ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the usefulness of stress echocardiography in a chest pain department. METHODS: Consecutive patients (n = 487) with nontraumatic chest pain, with no signs of myocardial ischemia on arrival to the emergency department, 6 and 12 hours later, were recruited. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of stress echocardiography in the biased sample were 74% (95% confidence interval [CI] 63-85%) and 65% (95% CI 44-86%). After application of the method of Begg and Greenes to debias the sample, the calculated sensitivity was 24% (95% CI 19-29%) and specificity was 94% (95% CI 91-97%). After application of Diamond's method, sensitivity was 32% (95% CI 21-44%) and specificity (normalcy rate) was 99% (95% CI 88-100%). CONCLUSIONS: Stress echocardiography is an insensitive test when used to detect significant coronary artery stenosis in patients presenting with nontraumatic chest pain with no objective signs of myocardial ischemia.