Prognostic value of a normal or nonspecific initial electrocardiogram in acute myocardial infarction. (Cardiology).

Welch RD, Zalenski RJ, Frederick PD, et al. JAMA. 2001;286:1977-1984.

Studies of patients who come to the emergency department with chest pain have found that a normal or nonspecific electrocardiogram (ECG) correlates to low rates of both mortality and life-threatening complications. Although these studies have suggested that normal and nonspecific ECGs are associated with a favorable prognosis, their independent predictive value for mortality has not been examined. This multihospital observational study compared in-hospital mortality among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who had normal or nonspecific initial ECGs with those AMI patients whose ECGs …