ECG-gated MDCT appears to be logistically feasible and shows promise as a comprehensive method for evaluating cardiac and noncardiac chest pain in stable emergency department patients. Further hardware and software improvements will be necessary for adoption of this paradigm in clinical practice.

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The development of newer generations of multidetector computed tomographic (CT) scanners capable of enabling accurate assessment of the coronary arteries in conjunction with the increasing placement of CT scanners near the emergency department has raised interest in using CT to provide a comprehensive imaging evaluation of patients presenting with acute chest pain. In this article, the authors review the challenges surrounding the current clinical and imaging work-up of chest pain in the emergency room and provide a framework for understanding the potential role of CT.

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Heart failure is a clinical syndrome that results from the impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood and affects millions of people worldwide. Diagnosis may not be straightforward and at times may be difficult in an undifferentiated patient. However, rapid evaluation and diagnosis is important for the optimal management of acute heart failure. We review the many aspects of diagnosing and treating acute heart failure in the emergency department.

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