title: Utility of stress myocardial perfusion imaging performed before electrophysiologic testing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients considered for electrophysiologic study (EPS) are often first referred for stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) to assess for inducible ischemia before testing. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the utility of this approach by examining the relationship between MPS and any interim cardiac catheterization and revascularization, as well as the results and safety of EPS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients undergoing EPS within 30 days after MPS at our institution between January 1997 and June 2000 were studied. Two hundred fifty-one patients met the inclusion criteria. The incidence of inducible sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia at EPS (IND) was 16%. One hundred twenty-nine patients had MPS ischemia (83 with high-risk features), but only twelve patients in all underwent revascularization between MPS and EPS. There were no ischemic complications during EPS. The presence of isolated ischemia on MPS was associated with a low rate of IND, not different from normal MPS findings (2%-3%). The combination of infarct and ischemia on MPS was associated with a high rate of IND that was similar to infarct alone (34% and 50%, respectively; P =.28).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with high-risk MPS results are more likely to undergo revascularization before EPS than patients with low-risk or normal MPS results. However, most patients with high-risk MPS results undergo EPS without interim revascularization, and no patient had an ischemia-related complication at EPS. Larger studies will be required to confirm this observation. MPS infarct, not ischemia, is associated with IND at EPS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Winthrop-University Hospital, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Steingart
authors.forename: Simcha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pollack
authors.forename: Todd J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*