CAC measurements on nongated chest CT improve surgery risk assessment

Estimating the prevalence and severity of coronary artery calcium (CAC) using data gleaned from nongated chest CT imaging improves risk assessment of postsurgical major clinical events before a patient undergoes noncardiac surgery, according to research published in the October 10 issue of Circulation.The study results could improve patients' surgical outcomes, wrote a team led by Daniel Choi, MD, of New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. "[Our study found that] prevalence and severity of coronary calcium from preexisting, preoperative, nongated chest CT imaging were associated with stepwise increases in perioperative major clinical events after major, noncardiac surgery," the group noted. "Because many patients have had recent nongated CT chest imaging before the time of preoperative risk assessment, this measure of coronary calcium may enhance clinical risk stratification before noncardiac surgery."It's crucial to assess patients' preoperative cardiovascular risk before they undergo noncardiac surgery, but doing so can be challenging, Choi and colleagues explained. CAC scores from ECG-gated chest CT exams have been shown to help clinicians predict risk of major perioperative events (i.e., cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest), according to the authors, but at perioperative evaluation, patients expected to undergo noncardiac surgery may only have had nongated chest CT studies.Choi's group investigated any relationship...

Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - October 13, 2023 Category: Radiology Authors: Kate Madden Yee Tags: Clinical News CT Source Type: news