March 26, 2010 – Nearly 14 percent of Medicare beneficiaries admitted with a primary diagnosis of ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergo multivessel primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), despite recommendations from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association to intervene on only the culprit vessel.

March 25, 2010 – The FDA this week granted permission for a conditional investigational device exemption (IDE) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a transcatheter plug to seal the left atrial appendage (LAA). The appendage is frequently the source of stroke-causing clots in atrial fibrillation patients.

March 25, 2010 – The Transradial University Web site was launched this week to help expand the use of transradial access as an alternative vascular access site. As transradial adoption expands in the U.S., two key limiting factors are training and experience.

March 24, 2010 – Enrollment began this week in the CITADEL, which is the second of two large-scale, prospective, multicenter studies comparing implantable electrophysiology device infection rates. The study will look at patients with and without a new anti-bacterial envelope covering their devices.

March 24, 2010 – The 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) will showcase two multipurpose interventional operating room suites that integrate digital imaging diagnostics, catheterization, and surgical capabilities.