title: Coronary computed tomography angiography in the assessment of acute chest pain in the emergency room.
abstract: The coronary computed tomography angiography has recently emerged as an accurate diagnostic tool in the evaluation of coronary artery disease, providing diagnostic and prognostic data that correlate directly with the data provided by invasive coronary angiography. The association of recent technological developments has allowed improved temporal resolution and better spatial coverage of the cardiac volume with significant reduction in radiation dose, and with the crucial need for more effective protocols of risk stratification of patients with chest pain in the emergency room, recent evaluation of the computed tomography coronary angiography has been performed in the setting of acute chest pain, as about two thirds of invasive coronary angiographies show no significantly obstructive coronary artery disease. In daily practice, without the use of more efficient technologies, such as coronary angiography by computed tomography, safe and efficient stratification of patients with acute chest pain remains a challenge to the medical team in the emergency room. Recently, several studies, including three randomized trials, showed favorable results with the use of this technology in the emergency department for patients with low to intermediate likelihood of coronary artery disease. In this review, we show data resulting from coronary angiography by computed tomography in risk stratification of patients with chest pain in the emergency room, its diagnostic value, prognosis and cost-effectiveness and a critical analysis of recently published multicenter studies.
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo Elias dos
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Prazeres
authors.forename: Roberto Caldeira
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Cury
authors.forename: Adriano Camargo de Castro
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Rochitte
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*