in the wards. Overall 61% (n = 112) of patients had at least one abnormal lipid level. Of patients discharged from the ED..