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A normal stress SPECT scan is an effective gatekeeper for coronary angiography
- Source :
- Journal of Nuclear Cardiology; Apr2007, Vol. 14 Issue 2, p187-193, 7p
- Publication Year :
- 2007
-
Abstract
- <bold>Background: </bold>The effectiveness of stress single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as a gatekeeper for coronary angiography has not been extensively investigated. The characteristics of patients referred for early angiography after a normal stress SPECT study have not been described.<bold>Methods and Results: </bold>Over a 10-year period, 14,273 patients without documented coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent stress SPECT. Images were abnormal in 47% and normal in 53%. The overall survival rate at 15 years was 55% for patients with abnormal images versus 71% for those with normal images (P < .001). Early coronary angiography (< or =3 months) was performed in only 97 patients (1.3%) with normal SPECT studies versus 1,756 patients (26%) with abnormal SPECT studies (P < .001). Most patients with normal SPECT studies referred for early angiography (85%) had clinical, exercise, or scintigraphic findings worrisome for CAD. Two thirds of these highly selected patients with normal SPECT studies who underwent angiography did not have significant CAD; the remaining one third had primarily 1- and 2-vessel CAD.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Stress SPECT is an effective gatekeeper for coronary angiography. The annual overall mortality rate for patients with normal images was 1.9%. Only 1.3% of patients with normal images were referred for early angiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- CARDIAC radionuclide imaging
SINGLE-photon emission computed tomography
ANGIOGRAPHY
CORONARY disease
DIAGNOSIS
COMPARATIVE studies
EXERCISE tests
RESEARCH methodology
MEDICAL cooperation
MEDICAL referrals
RESEARCH
RISK assessment
SURVIVAL analysis (Biometry)
SURVIVAL
EVALUATION research
DISEASE incidence
RETROSPECTIVE studies
CORONARY angiography
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10713581
- Volume :
- 14
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Nuclear Cardiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 24457322
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclcard.2006.12.326