Importance of two-dimensional echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular systolic function in patients presenting to the emergency room with cardiac-related symptoms

Background. This prospective study was designed to test the hypothesis that the assessment of left ventricular systolic function at the time of emergency room (ER) presentation provides valuable diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with cardiac-related symptoms. Methods and Results. The study is based on a 2-year follow-up of 171 consecutive patients evaluated in the ER for such symptoms. In the course of follow-up, one third of the patients (55 of 171) suffered a major cardiac event. For those with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), the age-adjusted rate of early events (occurring within 48 hours of presentation) was more than eight times higher than for those without LVSD (26.9% versus 3.3%, p