title: Indications, imaging technique, and reading of cardiac computed tomography: survey of clinical practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain an overview of the current clinical practice of cardiac computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  A 32-item questionnaire was mailed to a total of 750 providers of cardiac CT in 57 countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 169 questionnaires from 38 countries were available for analysis (23%). Most CT systems used (94%, 207/221) were of the latest generation (64-row or dual-source CT). The most common indications for cardiac CT was exclusion of coronary artery disease (97%, 164/169). Most centres used beta blockade (91%, 151/166) and sublingual nitroglycerine (80%, 134/168). A median slice thickness of 0.625 mm with a 0.5-mm increment and an 18-cm reconstruction field of view was used. Interpretation was most often done using source images in orthogonal planes (92%, 155/169). Ninety percent of sites routinely evaluate extracardiac structures on a large (70%) or cardiac field of view (20%). Radiology sites were significantly more interested in jointly performing cardiac CT together with cardiology than cardiologists. The mean examination time was 18.6 ± 8.4 min, and reading took on average 28.7 ± 17.8 min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiac CT has rapidly become established in clinical practice, and there is emerging consensus regarding indications, conduct of the acquisition, and reading.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schlattmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Germershausen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dewey
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002309:Cardiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D005996:Nitroglycerin