Nuclear Cardiology: Nuclear Cardiology:

280 Nuclear Cardiology, The BasicsDisposition after stress testing in a CPC:Normal: • Discharge homeAbnormal : • Hospitalization,If only mildly abnormal consider:• Discharge home with arrangements for follow-up asout-patientTimely InterpretationSince the CPC is a 24/7 operation, rest imaging results and the resultsof stress tests must be communicated as soon as possible to the attendingED physicians. The nuclear cardiology attending serves as a consultantto the ED attending. Tele-nuclear cardiology (see Chapter 16) allows forremote reading of ECGs and nuclear images and is essential for theefficient operation of a CPC.SELECTED BIBILIOGRAPHY1. Wackers FJTh, Brown KA, Heller GV, et al. (2002). American Society of NuclearCardiology position statement on radionuclide imaging in patients with suspectedacute ischemic syndromes in the emergency department or chest pain center. J NuclCardiol 9:246–250.2. Heller GV, Stowers SA, Hendel RC, et al. (1998). Clinical value of acute resttechnetium-99m-tetrofosmin tomographic myocardial perfusion imaging in patientswith acute chest pain and nondiagnostic electrocardiograms. J Am Coll Cardiol31:1011–1017.3. Udelson JE, Behansky JR, Ballin DS, et al. (2002). Myocardial perfusion imagingfor evaluation and triage of patients with suspected acute cardiac ischemia. JAMA288:2693–2700.4. Abbott BG, Abdel-Aziz I, Nagula S, Monico EP, Schriver JA, Wackers FJTh (2001).Selective use of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in a chest pain center. Am JCardiol 87:1351–1355.