March 20, 2012 – The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) published a first-of-its-kind paper defining best practices in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, commonly referred to as the cath lab. The paper is part of SCAI’s ongoing effort aimed to ensure the highest quality care and safety for patients undergoing interventional cardiology procedures such as angioplasty and stenting (also known as percutaneous coronary intervention or PCI). Titled “Clinical Expert Consensus Statement on Best Practices in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory,” the paper is e-published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions.

Management of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) is individualized depending on the severity of symptoms, ischemia and on the severity of concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD). Treatment should include anti-anginal and other therapies to promote vascular health. Patients who remain symptomatic or have a large burden of ischemia despite maximal medical therapy can be considered for revascularization.

Computer-aided detection (CAD) software constitutes a set of algorithms which, using a pattern-recognition technique, aids the radiologist in detecting potentially diseased regions and lesions. It uses clinical images obtained from various imaging modalities. CAD has long since left behind its branding as a mammography tool and has now widened its application areas, becoming a valuable tool for detection and diagnosis in cardiology.