OBJECTIVE. Nearly 8 million patients present annually to emergency departments (EDs) in the United States with acute chest pain. Identifying those with a sufficiently low risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains challenging. Early imaging is important for risk stratification of these individuals. The objective of this article is to discuss the role of cardiac CT angiography (CTA) as a safe, efficient, and cost-effective tool in this setting and review state-of-the-art technology, protocols, advantages, and limitations from the perspective of our institution's 10-year experience. CONCLUSION. Early utilization of cardiac CTA in patients presenting to the ED with chest pain and a low to intermediate risk of ACS quickly identifies a group of particularly low-risk patients (< 1% risk of adverse events within 30 days) and allows safe and expedited discharge. By preventing unnecessary admissions and prolonged lengths of stay, a strategy based on early cardiac CTA has been shown to be efficient, although potential overutilization and other issues require long-term study.
Keywords: acute coronary syndrome; angiography; cardiac CT; cardiac CT angiography protocols; chest pain; emergency department.