The European Society of Cardiology recommends the 0/1-hour algorithm for risk stratification of patients with suspected non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction as class I, level B; however, there are few reports on the long-term prognosis, resulting in a rule-out group. We aimed to determine whether implementation of the 0-hour/1-hour algorithm is safe and effective in emergency department (ED) patients with possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS) through a 1-year follow-up period. Our study analyzed the 1-year follow-up data from a prospective pre-post study of 1106 ED patients with possible ACS from 4 hospitals in Japan and Taiwan. Patients were 18 years or older. Accrual occurred for 1 year after implementing the 0-1-hour algorithm from November 2014 to December 2018. Overall, 520 patients were stratified into the rule-out group. Major advanced cardiovascular events (all-cause death, acute myocardial infarction [AMI], stroke, unstable angina, and revascularization) at 1-year were determined using data from health records and phone calls. The 0-1-hour algorithm stratified 47.0% of patients in the rule-out group. Over the 1-year follow-up period (follow-up rate = 86.9%), cardiovascular death and subsequent AMI did not occur in the rule-out group. Among the 27 patients who underwent the procedure within 30 days post-index visit, 3 patients (0.7%) had a stroke, 6 patients (1.3%) died of non-cardiovascular cause, and 30 patients (6.7%) underwent coronary revascularization within 1 year. At the 1-year follow-up, implementation of the 0-hour/1-hour algorithm was associated with very low rates of adverse event among patients in the rule-out group.
Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; High-sensitivity troponin T.