I had become accustomed to making the necessary tradeoffs when choosing the appropriate defibrillator for my patients and until recently thought that these choices were ones that I would always have to make. But the options have increased and matching the unique capabilities of devices, lead systems and remote monitoring has become easier now that there are more than two distinct categories of defibrillator systems available — single and double lead implants and now, the DX system. 
Merge, CVIS, cardiac PACS

Patients do not have to be the only beneficiaries of technological innovation. Indeed, many technological hardware and software solutions are emerging to help cardiac care providers negotiate their way through a healthcare environment that’s increasingly competitive, cost-conscious and challenging. 

Congress recently passed the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, which requires use of appropriate use criteria (AUC) and clinical decision support (CDS) software to get Medicare reimbursement. This will likely shift focus onto IT vendors who can supply this software. In addition, the use of CDS is part of Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirements for electronic medical records (EMR), so the new Medicare requirements will move CDS up on many IT departments' priority lists.

In a comparison of two blood-thinning medications, heparin was associated with significantly fewer major cardiovascular events at 28 days than bivalirudin in patients receiving primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after a heart attack, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 63rd Annual Scientific Session.

Epsilon Imaging Inc. has expanded its EchoInsight automated measurement suite for improved analysis and interpretation in echo.


April 7, 2014 — A first-ever randomized head-to-head comparison of two devices commonly used to treat aortic stenosis finds balloon-expandable transcatheter valves (such as the Edwards Sapien) result in more successful procedures and relieve symptoms more frequently than self-expanding valves (e.g., Medtronic CoreValve), according to research presented at ACC.14.

April 7, 2014 — Strategies aimed at reducing the number of patients with heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions who find themselves back in the hospital after discharge were identified in six new studies presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 63rd annual scientific session.
Medtronic, SYMPLICITY, SYMPLICITY HTN-3 trial, renal denervation, ACC.14

A major disappointment earlier this year was the announcement by Medtronic that its renal denervation system failed to meet its primary endpoint for efficacy in the U.S. SYMPLICITY HTN-3 trial. This trial data was presented to a packed, standing-room only crowd of several thousand cardiologists at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 63rd annual scientific session in March. These attendees also sought more information and a glimmer of hope for the technology at the presentation of data from the Global SYMPLICITY registry and numerous sessions on renal denervation technology.
Iodixanol Iopamidol Contrast Media Peripheral Arteriography ACC.14 Clinical Stud

GE Healthcare announced results from a new clinical study, which showed that patients receiving iodixanol (Visipaque) 320mg I/ml reported less discomfort, characterized by heat or cold sensation or pain upon injection, than patients receiving iopamidol (Isovue) 370 mg I/ml during peripheral arteriography. 

A new stent covered with biodegradable coating continues to show statistical equivalence to Japan’s market leader in cumulative second-year data and subgroup analyses, according to research from the NEXT trial presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 63rd Annual Scientific Session.

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