Suspicious chest pain, inequality in COVID outcomes, and staff retention problems: April 2024 Primary Survey

“Social distancing is a privilege,” is the core message underlying the first paper brought by Sarah to this month’s roundup, as it unpacks the stark differences in COVID-19 outcomes across the spectrum of racial and ethnic groups in the United States. A second paper examines the returning rates of COVID patients across a large group of emergency departments in Canada, and the factors at play there. The final topic is one of Rick’s favourites, focusing on troponin testing in ambulances.

Articles discussed in this episode:

Pandemic phase-related racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 positivity and outcomes among patients presenting to emergency departments during the first two pandemic waves in the USA. Khosla S, Del Rios M, Chisolm-Straker M, et al. 

Characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 who return to the emergency department: a multicentre observational study by the Canadian COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network (CCEDRRN). Rosychuk RJ, Khangura JK, Ortiz SS, et al. 

Perceived barriers and opportunities to improve working conditions and staff retention in emergency departments: a qualitative study. Daniels J, Robinson E, Jenkinson E, et al.

Prehospital T-MACS and HEART scores in the prediction of myocardial infarction: a prospective evaluation. Cooper JG, Donaldson LA, Coutts AJ, et al.

 

The EMJ podcast is hosted by:

Dr. Richard Body, EMJ Deputy Editor, University of Manchester, UK (@richardbody)

Dr. Sarah Edwards, EMJ Social Media Editor, Leicester Royal Infirmary, UK (@drsarahedwards)

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