Experience of the Institute of Cardiology in the assessment of patients with acute chest pain by Nuclear Cardiology techniques

Abstract

The World Health Organization acknowledges that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in adults worldwide, and one third of all causes of death. Chest pain accounts for 6% of all visits to emergency departments. Proper diagnosis of those cases with normal or nondiagnostic electrocardiogram is therefore essential, allowing adequate risk stratification and appropriate treatment. The usefulness of different imaging techniques to study these patients in the acute setting is assessed, with emphasis on Nuclear Cardiology techniques. The experience of the Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery in Havana, Cuba, with regard to the use of these techniques in patients with acute chest pain, is reported.