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Analysis of heart rate and heart rate variation during cardiac CT examinations

Jie Zhang1, Joel G Fletcher, W Scott Harmsen

  • 1Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55455, USA.

Academic Radiology
|December 15, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac CT scans lower heart rate during breath-holds, but heart rate variability remains stable. This finding is crucial for optimizing cardiac computed tomography (CT) imaging quality and patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Imaging
  • Radiology
  • Medical Physics

Background:

  • Cardiac computed tomography (CT) requires precise imaging.
  • Heart rate and its variability can impact image quality.
  • Optimizing physiological parameters during CT is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effect of breath-holding during cardiac CT on heart rate and heart rate variability.
  • To compare physiological parameters during different phases of cardiac CT acquisition.

Main Methods:

  • Ninety patients underwent coronary CT angiography (CTA) and/or coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning.
  • Heart rate and heart rate variability were measured during baseline (free breathing), hyperventilation, and breath-hold scan acquisition.
  • Patients received beta-blockers or nitroglycerin as needed.

Main Results:

  • Mean heart rate was significantly lower during scan acquisition (58-59 bpm) compared to baseline (63 bpm) (P < .001).
  • Heart rate variability, measured as percentage of beats outside +/-5 bpm, showed no significant difference between baseline and scan acquisition (3.5% vs 3.3%, P = .87).
  • Contrast injection did not significantly affect heart rate or variability.

Conclusions:

  • Breath-holding during cardiac CT acquisition effectively reduces mean heart rate.
  • Heart rate variability remains comparable or is reduced during breath-holding compared to normal breathing.
  • These findings suggest breath-holding is beneficial for cardiac CT without compromising heart rate stability.
Abstract

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