GE Healthcare will feature products in cardiovascular ultrasound, interventional cardiology and cardiovascular IT at AHA 2007.

Located in Florence, AL, Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital is owned and operated by the not-for-profit healthcare system Coffee Health Group (CHG). Nationally recognized as one of the Thomson Top 100 Hospitals for the third year in a row, the hospital is part of a healthcare system dedicated to serving the people of Northwest Alabama.

In 2006, 141 million imaging examinations, including MRI, CT, PET and SPECT, were performed worldwide using a contrast media injector. In many cases, clinicians used power injectors not only for diagnostic studies, but also for interventional procedures.
Cardiologists have commonly used power contrast media injectors to achieve opacification for these diagnostic procedures, which require high flow, high volume, fixed rate injections delivered with relatively high pressures. Typical applications of this sort are ventriculograms, aortograms and run-off studies.

A clot that forms in the deep vein in either the leg or pelvic region is known as a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), an increasingly common venous disease, which according to the American Health Association is diagnosed in one out of every 1,000 Americans each year.

When it comes to diagnosing heart disease, highly detailed 3D images of a coronary artery comes to mind. But advanced imaging has expanded its role in the cath lab beyond diagnosis, as 3D images are used to guide physicians through interventional procedures. But what it taking imaging in the cath lab to the next generation is 4D imaging, in its truest sense.

The high cost of patient care is influencing many decisions in today’s healthcare marketplace. The expense of treating the estimated five million Americans who suffer from heart disease alone is a staggering $26.7 billion dollars annually and growing.

A study published in 2002, which assigned a 0-5 score to various clinical parameters, is still considered a major breakthrough in determining when to remove an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) and implant a ventricular assist device (VAD) in patients suffering from cardiac low-output syndrome or acute cardiogenic shock. But not everyone is convinced that a risk severity score should be the only criteria.

The volatile debate over who should control cardiac imaging technologies - cardiologists or radiologists - has created a rift between the two fields. However, three physicians representing both fields are calling a truce on the turf wars by embracing the notion of greater collaboration. They believe this approach will optimize the potential of cardiac imaging.
Who is in Control?

In the past, patients with atrial fibrillation that came to Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCU) had several treatment options. There were medications to attack the complex and confusing condition. There were surgical options, involving different intensities and approaches. But according to Vigneshwar Kasirajan, M.D., chair of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, it wasn’t enough.
“We were nowhere near where we should have been, or where we wanted to be,” he said.

Innova Promise is GE Healthcare’s commitment to proactively monitoring every connected Innova X-ray system in warranty and covered by a Service contract to detect potential exam interruptions and prevent downtime. GE has over 1000 systems actively monitored, improving performance and providing critical feedback on system reliability. Innova Promise can detect deviations in primary areas such as low fluid levels, temperature or humidity spikes, and more complex issues around the mechanical and electrical functionality of the system.

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