Journal of cardiovascular computed tomography
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J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr · May 2013
Establishing a successful coronary CT angiography program in the emergency department: official writing of the Fellow and Resident Leaders of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (FiRST).
Coronary CT angiography is an effective, evidence-based strategy for evaluating acute chest pain in the emergency department for patients at low-to-intermediate risk of acute coronary syndrome. Recent multicenter trials have reported that coronary CT angiography is safe, reduces time to diagnosis, facilitates discharge, and may lower overall cost compared with routine care. Herein, we provide a 10-step approach for establishing a successful coronary CT angiography program in the emergency department. ⋯ Technical parameters and patient-specific modifications are also highlighted to maximize the likelihood of diagnostic quality examinations. Practical suggestions for quality control, process monitoring, and standardized reporting are reviewed. Finally, the role of a "triple rule-out" protocol is featured in the context of acute chest pain evaluation in the emergency department.
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J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr · Mar 2013
Review Comparative StudyCoronary CT angiography versus standard of care for assessment of chest pain in the emergency department.
Use of coronary CT angiography (CTA) in the early evaluation of low-intermediate risk chest pain in the emergency department represents a common, appropriate application of CTA in the community. Three large randomized trials (CT-STAT, ACRIN-PA, and ROMICAT II) have compared a coronary CTA strategy with current standard of care evaluations in >3000 patients. ⋯ Together, these trials provide definitive evidence for the use of coronary CTA in the emergency department in patients with a low-to-intermediate pretest probability of coronary artery disease. Clinical practice guidelines that recommend the use of coronary CTA in the emergency department are warranted.
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J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr · Mar 2013
Case ReportsStanford type A aortic dissection with pulmonary arterial intramural hematoma and pulmonary hemorrhage.
A rare complication of a Stanford type A aortic dissection is extension along the pulmonary arteries. We present a case that shows main and right pulmonary artery intramural hematoma and pulmonary hemorrhage in an 80-year-old woman who presented with a type A Stanford aortic dissection. The 11-month follow-up multidetector CT angiogram for this patient showed that the right pulmonary artery had become aneurysmal.
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J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyVery low-dose coronary artery calcium scanning with high-pitch spiral acquisition mode: comparison between 120-kV and 100-kV tube voltage protocols.
Effective radiation dose from a single coronary artery calcification CT scan can range from 0.8 to 10.5 mSv, depending on the protocol. Reducing the effective radiation dose to reasonable levels without affecting diagnostic image quality can result in substantial dose reduction in CT. ⋯ High-pitch spiral acquisition allows coronary calcium scoring with effective doses below 0.5 mSv. The use of 100-kV tube voltage further reduces effective radiation dose compared with the standard of 120 kV; however, it leads to significant overestimation of the Agatston score when the standard threshold of 130 HU is used. Adjusting the threshold to 147 HU leads to a better agreement compared with standard 120 kV protocols yet with a remaining systematic bias toward overestimation of the Agatston score. For high-pitch spiral acquisition mode, effective radiation dose reduction when using a 100-kV setting is minimal compared with the standard 120-kV setting and may be considered nonsignificant in a clinical setting.
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J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr · Jul 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyCoronary CT angiography versus myocardial perfusion imaging for near-term quality of life, cost and radiation exposure: a prospective multicenter randomized pilot trial.
Clinical outcomes and resource utilization after coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) versus myocardial perfusion single-photon emission CT (MPS) in patients with stable angina and suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been examined. ⋯ In a pilot randomized controlled trial, patients with stable CAD undergoing coronary CTA and MPS experience comparable improvements in near-term angina-related quality of life. Compared with MPS, coronary CTA evaluation is associated with more aggressive medical therapy, increased coronary revascularization, lower total costs, and lower effective radiation dose.