Chest pain in the emergency department: potential role of multidetector CT.
The evaluation of patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department remains a significant challenge. The primary goal is to distinguish clinically insignificant etiologies from life-threatening causes such as myocardial ischemia, aortic dissection, and pulmonary embolism. The conventional evaluation consisting of history, electrocardiography, and biochemical markers is often inconclusive and noninvasive imaging techniques may prove valuable. This article describes some of the available options and focuses on the potential role of CT angiography to assess indeterminate chest pain.
White
Charles S
CS
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. cwhite@umm.edu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress / Q000379:methods; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*