Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy: patients' perception of benefit and risk.
OBJECTIVE
Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy is a useful and safe investigation, which has now received approval by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE). However, there are common unpleasant side-effects to the drugs used and there is a risk from radiation. This study was performed to assess patients' perceptions of the benefits and risks of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, and to determine whether the cardiac stress component influenced these perceptions.


METHODS
Ninety patients attending our institution for thallium-201 myocardial perfusion study over a period of 2 months were interviewed with regard to their perception of the benefits of the study. Patients were interviewed prior to and following the stress study.


RESULTS
On average, patients thought they had a good (three in four) chance of benefiting from myocardial perfusion imaging. Sixty per cent of patients were unaware that they were going to be exposed to ionizing radiation and over 80% were unaware of the side-effects. Two-thirds of the patients said they would undergo the test even if there was only a one in ten chance of benefiting. The majority of patients were uninfluenced by the stress component of the study.


CONCLUSIONS
Many patients lack a knowledge of the risks of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Most patients would undergo myocardial perfusion studies even if they had a poor chance of benefit.
Groves
Ashley M
AM
Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University College London, Middlesex Hospital, London, UK. drashleygroves@hotmail.com
Kayani
Irfan
I
Syed
Rizwan
R
Gacinovic
Svetislav
S
Nagabushan
Nagesh
N
Ell
Peter J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D010465:Perception; D010477:Perfusion; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013793:Thallium / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
D013793:Thallium