The Internet Medical Journal ISSN 1093-7935

Repeat Gated SPECT Estimations of LVEF Have Small Variability $BlogItemSubject"; $newslink[$countera]="http://www.medjournal.com/blog/archives/2002_09_01_nucmedarchive.php#85509981"; ?>
This study of 43 patients (21 healthy volunteers and 22 volunteers with documented CAD) looked at the variation between SPECT estimations of the LVEF performed on the same day. The overall correlation between sequential images was high (r=0.94). High count images had a variability around 3.5% for both the normal and CAD volunteers. Low count images for normal volunteers also had a variability around 3%, but for those patients with CAD the variability of the SPECT estimated LVEF was higher (approx 9.5%). Comment: since the LVEF generally is calculated using the post-stress, high count images, this means that the precision of SPECT estimated LVEF is excellent. However, in cases where small changes in LVEF is critical (e.g. heart transplant recipients) the MUGA exam is necessary. [ J Nucl Cardiol July/August 2002 • Volume 9 • Number 4 ] posted at 10:06 PM by Tom Heston, MD

Clinical Nuclear Cardiology; Preventive Cardiology $BlogItemSubject"; $newslink[$countera]="http://www.medjournal.com/blog/archives/2002_09_01_nucmedarchive.php#85432073"; ?>
This review focuses primarily on the role of electron beam computed tomography, concluding that MPI and ECBT are complementary. Comment: the primary shortfall of ECBT at this time according to the author is a lack of long-term data such as is present for the nuclear scan. [ ASNC Newsletter 9(4):6-7. Aug 2002 ] posted at 7:36 PM by Tom Heston, MD