title: Utilization statistics and diagnostic accuracy of a nonhospital-based positron emission tomography center for the detection of coronary artery disease using rubidium-82.
abstract: A retrospective analysis has been carried out to determine utilization and diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography of the heart with rubidium-82 at a nonhospital-based center. Utilization statistics were derived for the first 27 months of operation of the center from a total of 1,670 patients scanned. Diagnostic accuracy for detection of coronary artery disease was assessed using three readers, blinded to the clinical information, who read 225 rest and dipyridamole-stress scans of patients that had a coronary angiogram. Utilization statistics show that the center averaged 64 patients per month, 66% were males, 38% of the patients scanned had a coronary angiogram, 25% had a history of myocardial infarction, 12% had coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and 18% had percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Sensitivity was 82%, 96%, and 100% for myocardial regions perfused with greater than 67%, 84%, and 100% diameter stenosis, respectively. Specificity was 91% for all normal regions of the heart. Accuracy was 89%, 93%, and 93% for regions with greater than 67%, 84%, and 100% diameter stenosis, respectively. These results compare well with published results from major hospital based centers.
authors.affiliation: Kennestone Cardiac PET Center, Marietta, Georgia.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Mullani
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014600:Utilization Review
chemical_list: D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes