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American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) President Dennis Calnon, M.D., MASNC, FASE, FSCCT, director of cardiac imaging for McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and director of nuclear imaging for Ohio Health Heart and Vascular Physicians in Columbus, explains why the society did not endorse the first-ever U.S. or international guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with acute or stable chest pain.

Nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been a gold-standard for evaluation of coronary disease in patients for years, and it is included in the new guidelines. However, computed tomography angiography (CTA) has seen immense growth over the past decade and gained a prominent position in the guidelines as a front line imaging modality. This is due to nearly all hospital emergency rooms now having access to CT systems capable of performing immediate cardiac exams. CT has been seen mainly as an anatomical imaging test, but it also can be used for myocardial perfusion imaging using iodine contrast. While CT has had limits with its ability to image through heavily calcified vessels or stents, that is changing with new CT technologies now coming into service.

One new CT technology that is prominently included I the new chest pain guidelines is CT fractional flow reserve (FFR-CT) imaging.  This uses a computational fluid dynamics algorithm to analyze a patient's CTA. It sends back a report and an interactive 3D reconstruction of all the coronary vessels that shows a color coded drop in FFR ratios, which is a measure of blood flow. Past a certain threshold, the reduced flow needs to be treated with revascularization. Lower level blockages can be treated with drug therapies. FFR-CT is widely expected in the coming years to become a gate keeper for invasive diagnostic angiograms. The hope is it will eliminate the need for the majority of cath lab angiogram exams and only send patients to the lab that need a stent or angioplasty. 

However, the ASNC had major issues with FFR-CT being included in the chest pain guidelines. Its board members argued there is need for more evidence and there should have been more information contraindications for its use, which was included on other imaging modalities in the guidelines. They also argued access to the technology has been very limited. Calnon explains more detail in the video on why this was a sticking point and caused the ASNC to not endorse the guidelines.

Read more in the article — First International Chest Pain Diagnosis Guidelines Released

Here are two examples of artificial intelligence (AI) driven pulmonary embolism (PE) response team apps featured by vendors Aidoc and Viz.AI at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 meeting.

The AI scans computed tomography (CT) image datasets as they came off the imaging system and looked for evidence of PE. If detected by the algorithm, it immediately sends an alert to the stroke care team members via smartphone messaging. This is done before the images are even loaded into the PACS. The radiologist on the team can use a link on the app to open the CT dataset and has basic tools for scrolling, windowing and leveling to determine if there is a PE and the severity. The team can then use the app to send messages, access patient information, imaging and reports. This enabled them all to be on the same page and can communicate quickly via mobile devices, rather than being required to use dedicated workstations in the hospital. 

Both vendors showed similar apps for stroke at RSNA 2019. That idea for rapid alerts, diagnosis and communications for acute care teams has now expanded to PE and also for aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). AI.Viz and Aidoc are looking at expanding this type of technology for other acute care team rolls, including heart failure response. 

Read more about this technology in the article AI Can Facilitate Automated Activation of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams.

Find more AI news

Find more RSNA news and video

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) President Dennis Calnon, M.D., MASNC, FASE, FSCCT, director of cardiac imaging for McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and director of nuclear imaging for Ohio Health Heart and Vascular Physicians in Columbus, explains why the society did not endorse the first-ever U.S. or international guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with acute or stable chest pain.

Nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been a gold-standard for evaluation of coronary disease in patients for years, and it is included in the new guidelines. However, computed tomography angiography (CTA) has seen immense growth over the past decade and gained a prominent position in the guidelines as a front line imaging modality. This is due to nearly all hospital emergency rooms now having access to CT systems capable of performing immediate cardiac exams. CT has been seen mainly as an anatomical imaging test, but it also can be used for myocardial perfusion imaging using iodine contrast. While CT has had limits with its ability to image through heavily calcified vessels or stents, that is changing with new CT technologies now coming into service.

One new CT technology that is prominently included I the new chest pain guidelines is CT fractional flow reserve (FFR-CT) imaging.  This uses a computational fluid dynamics algorithm to analyze a patient's CTA. It sends back a report and an interactive 3D reconstruction of all the coronary vessels that shows a color coded drop in FFR ratios, which is a measure of blood flow. Past a certain threshold, the reduced flow needs to be treated with revascularization. Lower level blockages can be treated with drug therapies. FFR-CT is widely expected in the coming years to become a gate keeper for invasive diagnostic angiograms. The hope is it will eliminate the need for the majority of cath lab angiogram exams and only send patients to the lab that need a stent or angioplasty. 

However, the ASNC had major issues with FFR-CT being included in the chest pain guidelines. Its board members argued there is need for more evidence and there should have been more information contraindications for its use, which was included on other imaging modalities in the guidelines. They also argued access to the technology has been very limited. Calnon explains more detail in the video on why this was a sticking point and caused the ASNC to not endorse the guidelines.

Read more in the article — First International Chest Pain Diagnosis Guidelines Released

Here are two examples of artificial intelligence (AI) driven pulmonary embolism (PE) response team apps featured by vendors Aidoc and Viz.AI at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 meeting.

The AI scans computed tomography (CT) image datasets as they came off the imaging system and looked for evidence of PE. If detected by the algorithm, it immediately sends an alert to the stroke care team members via smartphone messaging. This is done before the images are even loaded into the PACS. The radiologist on the team can use a link on the app to open the CT dataset and has basic tools for scrolling, windowing and leveling to determine if there is a PE and the severity. The team can then use the app to send messages, access patient information, imaging and reports. This enabled them all to be on the same page and can communicate quickly via mobile devices, rather than being required to use dedicated workstations in the hospital. 

Both vendors showed similar apps for stroke at RSNA 2019. That idea for rapid alerts, diagnosis and communications for acute care teams has now expanded to PE and also for aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). AI.Viz and Aidoc are looking at expanding this type of technology for other acute care team rolls, including heart failure response. 

Read more about this technology in the article AI Can Facilitate Automated Activation of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams.

Find more AI news

Find more RSNA news and video

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) President Dennis Calnon, M.D., MASNC, FASE, FSCCT, director of cardiac imaging for McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and director of nuclear imaging for Ohio Health Heart and Vascular Physicians in Columbus, explains why the society did not endorse the first-ever U.S. or international guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with acute or stable chest pain.

Nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been a gold-standard for evaluation of coronary disease in patients for years, and it is included in the new guidelines. However, computed tomography angiography (CTA) has seen immense growth over the past decade and gained a prominent position in the guidelines as a front line imaging modality. This is due to nearly all hospital emergency rooms now having access to CT systems capable of performing immediate cardiac exams. CT has been seen mainly as an anatomical imaging test, but it also can be used for myocardial perfusion imaging using iodine contrast. While CT has had limits with its ability to image through heavily calcified vessels or stents, that is changing with new CT technologies now coming into service.

One new CT technology that is prominently included I the new chest pain guidelines is CT fractional flow reserve (FFR-CT) imaging.  This uses a computational fluid dynamics algorithm to analyze a patient's CTA. It sends back a report and an interactive 3D reconstruction of all the coronary vessels that shows a color coded drop in FFR ratios, which is a measure of blood flow. Past a certain threshold, the reduced flow needs to be treated with revascularization. Lower level blockages can be treated with drug therapies. FFR-CT is widely expected in the coming years to become a gate keeper for invasive diagnostic angiograms. The hope is it will eliminate the need for the majority of cath lab angiogram exams and only send patients to the lab that need a stent or angioplasty. 

However, the ASNC had major issues with FFR-CT being included in the chest pain guidelines. Its board members argued there is need for more evidence and there should have been more information contraindications for its use, which was included on other imaging modalities in the guidelines. They also argued access to the technology has been very limited. Calnon explains more detail in the video on why this was a sticking point and caused the ASNC to not endorse the guidelines.

Read more in the article — First International Chest Pain Diagnosis Guidelines Released

Here are two examples of artificial intelligence (AI) driven pulmonary embolism (PE) response team apps featured by vendors Aidoc and Viz.AI at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 meeting.

The AI scans computed tomography (CT) image datasets as they came off the imaging system and looked for evidence of PE. If detected by the algorithm, it immediately sends an alert to the stroke care team members via smartphone messaging. This is done before the images are even loaded into the PACS. The radiologist on the team can use a link on the app to open the CT dataset and has basic tools for scrolling, windowing and leveling to determine if there is a PE and the severity. The team can then use the app to send messages, access patient information, imaging and reports. This enabled them all to be on the same page and can communicate quickly via mobile devices, rather than being required to use dedicated workstations in the hospital. 

Both vendors showed similar apps for stroke at RSNA 2019. That idea for rapid alerts, diagnosis and communications for acute care teams has now expanded to PE and also for aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). AI.Viz and Aidoc are looking at expanding this type of technology for other acute care team rolls, including heart failure response. 

Read more about this technology in the article AI Can Facilitate Automated Activation of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams.

Find more AI news

Find more RSNA news and video

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) President Dennis Calnon, M.D., MASNC, FASE, FSCCT, director of cardiac imaging for McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and director of nuclear imaging for Ohio Health Heart and Vascular Physicians in Columbus, explains why the society did not endorse the first-ever U.S. or international guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with acute or stable chest pain.

Nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been a gold-standard for evaluation of coronary disease in patients for years, and it is included in the new guidelines. However, computed tomography angiography (CTA) has seen immense growth over the past decade and gained a prominent position in the guidelines as a front line imaging modality. This is due to nearly all hospital emergency rooms now having access to CT systems capable of performing immediate cardiac exams. CT has been seen mainly as an anatomical imaging test, but it also can be used for myocardial perfusion imaging using iodine contrast. While CT has had limits with its ability to image through heavily calcified vessels or stents, that is changing with new CT technologies now coming into service.

One new CT technology that is prominently included I the new chest pain guidelines is CT fractional flow reserve (FFR-CT) imaging.  This uses a computational fluid dynamics algorithm to analyze a patient's CTA. It sends back a report and an interactive 3D reconstruction of all the coronary vessels that shows a color coded drop in FFR ratios, which is a measure of blood flow. Past a certain threshold, the reduced flow needs to be treated with revascularization. Lower level blockages can be treated with drug therapies. FFR-CT is widely expected in the coming years to become a gate keeper for invasive diagnostic angiograms. The hope is it will eliminate the need for the majority of cath lab angiogram exams and only send patients to the lab that need a stent or angioplasty. 

However, the ASNC had major issues with FFR-CT being included in the chest pain guidelines. Its board members argued there is need for more evidence and there should have been more information contraindications for its use, which was included on other imaging modalities in the guidelines. They also argued access to the technology has been very limited. Calnon explains more detail in the video on why this was a sticking point and caused the ASNC to not endorse the guidelines.

Read more in the article — First International Chest Pain Diagnosis Guidelines Released

Here are two examples of artificial intelligence (AI) driven pulmonary embolism (PE) response team apps featured by vendors Aidoc and Viz.AI at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 meeting.

The AI scans computed tomography (CT) image datasets as they came off the imaging system and looked for evidence of PE. If detected by the algorithm, it immediately sends an alert to the stroke care team members via smartphone messaging. This is done before the images are even loaded into the PACS. The radiologist on the team can use a link on the app to open the CT dataset and has basic tools for scrolling, windowing and leveling to determine if there is a PE and the severity. The team can then use the app to send messages, access patient information, imaging and reports. This enabled them all to be on the same page and can communicate quickly via mobile devices, rather than being required to use dedicated workstations in the hospital. 

Both vendors showed similar apps for stroke at RSNA 2019. That idea for rapid alerts, diagnosis and communications for acute care teams has now expanded to PE and also for aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). AI.Viz and Aidoc are looking at expanding this type of technology for other acute care team rolls, including heart failure response. 

Read more about this technology in the article AI Can Facilitate Automated Activation of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams.

Find more AI news

Find more RSNA news and video

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) President Dennis Calnon, M.D., MASNC, FASE, FSCCT, director of cardiac imaging for McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and director of nuclear imaging for Ohio Health Heart and Vascular Physicians in Columbus, explains why the society did not endorse the first-ever U.S. or international guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with acute or stable chest pain.

Nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been a gold-standard for evaluation of coronary disease in patients for years, and it is included in the new guidelines. However, computed tomography angiography (CTA) has seen immense growth over the past decade and gained a prominent position in the guidelines as a front line imaging modality. This is due to nearly all hospital emergency rooms now having access to CT systems capable of performing immediate cardiac exams. CT has been seen mainly as an anatomical imaging test, but it also can be used for myocardial perfusion imaging using iodine contrast. While CT has had limits with its ability to image through heavily calcified vessels or stents, that is changing with new CT technologies now coming into service.

One new CT technology that is prominently included I the new chest pain guidelines is CT fractional flow reserve (FFR-CT) imaging.  This uses a computational fluid dynamics algorithm to analyze a patient's CTA. It sends back a report and an interactive 3D reconstruction of all the coronary vessels that shows a color coded drop in FFR ratios, which is a measure of blood flow. Past a certain threshold, the reduced flow needs to be treated with revascularization. Lower level blockages can be treated with drug therapies. FFR-CT is widely expected in the coming years to become a gate keeper for invasive diagnostic angiograms. The hope is it will eliminate the need for the majority of cath lab angiogram exams and only send patients to the lab that need a stent or angioplasty. 

However, the ASNC had major issues with FFR-CT being included in the chest pain guidelines. Its board members argued there is need for more evidence and there should have been more information contraindications for its use, which was included on other imaging modalities in the guidelines. They also argued access to the technology has been very limited. Calnon explains more detail in the video on why this was a sticking point and caused the ASNC to not endorse the guidelines.

Read more in the article — First International Chest Pain Diagnosis Guidelines Released

Here are two examples of artificial intelligence (AI) driven pulmonary embolism (PE) response team apps featured by vendors Aidoc and Viz.AI at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 meeting.

The AI scans computed tomography (CT) image datasets as they came off the imaging system and looked for evidence of PE. If detected by the algorithm, it immediately sends an alert to the stroke care team members via smartphone messaging. This is done before the images are even loaded into the PACS. The radiologist on the team can use a link on the app to open the CT dataset and has basic tools for scrolling, windowing and leveling to determine if there is a PE and the severity. The team can then use the app to send messages, access patient information, imaging and reports. This enabled them all to be on the same page and can communicate quickly via mobile devices, rather than being required to use dedicated workstations in the hospital. 

Both vendors showed similar apps for stroke at RSNA 2019. That idea for rapid alerts, diagnosis and communications for acute care teams has now expanded to PE and also for aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). AI.Viz and Aidoc are looking at expanding this type of technology for other acute care team rolls, including heart failure response. 

Read more about this technology in the article AI Can Facilitate Automated Activation of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams.

Find more AI news

Find more RSNA news and video

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) President Dennis Calnon, M.D., MASNC, FASE, FSCCT, director of cardiac imaging for McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and director of nuclear imaging for Ohio Health Heart and Vascular Physicians in Columbus, explains why the society did not endorse the first-ever U.S. or international guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with acute or stable chest pain.

Nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been a gold-standard for evaluation of coronary disease in patients for years, and it is included in the new guidelines. However, computed tomography angiography (CTA) has seen immense growth over the past decade and gained a prominent position in the guidelines as a front line imaging modality. This is due to nearly all hospital emergency rooms now having access to CT systems capable of performing immediate cardiac exams. CT has been seen mainly as an anatomical imaging test, but it also can be used for myocardial perfusion imaging using iodine contrast. While CT has had limits with its ability to image through heavily calcified vessels or stents, that is changing with new CT technologies now coming into service.

One new CT technology that is prominently included I the new chest pain guidelines is CT fractional flow reserve (FFR-CT) imaging.  This uses a computational fluid dynamics algorithm to analyze a patient's CTA. It sends back a report and an interactive 3D reconstruction of all the coronary vessels that shows a color coded drop in FFR ratios, which is a measure of blood flow. Past a certain threshold, the reduced flow needs to be treated with revascularization. Lower level blockages can be treated with drug therapies. FFR-CT is widely expected in the coming years to become a gate keeper for invasive diagnostic angiograms. The hope is it will eliminate the need for the majority of cath lab angiogram exams and only send patients to the lab that need a stent or angioplasty. 

However, the ASNC had major issues with FFR-CT being included in the chest pain guidelines. Its board members argued there is need for more evidence and there should have been more information contraindications for its use, which was included on other imaging modalities in the guidelines. They also argued access to the technology has been very limited. Calnon explains more detail in the video on why this was a sticking point and caused the ASNC to not endorse the guidelines.

Read more in the article — First International Chest Pain Diagnosis Guidelines Released

Here are two examples of artificial intelligence (AI) driven pulmonary embolism (PE) response team apps featured by vendors Aidoc and Viz.AI at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 meeting.

The AI scans computed tomography (CT) image datasets as they came off the imaging system and looked for evidence of PE. If detected by the algorithm, it immediately sends an alert to the stroke care team members via smartphone messaging. This is done before the images are even loaded into the PACS. The radiologist on the team can use a link on the app to open the CT dataset and has basic tools for scrolling, windowing and leveling to determine if there is a PE and the severity. The team can then use the app to send messages, access patient information, imaging and reports. This enabled them all to be on the same page and can communicate quickly via mobile devices, rather than being required to use dedicated workstations in the hospital. 

Both vendors showed similar apps for stroke at RSNA 2019. That idea for rapid alerts, diagnosis and communications for acute care teams has now expanded to PE and also for aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). AI.Viz and Aidoc are looking at expanding this type of technology for other acute care team rolls, including heart failure response. 

Read more about this technology in the article AI Can Facilitate Automated Activation of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams.

Find more AI news

Find more RSNA news and video