Critical Appraisal Practice Question 1

Total marks: 23
Time allowed: 90mins

Paper: High-sensitivity troponin T for early rule-out of myocardial infarction in recent onset chest pain

Question 1

Provide a no more than 200 word summary of this paper. Only the first 200 words will be considered and short bullet points are acceptable. [6 marks]

Question 2

Identify 4 weaknesses in the study design. For each one, suggest how that weakness could have been overcome to make the study design more robust. [8 marks]

Question 3

Give 2 examples of how the recruitment process is sub-optimal. [2 marks]

Question 4

The study uses sensitivity/specificity and positive/negative predictive values to depict the performance of high sensitivity troponin. Which performance test from the above is most useful in advising a patient about their chances of having a myocardial infarction? Explain your reasoning. [2 marks]

Question 5

Define sensitivity and specificity. [2 marks]

Question 6

Would the findings in this paper lead you to alter the practice in your ED? Explain your reasoning. [3 marks]

 

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Critical Appraisal Practice Question 1