title: The cardiokymography exercise test compared to the thallium-201 perfusion exercise test in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
abstract: To determine the usefulness of exercise cardiokymography (CKG) compared to thallium-201 perfusion scanning in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), 179 patients with a mean age of 54 +/- 10 years (73% men) were studied. Previously documented CAD was present in 73 patients (41%); 13 (7%) were asymptomatic and 93 (53%) had chest pain syndrome. Exercise stress testing, CKG, and thallium-201 perfusion scanning were independently correlated with coronary angiographic data. Treadmill exercise stress test alone without CKG had a sensitivity of 68% and specificity of 62%. CKG showed a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 90%, and easily interpreted cardiokymograms were obtained in 78% of patients studied. Thallium-201 scans had a sensitivity of 79% and a specificity of 88%. However, when the CKG and treadmill exercise test results were concordant (both positive or both negative), the CKG exercise test had a sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 100%. Thus, when the CKG and exercise test results are concordant, the sensitivity and specificity are equal to or better than thallium-201 perfusion scanning for the prediction of CAD. Since CKG is an inexpensive and noninvasive test, its adjunctive use with routine exercise stress testing may be of great value.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004571:Electrokymography; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006334:Heart Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013793:Thallium
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D013793:Thallium