What are the prognostic values of electrocardiograms in acute coronary syndromes?
Savonitto S, Ardissino D, Granger CB, et al. have studied the prognostic value of the admission electrocardiogram in acute coronary syndromes. Their study, published in JAMA in 1999, found that the admission electrocardiogram could be used to predict long-term risk for mortality in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Additionally, Rouan GW, Lee TH, Cook EF, et al. studied the clinical characteristics and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction in patients with initially normal or nonspecific electrocardiograms, and found that the electrocardiogram had prognostic value for 30-day mortality in these patients. McCarthy BD, Wong JB, Selker HP. also studied the use of electrocardiograms to detect acute cardiac ischemia in the emergency department, and found that the electrocardiogram had predictive value for long-term prognosis.  