Objectives To determine the usefulness of coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) in patients with acute chest pain. Background Triage of chest pain patients in the emergency department (ED) remains challenging. Methods Observational cohort study in chest pain patients with normal initial troponin and non-ischemic electrocardiogram. 64-slice coronary CTA was performed prior to admission to detect coronary plaque and stenosis (>50% luminal narrowing). Results were not disclosed. Endpoints were acute coronary syndrome (ACS) during index hospitalization and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during 6- month follow-up. Results Among 368 patients (mean age 53±12 years, 61% male) 31 had ACS (8%). By coronary CTA, 50% of these patients were free of CAD, 31% had nonobstructive disease, and 19% had inconclusive or positive CT for significant stenosis. Sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) for ACS were 100% (n=183/368; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 98 to 100%) and 100% (95%-CI: 0.89–1.00) with the absence of CAD; and 77% (95% CI: 59–90%) and 98% (n=300/368, 95%-CI: 95–99%) with significant stenosis by coronary CTA. Specificity of presence of plaque and stenosis for ACS were 54% (95%-CI: 0.49–0.60) and 87% (95%-CI: 0.83–0.90); respectively. Only one ACS occurred in the absence of calcified plaque. Both, the extent of coronary plaque and presence of stenosis predicted ACS independently and incrementally to TIMI risk score (AUC: 0.88, 0.82 vs. 0.63; respectively, all p<0.0001). Conclusion Fifty percent of patients with acute chest pain and low to intermediate likelihood of ACS are free of CAD by CT and have no ACS. Given the large number of such patients early coronary CTA may significantly improve patient management in the emergency department.

Despite the recent publicity about ethical problems in relationships between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry, inexperienced and experienced physicians at a single institution continue to have a rather permissive view about a variety of marketing activities.

This study examines longitudinal mental health service use patterns of a school-based sample of adolescents. Based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores, a stratified sample of middle-school students was interviewed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children: cycle one (n = 579; mean age 12.83) and cycle two (n = 490; mean age 18.65). Service use also was assessed by mailed questionnaire: cycle three (n = 330; mean age 20.60). Service use decreased over time. Whites and males received significantly more treatment in the first cycle. In the second cycle, service use by race and gender was equal; in the third cycle, females received more treatment. Those with a psychiatric diagnosis (first cycle, 54%; second cycle, 33%) received treatment in the prior year. Under-treatment of youth with psychiatric diagnoses is a significant problem, with differences in service use by race and gender over time.

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