What is the size of your cath lab facility and number of staff members?

St. Anthony’s Hospital has three cath labs. Two inpatient cath labs offer a six-bed holding and recovery area. One lab is used primarily for peripheral interventions and the other for cardiac procedures. A third cath lab, located in an attached medical office building, is dedicated to outpatients. The outpatient cath lab has six individual admission-recovery rooms, offering patient comfort features in each room that include step-down areas, reclining chairs, flat-screen TVs and if time allows, a served lunch.

How does the renal sympathetic system help to regulate blood pressure?

The sympathetic system fuels the release of certain hormones that are an augmenter to blood pressure. These hormones are typically used in the “fight or flight” type mechanisms in our body. If we need a surge of adrenaline, it’s these hormones that come to serve us if we have to run or fight. In hypertension, however, the continued release of low-dose amounts of these hormones can actually increase blood pressure by a variety of mechanisms at the level of the blood vessel and at the level of the kidney. So t

How do women and men compare in risk for heart disease?

Heart disease is more prevalent in men than women, but remains the leading cause of death for both sexes. Cardiovascular disease, on the other hand, which also includes heart failure, hypertension and stroke, is more prevalent in women. Likewise, each year, more women than men die of cardiovascular disease. One out of every four women will die of heart disease, and one out of every two will die of cardiovascular disease.

Do you think most healthcare providers are adequately educated about women and heart disease?

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Abstract

Among the several anatomic risk predictors for carotid stenting (e.g., extensive plaque ulceration, aneurysmal internal carotid artery, lesion length > 3 cm) (CAS), the aortic arch emerges as a key anatomic feature. Gaining access to the carotid lesion necessitates traversing the aortic arch and the proximal carotid arteries. Most technical failures in carotid stenting are related to a complex aortic arch whose role in CAS outcome rises as a crucial element of patient selection. The arch markers for selecting patients for carotid interventions include arch elongation, arch v

Introduction

The influence of commercial interests on medical science is an area of ongoing concern. Recent work has examined the extent of this influence1-5 and explored best practices for managing conflicts of interest.6-9 A particular area of concern is the influence of conflicts of interest on the biomedical literature. Disclosure of authors’ financial interests in journal articles has been proposed as one strategy for protecting the integrity of research and maintaining public trust.10-12 The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the World Association

Todd is the Cardiology Manager for Memorial Hermann Southeast in Houston, Texas. He also teaches an online RCIS Review course for Spokane Community College, in Spokane, Washington, and regularly presents with RCIS Review Courses.

Question 1: “We have some physicians that want to use a heparinized flush system during heart catheterizations, and some others that do not care. Which is correct?”

Whether you use heparinized flush on your table or not is likely a decision based upon physician preferences. There is not an evidenced-based resource that I can find on this top

With focus on new beginnings, spring is the perfect time to make changes to departmental processes, regularly-used documents and, perhaps most importantly, the chargemaster, a list of all billable hospital services. Performing regular chargemaster maintenance will help your hospital avoid potentially costly errors that result from outdated or incorrect information.

Indeed, a chargemaster can never remain static. In fact, regularly updating this important list can be the difference between accurate payment for patient services rendered and incomplete or inappropriate reimbursement. The new M

I began working in an interventional cardiology/radiology lab in California around 1990, shortly after receiving a degree in radiography. Starting in 1995, I next worked for six years in a high-volume interventional cardiac catheterization lab in Florida before spending about a year in an electrophysiology/diagnostic cath lab, also in Florida. In 2002, I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina and worked two years in a research-oriented interventional cardiac catheterization lab, and since 2004 I have been teaching invasive cardiovascular technology at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), als

A 68-year-old man was admitted for acute ST-elevation inferior myocardial infarction after right coronary artery stenting (3.0 x 18mm drug-eluting stent) four months ago. He had been taking 81 mg of aspirin and 75 mg of clopidogrel orally on a daily basis. He is treated for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, but not diabetes. He does not smoke. The angiogram demonstrated thrombosis in the stent. He underwent thromboaspiration, intravascular ultrasound of the thrombosed stent and balloon high-pressure inflations with a 3.5 x 15mm NC balloon. Did this patient have clopidogrel (Plavix)/aspiri

The SICP has several established and developing chapters across the country. Chapters offer networking opportunities and grassroots advocacy opportunities for current issues in the invasive cardiovascular profession. They also offer a great way to keep members up-to-date on ongoing membership developments. Belonging to a chapter is an excellent way to become more involved in your professional society, advocating and promoting the invasive cardiovascular profession.

The SICP is offering chapter spotlights to inform our members of each chapter’s ongoing activities and accomplishments.