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.