[Utility of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in the emergency department for evaluation of patients with chest pain].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate diagnostic efficacy of rest myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in the detection of acute coronary syndrome in patients with chest pain and non diagnostic electrocardiogram, comparing it with reference techniques, in Emergency Department.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy was carried out in 40 patients with those defined characteristics in the Emergency Department, administering the radiopharmaceutical in the next 6 hours after the pain was over. All subjects followed routine diagnostic and treatment management. Final diagnosis of coronary disease was established by coronariography and/or stress perfusion myocardial scintigraphy. Patients were followed up for 9-12 months.

RESULTS

Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy showed a negative predictive value of 96,15 % (CI 95 %: 86.84-100.00). The main limitation of its application was breast and diaphragmatic attenuation phenomenon, given that correction algorithms were not available. Global kappa coefficient was 0.78 when to compared interobserver agreement.

CONCLUSION

Rest myocardial perfusion scintigraphy is a safe and efficient test in the screening of patients with chest pain suggestive of angor with non-diagnostic ECG in Emergency Department, and also provides prognostic information and risk stratification.