ER CT scan could keep heart patients out of hospital
NCT ID NCT07002450
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a special CT scan done in the emergency department can quickly check for blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. If no clot is found, doctors can proceed with a procedure to restore normal heart rhythm (cardioversion) right away. The goal is to see if this approach reduces hospital admissions and repeat ER visits compared to the usual care. About 190 adults with symptomatic atrial fibrillation who need heart imaging before cardioversion will take part.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCT)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could allow more patients with atrial fibrillation to be treated quickly in the emergency department without being admitted to the hospital.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage trial (190 participants) testing a diagnostic strategy, not a treatment. The CT scan involves radiation and contrast dye, which carry their own risks.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 190 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age ≥18 years old; and 2. Primary symptomatic AF without a reversible underlying cause (e.g. sepsis, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, hyperthyroidism) 3. LA imaging required before cardioversion according to local clinical practice guidelines Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with an indication for emergency cardioversion (e.g. hemodynamic instability (systolic blood pressure\<90mmHg or signs of shock), cardiac ischemia (ongoing severe chest pain or marked ST depression on ECG \>2mm), or pulmonary edema (significant dyspnea, crackles, or hypoxia)); or 2. Contraindication to CCT (renal insufficiency (eGFR\< 45ml/min/1.73m2), allergy to intravenous contrast agents, pregnancy (contraindications to radiation exposure), or inability to perform 20-second breath-hold)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites in 2 countries. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
RECRUITINGHershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, United States
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Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
RECRUITINGToronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5, Canada
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The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus
RECRUITINGOttawa, Ontario, K1Y 1J8, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Heart hole or stroke trigger? global registry tracks who gets closure and what happens next
- Can a breathing workout and walks help dialysis patients with irregular heartbeats?
- Zapping the ear: a new way to stop Post-Surgery heart rhythm problems?
- Can a new mapping and ablation system fix recurring atrial fibrillation?
- Can shedding pounds stop atrial fibrillation in its tracks?