CORRELATION BETWEEN EXERCISE TESTING AND SELECTIVE CORONARY ARTERIOGRAPHY - APPLICATION OF BAYES THEOREM

For two years, 116 patients with suspected coronary heart disease (CHD ) but no evidence of myocardial infarction underwent computerized exer cise-testing and selective coronary arteriography. Characteristics of the study population are described. The prevalence of CHD in this popu lation (75%) is compared with that found in another study (Diamond and Forrester). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive val ue of the exercise test were 72%, 40%, and 54%, respectively. The disc ussion focuses on a priori prevalence, on a posteriori prevalence eval uated using Bayes' theorem, and on sensitivity and specificity of exer cise testing.