Role of echocardiography in acute chest pain syndrome

摘要: Fewer than one third of patients presenting to the emergency department with complaints chest pain have an acute coronary syndrome. The electrocardiogram provides a specific diagnosis only in 40% myocardial infarction. presence regional wall-motion abnormalities at echocardiography without known artery disease is moderate indicator increased likelihood ischemia or infarction positive predictive accuracy about 50%. More important, absence identifies subset unlikely negative 95%. Echocardiography can provide incremental prognostic information identify risk early late cardiac events, even after consideration clinical, historical, and electrocardiographic variables. application new contrast agents will probably allow more accurate evaluation uncertain significance.