Sunday, March 14, 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Medical imaging radiation exposure, echo contrast agents and medico-legal issues will all be covered in this integrated imaging spotlight.

Radiation exposure has been in the news recently, as accounts of overexposure from CT cardiovascular imaging have surfaced. This integrated imaging spotlight will examine the radiation implications associated with SPECT, PET and CT angiography. Each modality has its associated radiation exposure and cardiologists and technologists must know how best to minimize exposure to patients, as well as to themselves.

Cardiologists also will learn about the risk of stress imaging with SPECT and PET. As reimbursements for SPECT imaging get slashed, it’s very important for nuclear cardiologists to ensure the first exam is as safe and accurate as possible. Conversely, there’s been a move, albeit, slow, to substitute SPECT with PET imaging. The switch is not without its risks and cardiologists will hear about those risks in this session.

Echo stress contrast agents have undergone several black box warnings from the FDA in the past few years. It would behoove cardiologists to review the risks associated with echo contrast agents (and echo stress agents) in this session.

While MRI has no associated radiation risk, it does carry its own set of safety concerns, which also will be explored. And finally, participants will learn about medico-legal implications of imaging tests—for the patient and physician.

Location: Room B207

Speaker Information:
Andrew Jeffrey Einstein, MD, New York City
J. Jeffrey Carr, MD, Winston-Salem, N.C .
Melda S. Dolan, MD, St Louis
Sanjay K. Prasad, MD, London
Michael McMains, JD, Indianapolis