CORONARY CT ANGIOGRAM IN THE ASSESSMENT OF SUSPECTED ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME

Abstract

Objective: To determine the association of CT angiography results in ACS patients with adverse cardiac
events till 30 days post presentation and to establish safety of this tool.
Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology from July
2013 to June 2014.
Material and Methods: Six hundred and forty seven personals of armed forces were enrolled in the study. The
patients presenting into emergency department of AFIC, with suspicion of acute coronary syndrome, were
categorized into low, intermediate and high pretest probability of acute coronary syndrome. Those having
low or intermediate pretest probability underwent coronary computer tomographic angiography within 24
hrs of their presentation. Persons with either normal coronary arteries or insignificant coronary artery disease
(stenosis of less than 50%) were immediately discharged and were contacted 30 days later for any adverse
cardiac event. T test and Chi square test was applied to compare numeric and categorical variables
respectively.
Results: Among 647 patients, 486 (75.1%) had normal coronary arteries and 123 (19%) had insignificant
coronary artery disease. None of these 609 patients, undergoing coronary CT angiogram, had any adverse
cardiac event within 30 days of initial presentation, indicating statistically significant results.
Conclusion: Coronary CT angiogram is safe and effective tool for the evaluation of patients suspected to have
acute coronary syndrome, with low to intermediate pretest risk, particularly in emergency settings.