News: ASNC “could not endorse” chest pain guideline

Following the release of a guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of chest pain, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) sent a letter to its members saying that it “could not endorse” the guideline.

The guideline, developed by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, in coordination with five other cardiovascular and heart related associations, represents the first guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with acute or stable chest pain. The guideline includes sections on physical examination, diagnostic testing, and evaluation.

Shortly after the release of the guideline, however, the ASNC said it could not endorse the new guidance because “the majority of board members were of the opinion that important parts of the document do not support the principle of patient first imaging and they did not support the strong endorsement for FFR-CT [noninvasive fractional flow reserve derived from coronary CT angiography],” according to Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology (DAIC).

In the newsletter to members, the ASNC said they “believe that the document fails to provide unbiased guidance to healthcare professionals on the optimal evaluation of patients with chest pain.” The ASNC was actively engaged at every stage of the writing and review process for the guideline. The guideline notes at least three ASNC members as peer reviewers and on the writing committee. However, the ASNC does not appear on the list of endorsing societies.

Editor’s list: The new guideline can be found here. Information on ASNC’s lack of endorsement can be found here.