What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 1,392 patients with coronary artery disease. The study was sponsored by American College of Radiology and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
Researchers followed patients through treatment and into recovery, tracking the outcomes that mattered most for the disease being studied.
What the results showed
50% of chest pain patients went home the same day with a CT scan, versus 23% with standard care.
The New England journal of medicine · 2012 · NCT00933400
These findings — that cT scan let doctors discharge twice as many chest pain patients safely — were published in the The New England journal of medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 1,392 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with coronary artery disease, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
If you go to the ER with chest pain but doctors think your risk is low to moderate, this type of CT scan can quickly show whether your arteries are clear. If they are, you can go home safely instead of being admitted overnight. This scan is now widely available at major hospitals and is often used for chest pain evaluation.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open coronary artery disease trials
Impact of Procedural Factors on Drug-Coated Balloon Outcomes in Coronary Artery Disease
This registry aimed to investigate drug-coated balloon procedural factors (particularly delivery time and inflation duration) to evaluate the impact on angiographic and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for de novo coronary lesions.
Brazilian Prospective Registry of the Inspiron EVO Drug-Eluting Stent in Complex Coronary Lesions
The objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Inspiron™ EVO drug-eluting stent in complex coronary lesions in a real-world population. Patients with symptomatic ischemic heart disease due to lesions in native coronary arteries and restenotic lesions will be treated with the Inspiron™ EVO drug-eluting stent.