Coronary CT Angiography: To Order or Not to Order?

Does the patient with few cardiovascular risk factors who displays little, if any, sign of heart trouble warrant a coronary CT scan? For patients who may not be best suited for a CT scan, is the coronary calcium measurement a reasonable risk-assessment alternative? Dr. Mark Hlatky, professor of medicine and professor of health research and policy at Stanford University School of Medicine, explores a range of issues related to coronary CT angiography: how the rationale for ordering can change in the emergent setting versus the clinical scenario, its merits as a ‘triple rule-out' test, and the frequency with which patients undergoing a CT scan subsequently undergo angioplasty, bypass surgery, or another coronary procedure. Dr. Janet Wright hosts.