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CASE REPORT
A foreign older diabetic woman with an acute myocardial infarction: when cognitive biases in clinical decision-making become especially important
  1. Mathias Schlögl1,2,
  2. Daniel Hofmänner2,
  3. Robert Manka3,
  4. Dagmar I Keller2
  1. 1Department of Geriatrics and Aging Research, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  2. 2Emergency Department, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  3. 3University Heart Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  1. Correspondence to Mathias Schlögl, mas7137{at}mail.harvard.edu

Summary

We present a case of an 80-year-old Turkish female patient with diabetes who suffered an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and underwent percutaneous coronary balloon angioplasty (PTCA)/stenting. Due to new ischaemic episodes, a second PTCA/stenting had to be preformed 6 days later, which revealed a partial restent thrombosis. This case report raises several important issues. First, language problems are an important barrier for safety and quality in healthcare. Second, gender, ethnicity and age differences in patients with AMI need to be considered in order to eliminate inequities in clinical practice. Third, strategies to raise the awareness of cognitive biases as well as professional training about critical thinking and decision-making skills are needed.

  • cardiovascular medicine
  • ischaemic heart disease
  • geriatric medicine

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Footnotes

  • Contributors All authors have contributed to this work, acquired the data and contributed to writing and editing the manuscript and discussion. MS planned and designed the initial draft.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.