First-Pass Testimonials

Listen to the Experts

"Radionuclide evaluation of cardiac function by means of ERNA and FPRNA have been shown to be reliable for the detection of relatively small changes in LVEF, which allows the physician to make management decisions (eg, chemotherapy) on the basis of precise values of LVEF."
- Vallejo E et al. Assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction with quantitative gated SPECT: Accuracy and correlation with first-pass radionuclide angiogram. Am J Cardiol 2000;7:461-470.

"The 'delta EF,' or appropriate increase in EF from rest to peak stress, defined as greater than 5 EF units, was very highly sensitive for the presence of significant coronary artery disease, with a high negative predictive value."
- Williams KA. Measurement of ventricular function with scintigraphic techniques: Part 1-Imaging hardware, radiopharmaceutical, and first-pass radionuclide-angiography. Am J Cardiol 2005;12:86-95.

"In clinically risk-adjusted models, RNA-EF was the most powerful predictor of cardiovascular death compared with the DTS (Duke Treadmill Score) and SPECT (x2=40.5, 27.6, and 19.8 respectively)."
- Liao L et al. Prediction of death and nonfatal myocardial infarction in high-risk patients: A comparison between the Duke treadmill score, peak exercise radionuclide angiography, and SPECT perfusion imaging. J Nucl Med. 2005;46:5-11.

"Unlike gated equilibrium blood pool scintigraphy, the temporal distinction of cardiac chambers allows the sequential evaluation of RV and LV EFs, with less chamber overlap than is seen with the planar blood pool method. For this reason, the first-pass RNA technique remains a clinical and scintigraphic standard for RV EF evaluation, which is particularly of use in the evaluation of patients with pulmonary disease."
- Williams KA. Measurement of ventricular function with scintigraphic techniques: Part 1-Imaging hardware, radiopharmaceutical, and first-pass radionuclide-angiography. Am J Cardiol 2005;12:86-95.

"By contrast, LVEF from RNA was nearly insensitive to small amplitudes of patient displacement. This is presumably because the distortions in LV shape, which are induced by patient motion, do not affect the count-based technique of RNA up until it becomes impossible to separate the LV activity from that of adjacent cavities (right ventricle, left atrium)."
- Djaballah W. et al. Gated SPECT assessment of left ventricular function is sensitive to small patient motions and to low rates of triggering error: A comparison with equilibrium radionuclide angiography. J Cardiol 2005;12:78-85.

"First-pass RNA is the only technology that can reproducibly measure ejection fraction and assess regional wall motion during maximum exercise and the only technology that can be used simultaneously with perfusion imaging."
- Port S. Nonperfusion applications in nuclear cardiology: Report of a task force of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. J Cardiol 1998;5:218-31.

"First-pass RNA is more accurate than echocardiography for the measurement of ejection fraction and equally accurate for ejection fraction compared with gated blood pool imaging and probably with MRI."
- Port S. Nonperfusion applications in nuclear cardiology: Report of a task force of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. J Cardiol 1998;5:218-31.

"Clinically, we found the addition of rest/stress RNA to perfusion imaging has increased our diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity for detecting coronary artery disease. We have several examples of patients who have normal perfusion imaging, but had abnormal stress ejection fractions and it turns out that the patient had severe three-vessel coronary artery disease. It is well known that balanced ischemia can give you a false-negative study. We have also found the stress RNA to be useful in reducing our number of false-positive perfusion studies, particularly in women with breast attenuation. Again, we have several examples of patients who have had what appears to be ischemia and areas of attenuation who have had normal stress RNA's. In these situations, we have actually avoided having to send patients in for catheterizations to confirm their normal coronaries."
- Melvin, D. (2005). Comments on 2006 physician fee schedule proposed rule (CMS-150-P). Retrieved November 16, 2005, from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Web site: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/regulations/ecomments/cms1502-601-700%20(P).pdf

"...was very highly sensitive for the presence of significant coronary artery disease..."