FDA Warns Troponin Tests Impacted by Biotin Dietary Supplement

November 5, 2019 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is updating its November 2017 safety communication to remind the public, healthcare providers that biotin, often found in dietary supplements, can significantly interfere with certain lab tests and cause incorrect results that may go undetected. The agency said biotin in patient blood samples can cause falsely high or falsely low results, depending on the type of test.
Philips Medical System is recalling its older Forte Gamma Camera SPECT imaging systems due to the possibility of the detectors falling off of the unit onto the patient. The two gamma cameras can bee seen in this photo on either side of the patient bed. These can be rotated above the patient.

November 5, 2019 — Philips Medical System is recalling the Forte Gamma Camera System due to the potential for the 660-pound detector to detach from the device without warning. The vendor said this could result in a serious injury, such as crushing, trapping or killing the patient. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported Philips received one customer complaint, but no serious injuries or deaths were reported.

November 4, 2019 — Abbott is recalling its CentriMag Acute Circulatory Support System due to a calibration system error resulting from electromagnetic interference that may cause the pump to slow or stop, the console screen to go blank, and various inaccurate alarms. If the pump slows or stops, the patient is at risk of service adverse health consequences such as stroke, severe organ damage or death. 

My observation over the 13 years covering cardiology is that it is a heavily male-dominated field. This is more pronounced in interventional cardiology conferences I attend, where less than 5 percent of operators are women. The divide is less at imaging conferences, particularly in cardiac ultrasound. So it should not be surprising that women appear to have found the most momentum over the past decade in imaging, and have made a rapid entrance into the intervention world. 

EchoPixel showed technology at TCT 2019 that creates live holograms in the cath lab from 3-D TEE imaging. It projects the holograms on a special display screen that does not require the user to wear 3-D glasses. The interventional cardiologist can use hand movements and a foot switch to move the image around without breaking the sterile field. It offers a new way to visualize catheters, device positioning and deployment for structural heart procedures. #TCT2019 #TCT #TCT19

The latest in interventional cardiology clinical data and new device technologies were highlighted at the annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference. This is an overview of some of the biggest takeaways from TCT 2019, including short duration dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) using newer generation DES; safety of paclitaxel coated devices; new TAVR devices seeking entry into the U.S. market; new COAPT Trial data on MitraClip use in heart failure patients; CT study of TAVR valve leaflet thrombosis; and potential game-changing technologies on the expo floor.

Echo on Marco Island: Case-Based Approach

The Heart Beat of Cardiology

ECG and Heart Rhythm: A Case-Based Approach

Cardiovascular Review in Bahrain: A Case-Based Approach

Advanced Cardiovascular IED Management

Dates in October TBD

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