The use of specific para-clinical examinations in patients presenting with dyspnea

Excerpt

A large, and growing, number of patients are admitted and treated acutely at emergency departments. In Denmark, the number of acute admissions has increased 15% from 2006 to 2012. The Region of Southern Denmark has begun a process to prepare a regional concept for the Emergency Departments. Therefore, it is of interest to observe our behaviour as physicians in the use of para-clinical examinations. If every patient who enters the emergency department with dyspnea ends up having a chest X-ray, arterial blood gas analysis (BGA), or electrocardiogram (ECG) performed, the natural consequence would be to do them initially at arrival. We performed the present study with the objective to quantify the use of specific examinations on patients presenting with identical primary complaints. …