CORONARY CT ANGIOGRAPHY

Course overview

CHEST PAIN IS OFTEN THE HERALD OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED BY PRACTICING CLINICIANS. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE REMAINS A LEADING CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WORLDWIDE, DESPITE ADVANCES IN MEDICAL AND PROCEDURAL THERAPIES. CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD) IS AN IMPORTANT SUBSET OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE THAT REQUIRES TIMELY, ACCURATE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSIS. PATIENTS CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO LOW, INTERMEDIATE, AND HIGH PRE-TEST PROBABILITY OF ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE. CORONARY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY (CCTA) IS CAN BE USED IN INTERMEDIATE-RISK PATIENTS TO EVALUATE FOR CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE OF CORONARY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHEST PAIN.