Coronary CT Angiography in the Emergency Department: Current Status

Acute chest pain (ACP) represents a clinical as well as economic challenge, often resulting in time-consuming, expensive evaluations to avoid missed diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes (ACSs). Coronary CT angiography (CTA) is an attractive noninvasive technique for use in the emergency department (ED) due to its high accuracy and negative predictive value. Recent studies have demonstrated that coronary CTA can aid in safe, rapid, and cost-efficient triage of these patients. Additional applications of plaque characterization, fractional flow analysis, and CT perfusion imaging hold promise in providing incremental data in patients with suspected ACS. In this review, we examine the data for the use of coronary CTA in acute chest pain, novel applications of the technology, and best practice for its use in the ED.