title: The value of exercise electrocardiography testing in the identification of coronary restenosis: a probability analysis.
abstract: We studied by means of probability analysis the role of exercise ECG in identifying coronary restenosis. A total of 213 patients were independently evaluated by clinical history, conventional assessment of the exercise ECG ('yes or no' statement), D score (a discriminant function derived from exercise ECG), and coronariography, 5.4 +/- 2.8 months after successful coronary angioplasty. The initial probability of restenosis (30%), that is, the prevalence of the condition, was radically changed by the result of clinical history (77% for patients with angina vs. 17% for those without angina). By contrast, ECG binary assessment, due to its low accuracy (70% vs 82% of clinical history, P < 0.005), was unable to significantly change the established probabilities after symptomatic evaluation. Finally, D score, which greatly enhanced specificity (92% vs. 76% of bivariate assessment, P < 0.0001), proved to be useful in changing the probability (from 32% to 76% or to 25%) of patients (n = 34) with a discordant result (no angina/positive exercise ECG). When this stepwise approach was tested in 46 new patients, predicted and observed probabilities were actually very similar. We conclude that exercise ECG has a very limited role in identifying coronary restenosis if positive responses are not adjusted with a weighted score which takes into account other exercise derived factors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Virgen de las Nieves Hospital, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Azpitarte
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tercedor
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Melgares
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramírez
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000453:epidemiology; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D012008:Recurrence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity