Assessing the Utility of ECG Use in the Free Clinic Setting

  • John Raduka John Raduka is a third year medical student from Eastern Virginia Medical School.
  • Evan Dombrosky Eastern Virginia Medical School
  • Anastasia Samaras Eastern Virginia Medical School

Abstract

Electrocardiograms (ECGs) have been a staple in the assessment of chest pain for many years and have been determined to be the most useful bedside test to evaluate myocardial infarctions (MI) and other cardiac events. Populations at a greater risk of developing poor outcomes following cardiac events are often served by student-run free clinics. Many of these clinics may lack ECG machines potentially due to the cost of a machine. This review assesses the utility of ECG testing in the HOPES Clinic, a student-run free clinic in Norfolk, Virginia, and suggests beneficial value in exposing student volunteers to pre-hospital emergency decisions. 

References

Chun AA, McGee SR. Bedside diagnosis of coronary artery disease: A systematic review. Am J Med 2004; 117:334–343.

Alter, DA, Naylor, CD, Austin, DP et al. Effectis of Socioeconomic Status on Access to Invasive Cardiac Procedures and on Mortality after Acute Myocardial Infarction. N Engl J Med 1999; 341:1359-1367

Curtis, JP, Portnay, EL, Wang, Y, et al. The Pre-Hospital Electrocardiogram and Time to Reperfusion in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction, 2000-2002. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;47(8):1544-1552.

Published
2016-12-30
How to Cite
Raduka, J., Dombrosky, E., & Samaras, A. (2016). Assessing the Utility of ECG Use in the Free Clinic Setting. Free Clinic Research Collective, 2(1). Retrieved from https://www.themspress.org/journal/index.php/freeclinic/article/view/172
Issue
Vol 2 (2016)
Section
Brief Communication