Decades of clinical research have consolidated the evidence that managing high risk acute coronary syndromes with an early invasive strategy — coronary angiography coupled with coronary revascularisation when appropriate — reduces cardiac mortality and the risk of recurrent myocardial infarction.1 Clinical trial evidence also supports coronary anatomic investigation of chest pain that suggests coronary artery disease (CAD), averting future myocardial infarction by facilitating initiation of preventive therapies.2 These insights provide the clinical rationale for coronary angiography.
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- 1. Collet JP, Thiele H, Barbato E, et al; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2020 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST‐segment elevation. Eur Heart J 2021; 42: 1289‐1367.
- 2. Gulati M, Levy PD, Mukherjee D, et al. 2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of chest pain: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol 2021; 78: e187‐e285.
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- 9. Tideman PA, Tirimacco R, Senior DP, et al. Impact of a regionalised clinical cardiac support network on mortality among rural patients with myocardial infarction. Med J Aust 2014; 200: 157‐160. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2014/200/3/impact‐regionalised‐clinical‐cardiac‐support‐network‐mortality‐among‐rural
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