Reliability and accuracy of exercise tolerance test in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease

Abstract EN

Objectives Estimation of the reliability and accuracy rate of exercise tolerance test in the diagnosis of coronary heart diseases.

Setting Ibn Al Betar Hospital / Baghdad / Iraq.

Methodology The study enrolled 53 patients (36 males and 17 females) from those referred to Ibn Al Betar Hospital with a provisional diagnosis of coronary heart disease during the period May / June 2005.

All patients were subjected to the exercise tolerance test.

The results were analyzed with reference to the results of subsequent coronary angiography in order to estimate the reliability and accuracy rate of the test.

Results The results revealed moderate test reliability (Kappa value = 0.47) with an accuracy rate of (62.2%).

It was less accurate in females but this gender difference did not achieve statistical significance (p value > 0.05).

Conclusions The moderate test reliability needs more extensive investigation to delineate the various sources of variability, whereas improving its awkward accuracy rate mandates the expanded use of other supportive tests such as nuclear imaging and 2D echocardiography.