Safety of and tolerance to adenosine infusion for myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography in a Japanese population.
BACKGROUND
Adenosine has been available for use in myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in Japan since 2005. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of and tolerance to thallium-201 myocardial perfusion SPECT with intravenous adenosine infusion in Japanese patients with suspected coronary artery disease.


RESULTS
Two hundred and six consecutive patients who underwent an adenosine infusion (120 mug . kg(-1) . min(-1)) SPECT at Sumitomo Besshi Hospital (Niihama, Japan) were investigated. The effects of adenosine infusion were monitored for each patient. A coronary angiography was performed in 81 patients. Adenosine infusion significantly decreased blood pressure and increased heart rate. Adverse reactions were observed in 161 patients (78.2%). Most reactions were transient, disappearing soon after the termination of adenosine infusion. No serious adverse reactions, such as acute myocardial infarction or death, occurred. Adenosine infusion was terminated in 3 patients (1.5%) because of near syncope or sustained 2:1 atrioventricular block. Electrocardiographic changes occurred in 15 patients (7.3%). Self-assessed scoring after SPECT showed that the patients were very tolerant (74.6% of 177 patients) of adenosine infusion myocardial SPECT. The sensitivity and specificity were 75.0% and 69.7%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Adenosine infusion myocardial SPECT is safe and well tolerated in the Japanese population, despite the frequent occurrence of minor adverse reactions.
Hatanaka
Kunihiko
K
Division of Cardiology, Sumitomo Besshi Hospital, Niihama, Japan.
Doi
Masayuki
M
Hirohata
Satoshi
S
Kamikawa
Shigeshi
S
Kaji
Yoko
Y
Katoh
Tsutomu
T
Kusachi
Shozo
S
Ninomiya
Yoshifumi
Y
Ohe
Tohru
T
D000241:Adenosine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D054537:Atrioventricular Block / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013575:Syncope / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D000241:Adenosine