The utility of laboratory testing for suspected hyperthyroidism in the emergency department.

Autor: Arens AM; Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Electronic address: ann.arens@hcmed.org., Birmingham M; Western University of Health Sciences COMP-Northwest, Lebanon, OR, USA., McHale E; Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN, USA., Siegel-Richman Y; Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN, USA., Driver BE; Department of Emergency Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The American journal of emergency medicine [Am J Emerg Med] 2022 Apr; Vol. 54, pp. 76-80. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Dec 21.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.12.038
Abstrakt: Background: Given signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism are non-specific, thyroid studies may be completed to evaluate patients with vague complaints such as tachycardia in the emergency department (ED). We sought to determine how often a new diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was made in patients who underwent thyroid laboratory testing in the ED.
Objectives: The primary outcome of this study was a new diagnosis in the ED, or in the following 30 days, of hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis following ED thyroid laboratory testing.
Methods: This was a retrospective chart review study in a single ED of all patients who had a TSH or free T4 ordered from 2007 to 2018, or a TSH value below, or a free T4 higher than the local reference ranges. Patients with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism were excluded.
Results: 12,366 patients underwent thyroid laboratory testing, and 12,244 patients were included. Of included patients, 655(5.4%) had abnormal thyroid studies, and 95(0.8%) patients received a new diagnosis of hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis. The sensitivity and specificity of tachycardia for the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was 70%(95% CI 62% to 77%) and 62%(95% CI 61% to 63%), respectively; and the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 1.8(95% CI 1.7 to 2.0) and 0.5(95% CI 0.4 to 0.6), respectively.
Conclusion: This study suggests that thyroid laboratory studies may be best used for a focused assessment for thyroid disorders rather than a screening tool for patients with one symptom of hyperthyroidism.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None.
(Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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