Acute coronary syndrome in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Accelerated diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients at EDs

Approximately one in four patients presenting to the Cairns Hospital emergency department with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This project is investigating the use of an accelerated blood testing diagnosis protocol with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients to enable clinicians to determine high and low risk ACS patients. This will help reduce unwarranted clinical interventions that inconvenience patients and misuse resources. Evidence-based data will be collected from patient presentations to the Cairns Hospital emergency department.

The project has created opportunities to engage and collaborate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and representative groups who are essential for the conduct of culturally sensitive health research and assist in the dissemination of the findings for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Outcomes

• A total of 278 participants were recruited for the trial from Cairns Hospital, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service.
• Several community engagement sessions were conducted with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community elders, clinical staff that identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, community advisors and counsellors. The Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service provided critical feedback on the referral and follow-up process.
• Preliminary results have demonstrated that it is appropriate to treat the patient cohort as medium to high risk. The trial has achieved a 99 per cent follow-up rate for cardiac outcomes.
• Cairns Hospital is planning a clinical trial in coronary artery disease as a next step and a follow-up with communities is being planned.

Project investigators

Project investigators engage with and draw on the expertise of partners within universities, research institutes, and hospital and health services around Queensland.

• Professor Louise Cullen, Emergency Physician, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Metro North Health (Lead)
• Dr Jaimi Greenslade, Research Fellow, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
• Laura Foran, Research Clinical Nurse, Redcliffe Hospital (Lead for First Nations research)