September 27, 2011 — A team of physicians, engineers and materials scientists at Children's Hospital Boston and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created cardiac patches, with cells all beating in time, that could someday help heart attack patients. The devices were created using nanotechnology and tiny gold wires.

September 27, 2011 — Last week’s inclusion of critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) in the standard list of recommended screenings for new babies by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has received support from the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

September 27, 2011 — A study in the Sept. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that early coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is preferable to rest-stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) when evaluating acute low-risk chest pain in the emergency department.


The new imaging modality of positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was introduced to the U.S. market in June. The Siemens Biograph mMR (molecular MR) gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance as the first dedicated PET/MRI system. It is the only system to combine both modalities into one machine, allowing simultaneous imaging of location, function and metabolic activity of organs in a single image.

With a growing problem of overcrowded emergency departments, coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) may be a solution to address the management of chest pain patients. CCTA is increasingly recognized as an accurate, noninvasive tool to safely assess coronary artery disease. Advocates for the modality say it leads to earlier identification and management of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), rapid early discharge, improved flow of overcrowded emergency departments and reduced costs.

A better strategy to sell the costs of a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) program to hospital administrators is not to base ROI on TAVI procedures, but on the increased surgical valve repair volume the program would create.
The Edwards Sapien transcatheter aortic valve is pending FDA clearnance. The valve can be delivered both transfemorally (pictured here) or transapically in a hybrid OR.
The Sapien will likely become the first transcatheter aortic valve cleared for use in the United States. However, its use will likely be limited to a small number of specialized centers. It is used for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), also called implantation, or TAVI.

In a closely watched move – viewed as a big step toward a paradigm shift in how heart valves are repaired in the United States – a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel in July recommended approval of the Edwards Lifesciences Sapien transcatheter heart valve.

Indiana University (IU) Health La Porte Hospital in La Porte, Ind., made the decision to build an advanced EP procedure lab right in the community with holding areas, ancillary workspaces, office space and a clinical area.  The vision was for the lab to encompass all aspects of arrhythmia care, beginning at the procedure area and finishing with the outpatient clinic.  It also was extremely important that the space was efficient, cost-effective and flexible.

A review of recent transradial clinical study data.
The use of the Barbeau test in radial access procedures.
Barbeau test waveformes used in radial access procedures.

Staff education is a vital component for the successful transition to a predominantly transradial cardiac catheterization program. Educational efforts must extend beyond the cath lab. A successful program incorporates staff from the pre- and post-procedure units, telemetry unit, intensive care unit (ICU) and any other unit that routinely cares for cardiac catheterization patients.
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