title: Prognostic value of myocardial contrast echocardiography in patients presenting to hospital with acute chest pain and negative troponin.
abstract: We hypothesized that myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) could be used to stratify risk in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome but a nondiagnostic electrocardiogram and negative troponin. Pretest Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) scores were determined. Exercise electrocardiographic data in those patients undergoing treadmill stress echocardiography as part of risk evaluation were analyzed independently of echocardiographic data. On a separate day, low-power MCE at rest and during vasodilator stress was performed. All patients were followed for cardiac events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and revascularization). Of 148 patients, 27 demonstrated abnormal myocardial contrast echocardiographic results and had higher cardiac event rates compared with those with normal myocardial contrast echocardiographic findings (59% vs 7%, p <0.0001) at follow-up (8 +/- 5 months). Hard cardiac event rates (death and nonfatal myocardial infarction) were low (3%) in patients with normal myocardial contrast echocardiographic findings. Cardiac events in patients with abnormal myocardial contrast echocardiographic findings (59%) were significantly higher than those predicted by a high-risk TIMI score (33%, p = 0.0023) and compared with those predicted by high-risk exercise electrocardiography (80% vs 57%, p = 0.0003). In conclusion, stress MCE was superior to TIMI risk score and exercise electrocardiography in the assessment of risk in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome, nondiagnostic electrocardiogram, and negative troponin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Northwick Park Hospital and Institute for Medical Education and Research, Harrow, Middlesex, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paramjit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jeetley
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burden
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Greaves
authors.forename: Roxy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Senior
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019210:Troponin I; D020107:Troponin T