Low event rate for stress-only perfusion imaging in patients evaluated for chest pain.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to demonstrate the safety of stress-only perfusion imaging among patients with low to medium probability of coronary disease being evaluated for chest pain.


BACKGROUND
The need for performing rest in addition to stress perfusion imaging to confirm normalcy is due largely to defects created on the stress images by attenuation artifacts. A low cardiac event rate among patients undergoing stress-only imaging with attenuation correction (AC) would validate the safety of stress-only imaging.


METHODS
Patients with low to medium pretest probability for coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for chest pain evaluation from July 1, 1997 to July 1, 1999, were scheduled for a two-day stress/rest tomographic (single photon emission computerized tomography, or SPECT) perfusion imaging study with Tc-99m sestamibi. Patients were imaged on a variable angle camera with AC using Gd-153 scanning line sources (Vantage ADAC, Milpitas, California). If the stress scan was normal without AC or corrected with AC, the patient did not return for rest scan and was followed.


RESULTS
Seven hundred twenty-nine patients underwent stress-only imaging, and follow-up was obtained on 652 (89%) of those patients. There were 224 males and 428 females with mean age of 52 +/- 13 years. Mean follow-up was 22.3 +/- 6.4 months. The mean pretest probability was 37 +/- 24%. The non-AC images showed breast and/or diaphragmatic attenuation artifacts severe enough to have required the patient to return for rest imaging in 37% of patients, and all corrected completely with AC. During follow-up, there were two noncardiac deaths and no cardiac deaths. There was one myocardial infarction; three patients with progressive unstable angina underwent diagnostic coronary angiography showing significant CAD. The overall cardiac event rate was 0.6%.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support stress-only imaging in patients with low to medium probability for CAD as a safe, time- and cost-efficient imaging modality.
Gibson
Peter B
PB
Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA.
Demus
Diane
D
Noto
Richard
R
Hudson
William
W
Johnson
Lynne L
LL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010477:Perfusion; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012237:Rhode Island / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi