Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2025
Interventional Diagnostic Procedure: A Practical Guide for the Assessment of Coronary Vascular Function
Published on: March 15, 2022
Canadian Association of Radiologists Cardiovascular Imaging Referral Guideline
Candyce Hamel1, Barb Avard2, Neil Isaac3
1Canadian Association of Radiologists, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Insights
The Canadian Association of Radiologists developed 125 cardiovascular imaging referral recommendations across 30 clinical scenarios. This guideline aids clinicians in appropriate cardiovascular diagnostic imaging selection.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiology
- Cardiology
- Guideline Development
Background:
- Appropriate cardiovascular diagnostic imaging is crucial for patient care.
- Existing referral guidelines vary in scope and methodology.
- The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) identified a need for standardized recommendations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop evidence-based referral recommendations for cardiovascular diagnostic imaging scenarios.
- To provide guidance for appropriate use of imaging in cardiovascular conditions.
- To synthesize recommendations from existing guidelines.
Main Methods:
- A rapid scoping review of existing referral guidelines was conducted.
- A multidisciplinary expert panel, including a patient advisor, was convened.
- Recommendations were developed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) framework.
- 125 recommendation statements were generated across 30 clinical/diagnostic scenarios.
Main Results:
- The guideline covers 27 unique cardiovascular diagnostic scenarios.
- Recommendations address acute and chronic chest pain, screening, risk stratification, pericardial syndromes, cardiac masses, valvular disease, cardiomyopathy, aorta, and venous/peripheral vascular disease.
- The CAR Cardiovascular Expert Panel synthesized information from 48 existing guidelines.
Conclusions:
- This guideline provides standardized referral recommendations for cardiovascular diagnostic imaging.
- The recommendations aim to improve the appropriate use of imaging in clinical practice.
- The guideline serves as a valuable resource for radiologists, cardiologists, and emergency physicians.
Abstract:
The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Cardiovascular Expert Panel is made up of physicians from the disciplines of radiology, cardiology, and emergency medicine, a patient advisor, and an epidemiologist/guideline methodologist. After developing a list of 30 clinical/diagnostic scenarios, a rapid scoping review was undertaken to identify systematically produced referral guidelines that provide recommendations for one or more of these clinical/diagnostic scenarios. Recommendations from 48 guidelines and contextualization criteria in the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) for guidelines framework were used to develop 125 recommendation statements across the 30 scenarios (27 unique scenarios as 2 scenarios point to the CAR Thoracic Diagnostic Imaging Referral Guideline and the acute pericarditis subscenario is included under 2 main scenarios). This guideline presents the methods of development and the referral recommendations for acute chest pain syndromes, chronic chest pain, cardiovascular screening and risk stratification, pericardial syndromes, intracardiac/pericardial mass, suspected valvular disease cardiomyopathy, aorta, venous thrombosis, and peripheral vascular disease.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:17Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System I:Echocardiography
Indications: Echocardiography is utilized to diagnose heart failure, valve disorders, and myocardial infarction. It also assesses cardiac structures' size, shape, and motion,...
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
01:30Radiological Investigation II: MRI and Ventilation Perfusion Scan
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Ventilation Perfusion Scans are two radiological investigations that offer detailed diagnostic images of the body, particularly lung structures.
MRI
MRI uses magnetic fields and radiofrequency signals to distinguish between normal and abnormal tissues. This technology provides a more detailed diagnostic image than CT scans, enabling it to characterize pulmonary nodules, stage bronchogenic carcinoma, and evaluate inflammatory activity in...
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...