Utility of the routine left lateral view in gated blood pool studies.

One hundred twenty-four sequential gated blood pool studies were examined by four observers in order to determine the impact on overall interpretation created by the addition of a routine left lateral view to supplement the standard LAO and RAO projections. Of these 124 studies, 114 studies in 87 patients were considered technically adequate. Forty-one of the 114 studies revealed differences in the perception of apex motion in the LAO as compared with the left lateral view. In seven of these 41 cases, the overall diagnostic impression was altered by the left lateral view. A 15-minute increase in technician time at an incremental cost of $3.00 is attributed to the added view. Approximately 6% of overall diagnostic impressions were altered because of this additional routine view.