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Implications of probability analysis on the strategy used for noninvasive detection of coronary artery disease

Journal Article · · Am. J. Cardiol.; (United States)

The implications of a pretest analysis of disease probability to noninvasive screening studies involving electrocardiographic exercise testing, radionuclide cineangiography and thallium perfusion scanning for the detection of coronary artery disease are reviewed. The consequences of Bayes' theorem, which states that a less than perfect test cannot be adequately interpreted without reference to the prevalence of the disease in the population under study, for exercise testing of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients are examined. Means for the determination of pretest probabilities of coronary artery disease in individual subjects, the likelihood of noninvasive screening studies resulting in useful information and the advisability of combinations of noninvasive studies to define more accurately the likelihood of coronary artery disease are then presented.

Research Organization:
National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
OSTI ID:
5680474
Journal Information:
Am. J. Cardiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Cardiol.; (United States) Vol. 46; ISSN AJCDA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English