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Emergency departments increasingly use coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography to rule out significant coronary artery disease (CAD) among low-to-moderate risk patients who present with chest pain. In an observational study, researchers assessed whether 64-section coronary CT angiography could be used to simultaneously rule out significant CAD, pulmonary embolism, and thoracic aortic dissection (“triple rule-out”), as well as other intrathoracic pathology. Approximately 200 patients who presented with chest pain that suggested acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were followed for 30 days. Confirmatory or follow-up studies were obtained at the discretion of each patient’s physician.
CT angiography showed that 65% of patients did not have CAD,…