Long-term prognostic value of stress echocardiography in patients presenting to the ED with spontaneous chest pain.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of stress echocardiography (SE) in patients evaluated in emergency department (ED) and to determine SE parameters that best predicted outcome.

Methods: Between June 2008 and July 2012, 626 patients with an episode of spontaneous chest pain underwent SE (exercise stress echocardiography or dobutamine stress echocardiography [DSE]). Between December 2012 and January 2013, all patients were contacted to verify the occurrence of cardiac events.