Role of Multidetector Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis and Management of Patients Attending a Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic

Rapid access chest pain clinics have facilitated the early diagnosis and treatment of patients with coronary heart disease and angina. Despite this important service provision, coronary heart disease continues to be under-diagnosed and many patients are left untreated and at risk. Recent advances in imaging technology have now led to the widespread use of non-invasive computed tomography both to measure coronary artery calcium scores and undertake coronary angiography. However, this technology has not been robustly evaluated in any systematic approach. Using state-of-the-art multidetector computed tomography scanners, we propose to undertake a major multicentre randomized controlled trial to assess the added value of computed tomography imaging in over 4000 patients attending rapid access chest pain clinics across Scotland. This will define the most appropriate use of this emerging technology in the setting of diagnosing and treating patients with coronary heart disease and angina pectoris. This study will also lay the foundation for future studies to look at the potential prognostic value of this technology.