ACR and ACC publish new cardiovascular imaging recommendations for diagnosing chest pain in ED

The American College of Radiology (ACR), the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and twelve other professional societies, have prepared new recommendations for the use of cardiovascular imaging with respect to diagnosing patients presenting with chest pain to hospital emergency departments.

The recommendations, published online January 12, 2016 in both the Journal of the American College of Radiology and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, address 20 fundamental clinical scenarios. The document addresses 20 fundamental clinical scenarios for emergency imaging. The clinical scenarios are segmented into leading critical diagnoses: acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary embolism, and acute aortic syndrome.

“This document captures a wide scope of those patients who come to the emergency department with chest pain, although there will always be patients who present unique situations,” said Frank J. Rybicki, MD, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Radiology at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Rybicki, who also is head of medical imaging at The Ottawa Hospital, co-chaired the joint societies’ Emergency Department Patients with Chest Pain Writing Panel.

REFERENCE

1. Rybicki FJ, Udelson JE, Peacock WF, et al. 2015 ACR/ACC/AHA/AATS/ACEP/ANSC/NASCI/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR/SCPC/SNMMI/STR/STS Appropriate Utilization of Cardiovascular Imaging in Emergency Department Patients with Chest Pain: A Joint Document of the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria Committee and the American College of Cardiology Appropriate Use Criteria Task Force. J Am Coll Radiol. Published online January 12, 2016.