Sound enhances Dx accuracy
Sound enhances Dx accuracy
If Doppler ultrasound tests were performed beforehand to see if arterial blockage were serious enough to warrant surgery, many angioplasties could be avoided. Yet nearly two-thirds are performed without, relying on angiography, which produces two-dimensional images that don't reliably predict the slowing of blood flow and dependably foreshadow stenosis and ischemia. A recent study compared Doppler with angiography for angioplasty.1 Investigators concluded that the ultrasound accurately predicts exercise-induced ischemia, and angiography does not. Doppler, say the investigators, is widely available, cost-effective, and safe.
Reference
1. Heller LI, Cates C, Popma J, et al. Intracoronary Doppler assessment of moderate coronary artery disease. Circulation 1997; 96:484-490.
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