1) This study investigated whether using 64-slice MDCT as part of the initial diagnostic strategy for patients presenting with acute chest pain could reduce emergency department and hospital length of stay, admissions, and 30-day major adverse cardiac events. 2) 267 patients were randomized to either a conventional diagnostic strategy or a MDCT-based strategy. The MDCT-based strategy reduced unnecessary admissions in patients at intermediate risk and decreased hospital length of stay overall and in high-risk patients specifically. 3) Emergency department length of stay was not different between the strategies. No patients in the MDCT group experienced events at the one-month follow-up.