Morbidity and use of medical resources in patients with chest pain and normal or near-normal coronary arteries

To evaluate morbidity and use of medical resources in patients with chest pain and normal or near-normal coronary angiograms: 2,639 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiograms due to chest pain were registered. Two years thereafter all patients who showed normal or near-normal coronary angiograms were approached with a questionnaire regarding hospitalization during the last 4 years (2 years before and 2 years after angiography). All medical files were also examined. Of the patients who underwent angiography, 163 (6%) had no significant stenoses, and of these, 113 showed complete normal angiograms and 50 showed mild (i.e. <50%) stenoses. During the 2 years before diagnostic angiogram, 66% of the patients were hospitalized compared with only 35% during 2 years after angiography (p < 0.001). The reduction in hospitalization was due to curtailed utilization of medical resources for cardiac reasons; mean days in hospital was 6.6 days before angiography versus 2.8 days after (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in hospitalization when comparing patients with mild stenoses and completely normal angiograms. There were, furthermore, no differences between patients with positive or negative exercise tests. Thus, the need for hospitalization is significantly reduced after a diagnostic angiogram reveals normal dr near-normal coronary arteries. (C) 1997 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.