Yes, patients with negative CTs had low rates of adverse events.
Newer-generation 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) provides high- resolution imaging of the coronary arteries, heart, and great vessels. Thus, MDCT might prove to be a useful, noninvasive diagnostic alternative to coronary catheterization for some emergency department patients. Researchers prospectively evaluated the diagnostic performance of MDCT and its ability to predict clinical outcomes in 58 ED patients with possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
Patients with chest pain who had no new electrocardiogram changes or biomarker elevations underwent MDCT scanning and were followed for 15 months. ACS was ultimately diagnosed in 20 of the 23 MDCT-positive patients, yielding a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 92%. The …
Reviewing Author
Aaron E. Bair, MD, FAAEM, FACEP
Aaron E. Bair, MD, FAAEM, FACEP