CT Scans May Aid Chest Pain Treatment

A computed tomography (CT) scan can help diagnose the cause of chest pain faster than standard tests, a new study suggests. The study included 749 people who came to emergency rooms with chest pain. They were given standard tests, including an electrocardiogram and blood tests. But these tests did not show clear signs of a heart attack. Half of the people also were given CT scans. The others were observed in the emergency room and got repeat tests a few hours later. This was followed by an exercise stress test. Stress tests and CT scans both are used to detect artery blockages that can lead to a heart attack. Finding out who had impending heart attacks took an average of three hours using CT scans. It took an average of six hours for the other group. The Associated Press wrote about the study. It was released November 18 at a conference.