CT Angiography Can Give Faster, Cheaper Diagnosis
A team of researchers from the William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan led by Gilbert L. Raff, MD found Computed Tomography angiography (CTA) to be an accurate tool to predict coronary artery disease (CAD) on patients with acute chest pain. 64-slice CTA was compared to standard evaluations which use an electrocardiogram (ECG), serial cardiac enzymes and rest-stress nuclear scanning. In most cases CTA can rule out CAD whil reducing time spent by patients in the ER by 45 percent and reducing test costs by $300. CTA is commonly used to examine pulmonary arteries, major blood vessels such as the aorta, veins and arteries in the pelvis and the legs, and the brain.
Health Imaging News reports from the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta. See also this publication from last year: Diagnostic Accuracy of Noninvasive Coronary Angiography Using 64-Slice Spiral Computed Tomography (pdf).
March 16, 2006 Related topics: New Technology & Innovation, Imaging, Conferences & Events, Diagnostic, Cardiology