Usefulness of contrast stress-echocardiography or exercise-electrocardiography to predict long-term acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting with chest pain without electrocardiographic abnormalities or 12-hour troponin elevation

Role of cardiac imaging in acute chest pain

Chest pain is the second most common complaint in the emergency department. The need to diagnose the cause of chest pain in a timely manner and appropriately direct care is crucial. This article discusses the role of imaging in acute chest pain, after first differentiating chest pain into cardiac and non-cardiac causes with upfront clinical and biochemical assessment. The role of non-invasive imaging including point-of-care ultrasound, echocardiography, myocardial perfusion imaging, cardiac MRI, coronary computed tomography angiography and novel cardiac CT applications are discussed. Updates in the literature regarding the role of coronary plaque imaging in acute chest pain are reviewed, as are ongoing challenges and future directions. This includes a discussion on the yield of diagnostic testing in low-risk acute chest pain cohorts vs intermediate-high risk cohorts. The incremental value of further testing in the former is low, which is reflected in contemporary guidelines that discourage the use of costly diagnostic tests in these cohorts. In the latter cohort, emerging evidence has shown specifically the role coronary computed tomography angiography could play in reducing the need for invasive coronary angiography in selective patients where the true probability of acute coronary syndrome is thought to be low. Real-world considerations such as accessibility and affordability are also discussed in the paper because while guidelines offer clinicians the flexibility of evidence-based choice, physician decision must necessarily be made in consideration of real-world constraints.

Prevalence and Predictors of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease in Nonlow-risk Acute Chest Pain Patients Who Rule Out for Myocardial Infarction in the High-sensitivity Troponin Era

OBJECTIVES

The best management approach for chest pain patients who rule out for myocardial infarction (MI) in the high-sensitivity troponin (hsTn) era remains elusive. Patients, especially those with nonlow clinical risk scores, are often referred for inpatient ischemic testing to uncover obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Whether the prevalence of obstructive CAD in this cohort is high enough to justify routine testing is not known.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 1517 emergency department chest pain patients who ruled out for MI by virtue of a stable high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) levels (defined as <5 ng/L intermeasurements increase) and were admitted for inpatient testing.

RESULTS

Abnormal ischemia evaluation (including 5.9% with evidence of fixed wall motion or perfusion defects) was 11.9%. Of those undergoing invasive angiography (n = 292), significant coronary stenoses (≥70% or unstable lesions) and multivessel CAD occurred in 16.8% and 5.5%, respectively. In a multivariate logistic regression model, known CAD, prior MI, chest pain character, mildly elevated hsTnT, and left ventricular ejection fraction <40% were predictive of an abnormal ischemia evaluation result, whereas electrocardiography findings and the modified History, EKG, Age, Risk factors, and troponin (HEART) score were not. Of note, 30-day adverse cardiac events were strikingly low at 0.4% with no deaths despite an overwhelming majority (>90%) of patients scoring intermediate or high on the modified HEART score.

CONCLUSIONS

A considerable percentage of acute chest pain patients who rule out for MI by hsTn had evidence of obstructive CAD, and the modified HEART score was not predictive of an abnormal ischemia evaluation.

Stress Echocardiography: Need to Optimize its Appropriate Use in Suspected Angina and a Review of Available Additional Tools for its Clinical Application in 2018: First do no Harm! Second do it at the Highest Possible Accuracy

There is a need to reassess the most appropriate indications for stress echocardiography in the current era, in patients with suspect or known coronary artery disease (CAD), and also the most helpful additional parameters that can be easily calculated in clinical practice to increase the known suboptimal sensitivity for obstructive CAD of this test. The current review tries to clarify what is and what should be the proper role for functional testing in general, but specifically regarding modern stress echocardiography in the current practice, for suspected CAD and/or atypical chest pain. Few candidate additional parameters beyond wall motion assessment are here suggested to improve diagnostic accuracy of stress echocardiography, and pertinent literature is briefly reviewed, together with a more personal view of the author regarding the characteristics of each parameter, as far as ease of acquisition, cost, and true diagnostic or prognostic clinical usefulness are concerned. The reviewed additional parameters, which can be acquired during stress echocardiography, are Doppler coronary flow reserve in the left anterior descending artery, cardiac calcium score, global longitudinal strain, ventricular elastance, and contrast myocardial perfusion. Each of them finds a potential place in the current practice or may find a place in the future practice of stress echocardiography.

Contrast echocardiography in daily clinical practice

Ultrasound contrast agents have unique acoustic properties that enable them to enhance the cardiac blood flow and thus are used broadly in modern echocardiography laboratories for salvage of nondiagnostic studies, improving accuracy and reducing variability even in the presence of adequate image quality. Contrast echocardiography is also used as an adjunctive technique when unenhanced echocardiography falls short in the differentiation of cardiac structural abnormalities such as cardiac masses. Ultrasound contrast agents are pure intravascular tracers. Development of innovative ultrasound imaging techniques has led to myocardial perfusion imaging with contrast echocardiography. Although currently an off-label indication, it has been shown that perfusion imaging with contrast echocardiography adds incremental value to stress echocardiography in the detection of coronary artery disease. Moreover, it can be used for assessment of myocardial viability. In this paper we briefly discuss the basics of contrast echocardiography and its use in daily clinical practice.

ANMCO-SIMEU Consensus Document: in-hospital management of patients presenting with chest pain

Chest pain is a common general practice presentation that requires careful diagnostic assessment because of its diverse and potentially serious causes. However, the evaluation of acute chest pain remains challenging, despite many new insights over the past two decades. The percentage of patients presenting to the emergency departments because of acute chest pain appears to be increasing. Nowadays, there are two essential chest pain-related issues: (i) the missed diagnoses of acute coronary syndromes with a poor short-term prognosis; and (ii) the increasing percentage of hospitalizations of low-risk cases. It is well known that hospitalization of a low-risk chest pain patient can lead to unnecessary tests and procedures, with an increasing trend of complications and burden of costs. Therefore, the significantly reduced financial resources of healthcare systems induce physicians and administrators to improve the efficiency of care protocols for patients with acute chest pain. Despite the efforts of the Scientific Societies in producing statements on this topic, in Italy there is still a significant difference between emergency physicians and cardiologists in managing patients with chest pain. For this reason, the aim of the present consensus document is double: first, to review the evidence-based efficacy and utility of various diagnostic tools, and, second, to delineate the critical pathways (describing key steps) that need to be implemented in order to standardize the management of chest pain patients, making a correct diagnosis and treatment as uniform as possible across the entire country.

Is there a role for a local inpatient CT coronary angiography service in selected patients with acute coronary syndrome? A cohort analysis of inpatient tertiary centre referrals for invasive coronary angiography

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a retrospective analysis of inpatients referred for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) at a tertiary centre, with suspected or confirmed acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Jersey General Hospital. We evaluated 198 inpatients referred for ICA with suspected or confirmed ACS over a 3-year period. Patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction were excluded. The primary outcome was to identify the number of patients who did not require subsequent coronary intervention following ICA. Patient variables were measured to establish those who met European Society of Cardiology (ESC) criteria for consideration of CT coronary angiography (CTCA) as an alternative to ICA. Cost of care for those referred for ICA was calculated.

RESULTS

ICA demonstrated evidence of coronary heart disease requiring coronary intervention in 119 (60%) of the referred patients. 28 (35%) of the patients not requiring coronary intervention at ICA met ESC criteria for preassessment with CTCA. The cost of care for this subgroup was £9089 per patient. Inpatient CTCA was calculated at £376 per patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Low-intermediate risk patients presenting with suspected or confirmed ACS to hospitals without onsite coronary revascularisation should be considered for in-hospital CTCA before consideration of ICA. Using CTCA as a gatekeeper for targeted ICA appears cost-effective, particularly for hospitals without the required onsite facilities.

High-sensitivity troponin T and copeptin in non-ST acute coronary syndromes: implications for prognosis and role of hsTnT and copeptin in non-STEACS

High-sensitivity TnT (hsTnT) has been proposed to improve the diagnosis and stratification in acute coronary syndromes. Copeptin has been proposed for a rapid and accurate rule out of acute myocardial infarction, but some doubts exist about its use out of the first hours from admission. Abnormalities of serum hsTnT and copeptin levels in non-STEACS and negative TnT, could have prognostic implications. Methods. We included 122 non-STEACS patients without raised TnT, 33 disease controls and 43 healthy controls. We measured hsTnT and copeptin levels. Clinical follow-up at 12 months was performed for adverse endpoints. Results. Non-STEACS patients had raised hsTnT compared with both control groups (P = 0.036 and P < 0.001). Copeptin levels were higher in non-STEACS patients than healthy controls (P = 0.021), without differences with disease controls. Raised levels of hs-TnT presented prognostic implications [HR 3.29 (95%CI: 1.33–7.49), P = 0.010]. hs-TnT could be used for invasive approach decision, as it shows prognostic relevance in conservative approach-patients whereas remains unrelevant for catheterized-patients. Copeptin levels were not associated with adverse events. Conclusion. hsTnT levels increased in non-STEACS, were predictive of adverse events and could be important for recommending an invasive management. We cannot confirm a predictive role of copeptin out of the first hours from admission.

Cost-effectiveness of coronary computed tomography and cardiac stress imaging in the emergency department: a decision analytic model comparing diagnostic strategies for chest pain in patients at low risk of acute coronary syndromes

Emergency department presentations with chest pain are expensive and often unrelated to coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) may allow earlier discharge of low-risk patients, resulting in cost savings. We modeled clinical and economic outcomes of diagnostic strategies in patients with chest pain and at low risk of CAD: exercise electrocardiography (ECG), stress single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), stress echocardiography, and a CTA strategy comprising an initial CTA scan with confirmatory SPECT for indeterminate results. Our results suggest that a 2-step diagnostic strategy of CTA with SPECT for intermediate scans is likely to be less costly and more effective for the diagnosis of a patient group at low risk of CAD and a prevalence of 2% to 30%. The CTA strategies were cost saving (lower costs, higher quality-adjusted life-years) compared with stress ECG, echocardiography, and SPECT. Confirming intermediate/indeterminate CTA scans with SPECT results in cost savings and quality-adjusted life-year gains due to reduced hospitalization of patients who returned false-positive initial CTA test. However, CTA may be associated with a higher event rate in negative patients than SPECT, and the diagnostic and prognostic information for the use of CTA in the emergency department is evolving. Large comparative, randomized, controlled trials of the different diagnostic strategies are needed to compare the long-term costs and consequences of each strategy in a population of defined low-risk patients in the emergency department.