Validation of Appropriate Use Criteria for Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography for Chest Pain Evaluation in a Tertiary Care Emergency Room.

Purpose: Appropriate use criteria (AUC) defines the appropriateness of imaging procedures for specific clinical scenarios to promote evidence-based utilization and improve cost-effective care. The goal of this study was to assess the diagnostic yield and downstream health care resource utilization according to the AUC categorization for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in emergency department (ED) patients presenting with chest pain.

Materials And Methods: A total of 789 consecutive patients in the ED with chest pain and no known coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent CCTA were classified as appropriate, uncertain, or inappropriate use according to the 2010 AUC.