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. 1977 Mar;126(3):173–178.

Graded Treadmill Stress Testing

Patterns of Physician Use and Abuse

Joseph A Abbott 1, Mary Ann Tedeschi 1, Melvin D Cheitlin 1
PMCID: PMC1237498  PMID: 613535

Abstract

Treadmill stress testing is used in assessing the condition of patients with known or suspected heart disease. We did a prospective study to clarify physician ordering and integration of the test. Ordering criteria were always complied with, although most tests were ordered for evaluation of atypical chest pain and only a few for high risk patients with known cardiac dysfunction, indicating a misplaced emphasis on the diagnostic capabilities of the test. Tests in patients with atypical chest pain and stress-induced ischemic changes were always integrated, but in 30 percent of patients with atypical pain and no stress-induced electrocardiographic changes, the tests were not used in patient management. This was often due to the misconception that negative findings on a stress test excluded coronary disease. Physicians should be alerted to this misplaced emphasis and misconception.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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