May/June 2009 | Cardiovascular Business

Cool Reception for Hypothermia Therapy in SCA Patients

Despite considerable progress in treating patients who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, survival andespeciallyneurologic outcomes remain relatively poor. Two areas in which more progress can be made are improved resuscitative measures, including the use of an automatic support pump, and better ventilation control. A third area that is slowly gaining traction is hypothermia therapy, according to Timothy D. Henry, an interventional cardiologist and director of research at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minnesota.

Momentum Builds for Lower Extremity Stenting

Newer iterations of stents have contributed to better outcomes in the iliac and superficial femoral arteries, prompting cardiologists to take notice.

SPECT/CT Roundtable: Experts Speak Out about Quality, Efficiency and Technology

Cardiovascular Business invited four luminaries in the field of nuclear cardiology to discuss SPECT and SPECT/CT, including advanced technology, utilization in hospital- and office-based settings and reimbursement challenges.

Office-based Nuclear Cardiology: Can It Still Be Profitable?

Increasing overhead, decreasing reimbursement, fierce competition and practice buy-outs...all are conspiring against the nuclear cardiologist.

Debate Still Open on Vascular Closure Devices

Vascular closure devices after PCI are experiencing an increase in utilization and vendors often speak to their benefits. Yet, complication rates vary widely, with seemingly little intention to explore the root of the problem, particularly in randomized controlled trials.

Economic Tourniquet Escapes EP, Tightens Elsewhere

Cardiovascular care, like other areas of medicine, is feeling the pinch of the economic tourniquet applied to stop the hemorrhaging of dollars and the potential closure of life-saving services. Interestingly, the pulse of electrophysiology is anything but flatlined, and vendors and CFOs are all a-flutter at the staggering growth of EPestimated to be between 12 and 15 percent annually.

Can Savvy Practice Management Snare Stimulus Dollars?

While the time is right for practices to seize the opportunity to get federal money for health IT, many details that will affect incentive payments are still being fine-tuned.

Innovations in Electrophysiology

Electrophysiology (EP), as a subspecialty, is coming into its own. Electrophysiologists have access to more capital than in the past, and with a 10 to 15 percent annual market growth, it is one of the fastest growing sectors within cardiology. Vendors have taken notice and are focusing on technology and designs that cater specifically to EP docs.

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