Background Telephone and video-based triage of dyspnoea has become commonplace and clinicians are faced with a new challenge in risk stratification of patients with dyspnoea due to suspected COVID-19. This review aimed to identify existing remote assessment modalities for acute dyspnoea which can be applied during pandemics.
Background High bed occupancy rates have delayed patient discharges from UK critical care units, especially in acute medical hospitals. As a result, more patients are discharged home directly from critical care (DH).
Methods In this observational, retrospective study, we quantify the trends in DH from 2013 to 2018, and assess readmission rates and outcome in this group when compared to patients discharged from a ward, from 2014 to 2016.
The management of coronary disease has moved forward with the application of more sensitive blood biomarkers for early detection alongside more structured symptom assessment, examination and serial ECG measures. However every episode of exertional chest pain isn’t symptomatic coronary disease and given massive public awareness campaigns we now face a different management issue with undiagnosed chest pain sent as a ‘rule-out’ activity.
