Where is there the most room to improve efficiency in the lab? I believe it is in communication. Better communication will improve efficiency between and among all team members. Let’s look inward first. Communication within oneself is not always appreciated as important. Inner communication means that the individual technologist, nurse and physician alike is thinking ahead (i.e., communicating with oneself) about the procedure. Failure to have good inner communication can be seen in the wide variety of behaviors in the cath lab operators and staff. We have all had colleagues that appear to

Presently, in many laboratories, the anticoagulant of choice in PCI is unfractionated heparin (UFH). Heparin inhibits reactions that lead to the clotting of blood in the coagulation cascade. In combination with antithrombin III (heparin cofactor), it can inhibit thrombosis by inactivating activated Factor X and inhibiting the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin. It also prevents the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin, as well as preventing the formation of a stable fibrin clot. There is mounting evidence that heparin-platelet interactions affect PCI outcomes. Heparin actually increases plate

I recently had the good fortune to attend TCT 2005 in Washington, D.C. At the opening session of the nurse and tech conference, I could not help but notice that there were less than five hundred people present. Of those present, I talked to directors, managers, educators, sales representatives and educators, research staff and other conference attendees. I even spoke with two young ladies from Lewiston, Maine who had been in the field for about two years. (I’ll come back to the young ladies later, because they are, in a way, the reason for this article.) My experience at TCT helped me realiz

What type of procedures are performed at your facility? >

We do coronary angiograms, angioplasties and stenting, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and Pressure Wire® (Radi Medical Systems, Wilmington, MA), intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) insertions, temporary and permanent pacemaker insertion, automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (AICDs) and bi-ventricular pacemakers, electrophysiology studies and ablations, cardioversions, arteriovenous (AV) fistulograms and fistula angioplasties, difficult peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), carotid stenting, peripher

Medical robotic equipment is emerging as a solution to this problem. The Siemens-designed digital imaging system (AXIOM Artis dFC Magnetic Navigation, Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, PA) can work with magnetic navigation systems to help cardiologists improve the ease and accuracy of catheter-based interventional procedures. Other systems, such as the da Vinci Surgical System and Zeus Surgical System (both by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA), are also making advances in robotic-assisted equipment for various types of minimally invasive surgery. With these tools, surgeons’ efficien

Upon arrival, I am still struggling to wake up as I punch in a little before 6:30 am. The schedule has 12 cases on for two rooms to complete. This caseload is over our average daily caseload of 10, and is much more than other days of the week. You see, the schedule makers at the hospital facility will not limit the number of outpatients on Fridays. Mostly, everywhere else I have worked (all busy hospitals that would receive transfers from outside facilities), had a limited outpatient load on Friday due to the potential for inpatient add-on procedures (patients the physicians didn’t want to k

Can you help your fellow professionals with the following NEW questions?

RCIS Acceptance

I am currently a traveler and am running into more job openings across the country that are only accepting RTs/ARRTs for tech positions in their labs. I have an AS degree in Cardiopulmonary Technology and my RCIS. Is there some way to improve the job opportunities for the RCIS people? RCIS credentialing is SPECIFIC to the cardiac cath lab. We have to gain better control over the cath lab tech market. How can this be done? Is there some way to promote the RCIS techs? How can we better educate c

Dear Editor,

I am a new graduate of Cardiovascular Technology from the National School of Technology in Miami, Florida. After finishing my internship at Miami Children’s Hospital (in the cath lab), the last part of school requirements, I am desperately applying in almost all four corners of the United States for cath lab tech positions. But my experience has been that all hospital employers, specifically cath lab departments, are looking for applicants with at least a year of experience. I spent a lot of time and resources to achieve this status just to have this kind of misera

Beyond Success

In the new and explosive era of today’s healthcare, technologies have become the dominant institutional focus for success. Yet The Toledo Hospital relies on a different sort of foundational blueprint, one that has led our cath lab team beyond success and into the realm of significance. Significance is an attitude of choice that inspires excellence and is expressed through purposed people whose values dictate limitless possibilities of superior outcomes. It is what highlights a great medical institution. At The Toledo Hospital, the most integrated hospital in the nat

SICP Chapter News

Gulf Coast Chapter

Please join the GCSICP at their next chapter meeting May 18, 2006 at Maggiano’s Little Italy. The meeting will start at 6:30 pm. Please RSVP to Todd Ginapp, tginapp@houston.rr.com. One CEU will be provided. Maggiano’s Little Italy is located at 2019 Post Oak Blvd. Event will be held in the Tuscany Room. For additional information, please call 713-964-2700

Oregon Chapter

Twenty participants representing three area facilities (Oregon Cardiology Diagnostic Center, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, and Oregon Heart and Vasc