Implementation of stress-only imaging: What will it take?

Excerpt

There is increasing national emphasis from health care policy makers and governmental organizations to reduce radiation exposure, streamline patient evaluations, and reduce costs as related to stress myocardial perfusion single photon tomographic (SPECT) imaging. One simple approach for achieving these goals, even without investing in new high-efficiency gamma camera technology and sophisticated software programs, is to change from a traditional rest-stress technetium (Tc)-99m imaging protocol to that of a stress-first imaging sequence. Using a stress-rest protocol, stress-only imaging can be performed with avoidance of the rest study if the stress study is normal. Recent data indicate that most patients evaluated for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) will ultimately have a normal SPECT and would be potential candidates for stress-only imaging.1 …