Coronary computed tomographic angiography for rapid discharge of low-risk patients with potential acute coronary syndromes.
OBJECTIVE
Coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography has excellent performance characteristics relative to coronary angiography and exercise or pharmacologic stress testing. We hypothesize that coronary CT angiography can identify a cohort of emergency department (ED) patients with a potential acute coronary syndrome who can be safely discharged with a less than 1% risk of 30-day cardiovascular death or nonfatal myocardial infarction.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective cohort study at an urban university hospital ED that enrolled consecutive patients with potential acute coronary syndromes and a low TIMI risk score who presented to the ED with symptoms suggestive of a potential acute coronary syndrome and received a coronary CT angiography. Our intervention was either immediate coronary CT angiography in the ED or after a 9- to 12-hour observation period that included cardiac marker determinations, depending on time of day. The main clinical outcome was 30-day cardiovascular death or nonfatal myocardial infarction.


RESULTS
Five hundred sixty-eight patients with potential acute coronary syndrome were evaluated: 285 of these received coronary CT angiography immediately in the ED and 283 received coronary CT angiography after a brief observation period. Four hundred seventy-six (84%) were discharged home after coronary CT angiography. During the 30-day follow-up period, no patients died of a cardiovascular event (0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0% to 0.8%) or sustained a nonfatal myocardial infarction (0%; 95% CI 0 to 0.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
ED patients with symptoms concerning for a potential acute coronary syndrome with a low TIMI risk score and a nonischemic initial ECG result can be safely discharged home after a negative coronary CT angiography test result.
Hollander
Judd E
JE
Department of Emergency Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA.
Chang
Anna Marie
AM
Shofer
Frances S
FS
McCusker
Christine M
CM
Baxt
William G
WG
Litt
Harold I
HI
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014218:Triage