Exercise testing and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in primary care patients with chest pain of new onset

Abstract

Objective. To analyse the outcome of exercise testing and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in primary care patients with chest pain of new onset. Design. Prospective, observational. Patients aged 20–79 years, consulting due to chest pain of new onset, were enrolled consecutively. Setting. Three primary care health centres in south-eastern Sweden. Patients. 191 patients where the possibility of stable ischaemic heart disease (IHD) could not be excluded by clinical examination alone. Main outcome measures. Exercise test results, when equivocal completed by MPS. Results. Exercise testing revealed IHD in 14 (7%) and no IHD in 134 (70%) of the cases. In 43 (23%) the exercise test results were equivocal. Thirty-nine of these patients underwent MPS, which showed IHD in 19 and no IHD in 20 cases. Among previously diagnosed cardiovascular disease and risk factors only atrial fibrillation in the male group showed a significant correlation to the outcome IHD. Conclusion. Exercise testing and MPS are both useful when investigating chest pain patients in primary care.

• Chest pain
• exercise test
• family practice
• myocardial ischaemia
• myocardial perfusion imaging
• primary healthcare
• risk factors