Computed Tomography

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) has become a primary cardiovascular imaging modality in the past 20 years, and was recommended as a 1A recommendation in the 2021 chest pain assessment guidelines. CT calcium scoring has became a primary risk assessment for coronary artery disease and whether patients should be on statins. Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is used to for anatomical assessment of the arteries for plaque burden and to identify areas of blockage that may cause ischemia and heart attacks. Additional use of contrast CT perfusion or fractional flow reserve CT (FFR-CT) can offer physiological information on the function of the heart. CT plays a primary role in structural heart assessments for heart valves, repair of congenital defects and left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for both pre-procedure planning and procedural guidance. Find more news on general radiology CT use.

The ASNC is one of several medical imaging societies asking Congress to repeal the appropriate use criteria (AUC) criteria mandate. They say it poses issues for clinicians and is becoming outdated by changes in CMS payment systems. The AUC requirements call for documentation using CVMS authorized software in order to show advanced imaging such as nuclear and CT is justified, or else Medicare payments might be withheld.

VIDEO: AMA will ask Congress to revise clinical decision support mandate for cardiac imaging

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) delegates to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates 2022 meeting Stephen Bloom, MD, and Nishant Shah, MD, explain a new AMA policy asking Congress to revise its clinician decision support mandate. 

June 22, 2022
The American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Delegates approved a policy calling on payers to reimburse for the drug regadenoson and not to employ payment policies that push for cardiologists to change the drug they use for pharmacologic stress for one that is considered less safe. The policy was adopted at the AMA 2022 meeting. #AMA #AMA175 #AMAmtg #ASNC

AMA supports reimbursement for pharmacologic stress agent regadenoson

The American Medical Association Board of Delegates approved a policy calling on payers to reimburse for the drug regadenoson and not to employ payment policies that push for cardiologists to change the drug they use for pharmacologic stress for one that is considered less safe.

June 22, 2022
contrast shortage

7 ways cath labs can work through the contrast media shortage without delays

When the ongoing contrast media shortage first started impacting health systems, one group in Ohio pledged not to delay a single procedure in its cath labs.

June 15, 2022
SNMMI Image of the Year 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT heart attack acute myocardial infarction

‘Image of the Year’ highlights the predictive power of a new PET imaging agent

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging has chosen its 2022 Image of the Year, and it’s one that is sure to interest anyone in the field of cardiac imaging.

June 15, 2022
There have been a big increase in interest in cardiac CT following the publication of the 2021 ACC Chest Pain Evaluation Guidelines, which raised CT angiography (CTA) to a 1A level of evidence. This has prompted many centers to consider creating CTA programs. This is a cardiac patient being set up for a CCTA scan at Duly Health and Care in the Chicago suburbs. The healthcare group opened one of the first out-patient cardiac clinics in the country with a dedicated cardiac CT scanner.

VIDEO: Cardiac CT training requirements for radiologists and technologists

Brian Ghoshhajra, MD, division chief, cardiovascular imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, explains what specialized training is needed to perform coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as interest rapidly rises in this field. 

June 8, 2022
Brian Ghoshhajra, MD, MBA, division chief, cardiovascular imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, and a board member of the Society of cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) explains the rapidly expanding interest in cardiac computed tomography (CT) under the new chest pain evaluation guidelines.

VIDEO: The new role of cardiac CT in chest pain evaluation

Brian Ghoshhajra, MD, MBA, division chief, cardiovascular imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, and a board member of the Society of cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), explains the rapidly expanding interest in cardiac computed tomography (CT) under the new chest pain evaluation guidelines.

June 6, 2022
An example of spectral cardiac CT being used to show iodine density in the myocardium to show perfusion deficits. Shown by Philips healthcare at ACC 2022.

VIDEO: Mitigating the contrast media shortage impact on CT imaging

Brian Ghoshhajra, MD, MBA, division chief, cardiovascular imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the impact of the iodine contrast shortage on computed tomography (CT) and cardiac imaging.
 

June 2, 2022
contrast shortage

Contrast shortage update: GE expects supply to 'progressively recover' soon

Production at the facility in Shanghai is expected to be near 100% starting on June 6.

June 2, 2022

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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