Current guidelines for the management of unstable angina: a new diagnosticand management paradigm

The new guidelines reflect a worldwide change to more sensitive diagnostic strategies and more aggressive management of unstable angina. Stratificatio n to high risk now includes those patients with only a minor degree of elec trocardiographic ST depression (0.5 mm) or a significant elevation of cardi ac troponin. High-risk patients are recommended to be treated with intensiv e medical and invasive management. Intermediate-risk patients may be best e valuated using an accelerated diagnostic strategy over an 8-12 h period bef ore being reclassified as high or low risk.