Chest Pain Fast Track

Chest pain is one of the most common symptoms evaluated in the emergency department in the US. Diagnosis and management can be extremely resource-intensive. Patients often get multiple sets of cardiac enzymes, are admitted to the cardiac care unit and are ultimately discharged 24 hours later, most without a cardiac diagnosis.

RAF pioneered a protocol that reduced the hospital length of stay for many of these patients. Patients who meet pre-defined criteria get an immediate CT scan of the coronary arteries in the emergency department. The negative predictive value of coronary CT is extremely high, allowing approximately 80% of these chest pain patients to be safely discharged from the emergency department within a few hours.

Radiology Associates

This has led to increased efficiency, decreased length of stay and reduced patient anxiety.

Innovation in the ED

While utilization of coronary CT is not unusual, our implementation of the procedure in the emergency department is. Not only do we know how to maximize the potential of imaging equipment, but we also work closely with other clinicians and hospital administrators to train technologists and create clinical pathways to perform these procedures in a timely manner. Radiologists who are fellowship trained in cardiac imaging are available to interpret these studies every day.

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BOARD CERTIFIED RADIOLOGISTS
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HEALTH SYSTEM PARTNERS
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OUTPATIENT IMAGING FACILITIES
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TELERADIOLOGY SITES
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EXAMS INTERPRETED ANNUALLY