Several other updates have occurred in the laser catheter over a period of years. The second most important update has been the availability of the new Turbo elite catheters (Sp

The core curriculum will provide a complete overview of various imaging technologies. Ultrasound physics will be discussed by Chandra Sehgal, PhD, of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Advances in X-ray Tube Technology: Angiography and MDCT will be addressed by Jenss Schmidt-May, PhD, of Philips Medical

A 63-year-old gentleman underwent diagnostic cardiac catheterization at an outside hospital for acute coronary syndrome. He was found to have an eccentric, 95% right coronary AOL with preserved left ventricular function (Figure 1). Subsequently, the patient was transferred to our institution for PCI. Due to the vessel's slightly superior ostial orientation, we chose a Judkins Right 3.5 side-hole catheter. Traditionally, we have routinely employed side-hole catheters for PCI of AOL. Prior to insertion, the catheter was preloaded with 2 wi

The primary reason DES have such a major impact on the treatment of CAD is the marked improvement in preventing coronary artery restenosis. In randomized clinical trials, DES have shown a significant reduction in the need for additional revascularization procedures - traditionally the Achilles heel of percutaneous interventions - when compared to bare-metal stents (BMS). Furthermore, the cumulative safety profile of DES, particularly i

In the aftermath of two presentations on the long-term safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DESs) both presented in the fall of 2006 at the World Congress of Cardiology in Barcelona, Spain there have been passionate opinions expressed. With the recent publication of BASKET-LATE in JACC¹ and a flurry of articles in The New England Journal of Medicine, additional fuel has been poured onto the fire of controversy.^2-9 Many patients, physicians, and friends have approached me about this issue.

Harkening back to the FDA approval

My background is in critical care nursing and I loved working on the heart in the SICU. I wanted to learn more and challenge myself, so I applied to work in the cath lab.

Can you describe your role in the cardiovascular (CV) lab?

I work as a director, nurse, and function as an in-house educator for the hospital and my department. I am the past Education Chairperson for the SICP Gulf Coast Chapter. I have set up various programs, including placing intra-aortic balloon (IAB) catheters at the bedside in criti

For the upcoming 2007 course, we have reformatted the course content from past years. What was initially a 5-day program is now a 4-day program, with 8 CEs awarded each day. Lectures are updated so that current trends and practices are reflected. The curriculum has been reorganized and a festive evening vendor reception is being added. In addition, organizers are adding an optional cath conference during one of the lunch breaks so that our participants can have an additional opportunity to review films and learn more about the various disorders that bring patients into th

First, don't worry about all the special names vendors give their catheters. Brand names are not on the exam. What you will see are the standard acceptable shapes and designs, which we will discuss later.

Understanding the basic construction compo