Our staff includes 16 members total. Nine are registered radiology technologists, five of which hold the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Professional (RCIS) credential. Two techs work in both EP and cath. Our lab also includes 7 registered nurses, including our nurse manager. In addition, three of the nurses hold an RCIS credential and act as our main cath lab nurses. Two nurses are designated EP and the other is a pre-op/post-op nurse for our five-bed holding area. All staff are trained in ACLS and balloon pump insertion. We also have a wonderful secretary who handles all the scheduling, f

Two carotid artery stent systems consisting of a self-expanding stent and compatible embolic protection filter device have marketing clearance by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Guidant Corporation Acculink® Carotid Stent System was granted marketing clearance by FDA on August 30, 2004 and on September 6, 2005 the Abbott Vascular Xact® Carotid Stent System received a market release decision by the FDA. The ev3 Spider Embolic Protection Device was more recently approved for use during CAS with the FDA approved Guidant RX Acculink Carotid Stent. At least five other C

CATSCAN, funded by Philips Medical Systems, included 238 patients who were clinically referred for non-emergency coronary angiography from June 2004 through March 2005 at 11 participating sites. A total of 187 patients underwent contrast-enhanced MDCT and also had conventional angiography performed one to 14 days after MDCT. The results of these two tests were then compared.

Dr. Garcia spoke with CLD about the trial and resulting data, as well as his future plans for studying cardiac disease and CT.

How does computed tomography (CT) compare to fluoroscopy?

Cardiac CT is an x-ray pr

With increasing health care costs, decreasing reimbursement and an increasing baby boomer population, the healthcare industry will soon realize the necessity of looking at process flow improvement in order to achieve cost savings. With information and quality measures steering consumer decisions, it is imperative that the healthcare industry not only meet these measures, but exceed them. This must be achieved while improving consumer satisfaction and providing safe and financially responsible healthcare. With this vision on the horizon, the proposal is not to work harder, but to work smarter,

PCI Evolves, Bringing New Problems for Operators

PCI has evolved significantly during the last quarter century. According to a market report prepared by Morgan Stanley, the number of global PCI procedures is expected to exceed 2.6 million cases by 2008.2 With advances in diagnostic tools, pharmacologics, and revascularization therapies, nearly four times as many patients are being referred to PCI rather than to surgery.³ Patient and/or physician preference, as well as shorter time delays between angiography and PCI (compared with time delays between angiography and CABG),

While catheterization has become the staple of minimally invasive cardiac interventional procedures, new methodologies go beyond capabilities that were unheard of a few years ago. The continued trend toward less invasive interventional procedures depends largely on physicians' desire to improve access to the deepest organ and vascular systems.

Furthering the Trend

One instrument in particular, the Niobe Magnetic Navigation System (Stereotaxis, Inc., St. Louis, MO), exceeds standard manual procedures for coronary artery disease and arrhythmias. Not only can it perform a host of

Bifurcation lesions are common and have been reported to make up approximately 23% of currently treated lesions. In a series capturing ‘real world’ experience with drug-eluting stents, bifurcation lesions were associated with a greater than six-fold increased risk of stent thrombosis.2 Separate studies have also shown elevated restenosis rates in the side-branch vessel as high as 28%, with a late lumen loss of 0.53 ± 0.58 mm.3,4 These rates are dramatically higher than those reported in straightforward lesions (i.e., short, non-bifurcation lesions), in which restenosis rates have been re

In 1988, Alton Memorial Hospital, a 222-bed non-profit community hospital, opened a diagnostic cardiac catheterization lab to supplement non-invasive testing, which included holter monitoring, echocardiography, and nuclear and pharmacologic stress testing. In December 2000, Alton Memorial Hospital began a primary angioplasty program that subsequently evolved into an elective program in 2002. Since that time, the Alton cardiac program has expanded to include a variety of other cardiovascular services, including enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP), cardioversions, pacemaker and ICD implant

There is a lot of buzz circulating about RFID right now. What is RFID and how does it help hospitals and, specifically, cath labs? Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, is a means of identifying a specific object through the use of a unique identifier. Identifying information resides on a freckle-sized computer chip that is generally contained on a tag or label. Soon, label makers will begin to incorporate this technology into printed labels themselves. The two primary types of RFID tags currently available are active tags and passive tags. Active tags are designed to track movement and lo

The iLearn IVUS Education Series from Boston Scientific is an innovative and unique education concept that builds knowledge and confidence to incorporate intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) into daily practice. Designed for physicians, fellows, nurses and technologists, the iLearn Series consists of focused, job-specific IVUS education using Boston Scientific’s iLab Ultrasound Imaging System. The iLearn Series allows participants to continually expand knowledge, skill level and grow user confidence. The key course in the iLearn Series is the IVUS Essentials Course, which is designed for real-wor