July/August 2009

Recently, medical professionals and CT system manufacturers have sought ways to reduce radiation exposure from coronary CT angiography (CCTA) exams. Today, it is possible to perform a CCTA study that delivers a lower radiation dose than the commonly used nuclear stress test. However, education and training are integral to establishing uniform coronary CCTA scanning standards and less dose to patients.

Its increasingly clear that improved outcomes after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest depend on having a host of protocols in place, rather than relying on one therapy or benchmark. Heres a look at automated CPR devices in the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest.

Even with experienced technologists and user-friendly software, cardiologists who want to read coronary CT angiography (CCTA) exams still need to understand the basics of CCTA post-processing.

As electrophysiology (EP) lab volumes in the U.S. continue to rise and as new innovations in EP technologies and devices emerge, hospitals of all sizes are faced with similar supply chain issueshaving enough stock on hand, keeping physicians happy and controlling costs.

The FDAs warning on echo contrast agents galvanized physicians and sonographers to fight back. They enjoy a partial victory, but the fight is still on to prove safety and efficacy.

While the buzz surrounding bioabsorbable stents continues to build, there are new evolutions within drug-eluting stent (DES) technology that vendors say will soon (and already may) be available for the shelves of your cath lab

While well-established cardiovascular biomarkers still play a major role in clinical practice, many more biomarkers are vying for clinical attention.

Guidewire technology over the past decade has greatly improved and most companies offer a comprehensive collection of various wires with different properties to help interventional cardiologists reach their vascular target in a timely, accurate and safe manner.

As you know, coronary CT angiography (CCTA) has made great inroads in the care of chest pain patients in the emergency department. As you also know, the tradeoff for a fast CT scan , as opposed to MRI or echo, for example, is greater radiation exposure. There will come a timeand many say the time is nowwhen the tradeoff is negligible.

In 1936, the American Medical Association (AMA) and American College of Physicians (ACP) answered a call for the development of uniform high standards for new physicians by forming the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).

When President Obama signed the economic stimulus package into law this past February, allotting $19 billion to accelerate the nationwide adoption of electronic health records, he welcomed a new era in American healthcare: the age of connectivity.

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