CCTA – At the Heart of CAD Diagnosis-Video - CCTA: At the Heart of CAD Diagnosis

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Kelly Branch discusses the use of cardiac CTA (computed tomography angiography) in diagnosing coronary artery disease, emphasizing its critical role in evaluating stable chest pain. She presents a 64-year-old female patient with chest discomfort and additional symptoms like dyspnea and diaphoresis, highlighting the challenge of assessing pretest probability for coronary artery disease. Current guidelines recommend risk stratification into low, intermediate, and high risk, with cardiac CTA favored for intermediate to high-risk patients due to its high sensitivity and ability to visualize coronary anatomy and plaque. Cardiac CTA offers rapid, high-resolution imaging with relatively low radiation and contrast use. Proper heart rate control and nitroglycerin administration improve imaging quality. Contraindications include known obstructive disease, significant calcifications, irregular heart rate, and renal insufficiency. Dr. Branch underscores following guidelines, clinical judgment, and recognizing symptom patterns, especially in women, to prevent missed diagnoses and optimize patient care.

Keywords

cardiac CTA

coronary artery disease

chest pain diagnosis

pretest probability assessment

cardiology guidelines

chest pain evaluation

risk stratification

diagnostic imaging