Assessment of isotropic calcium using 0.5-mm reconstructions from 320-row CT data sets identifies more patients with non-zero Agatston score and more subclinical atherosclerosis than standard 3.0-mm coronary artery calcium scan and CT angiography.

Background: The presence of calcified plaque in coronary arteries can be quantified by using 0.5-mm isotropic reconstructions from 320-row CT without increased radiation dose. Little is known about reclassification of patients with non-zero Agatston scores and quantitative measures of calcified plaque using 0.

Associations between routine coronary computed tomographic angiography and reduced unnecessary hospital admissions, length of stay, recidivism rates, and invasive coronary angiography in the emergency department triage of chest pain.

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the effects on resource utilization of routine coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in triaging chest pain patients in the emergency department (ED).

Background: The routine use of CCTA for ED evaluation of chest pain is feasible and safe.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective multivariate analysis of data from two risk-matched cohorts of 894 ED patients presenting with chest pain to assess the impact of CCTA versus standard evaluation on admissions rate, length of stay, major adverse cardiovascular event rates, recidivism rates, and downstream resource utilization.