Influence of demographic variables in prehospital treatment of patients with chest pain

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the number of interventions requested by EMS personnel for patients with acute, nontraumatic chest pain varied with the patient's gender or race. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of the care requested for patients 17 years old or older complaining of acute, nontraumatic chest pain by one EMS squad in a city of 50,000 people over a six-month period. Interventions recorded for each patient included oxygen administration, artificial airway placement, intravenous fluid administration, defibrillation, and use of lidocaine and nitroglycerin. RESULTS: Of the 169 patients in this study, 54% (n = 92) were white and 56% (n = 95) were female. Age was missing for two patients; of the remainder, 75% (n = 127) were 40 years old or older. The numbers of interventions requested ranged from 0 to 4. EMS personnel requested supplemental oxygen for 163 patients. 81% of the females had i.v. lines placed or attempted, compared with 70% of the males; EMS personnel requested orders for nitroglycerin for 43% of the females and 29% of the males. Whites were more likely than nonwhites to have requests for i.v. lines or nitroglycerin. Overall, the numbers of interventions were similar among young females and among older patients, regardless of race or gender. The pattern for young males was different, with significantly more requests for interventions for young white males than for young non-white males (1.89 vs 1.34). CONCLUSIONS: Among older patients and among young females, EMS personnel requested similar numbers of interventions for patient complaining of acute, nontraumatic chest pain regardless of patients race. Patterns of care appeared to differ for young males, a finding that warrants further study.