Provocative ergonovine testing in patients without obstructive coronary disease

Abstract

Ergonovine administration during coronary angiography is frequently used to rule out coronary spasm as a cause of chest pain. We performed this study to determine which electrocardiographic variables (other than ST segment elevation with pain) and which chest pain characteristics might be predictive of ergonovine test outcome in patients without obstructive coronary disease. Thirty-one patients had an electrocardiogram recorded during chest pain. Three of four patients (75%) who had an ischemic electrocardiogram with pain had a positive ergonovine test while only 1 of 27 (4%) patients who had a nonischemic electrocardiogram during chest pain had a positive ergonovine test (p less than 0.001) Pain that occurred predominantly at rest was present in five of five patients with positive ergonovine tests but pain occurring predominantly at rest was also present in 76% of patients with negative ergonovine tests (85%). Prompt relief of pain with nitroglycerine was also present in all patients with a positive ergonovine test but was also seen in 58% of patients with a negative test (NS). Association of chest pain with nausea, vomiting, diaphoresis, or radiation to left arm, jaw or neck were similarly poor predictors of ergonovine test outcome. We conclude that ergonovine testing in patients without obstructive coronary disease is of low yield if an electrocardiogram recorded during pain does not show evidence of ischemia. Historical features of the chest pain are not good predictors of test outcome.