Videos

DAIC Thought Leadership Series: The Importance of Inclusion in Clinical Trials

As part of DAIC's continuing Thought Leadership Series, this month Editorial Director Melinda Taschetta-Millane sits down with Philip B. Adamson, MD, MSc, FACC, Chief Medical Officer of CVRx, to talk about health equity — starting at the beginning of clinical trials, and including how medical device manufacturers need a clear roadmap from the get-go to achieve success.

As Chief Medical Officer of CVRx, Dr. Adamson will spearhead efforts to drive awareness and appropriate use of Barostim therapy among clinicians. He will guide comprehensive medical education, outreach and guideline integration initiatives to establish Barostim as the standard of care for patients with heart failure. Dr. Adamson previously was with Abbott Laboratories, where he served as Divisional Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the Heart Failure division. A renowned expert in heart failure, he has nearly three decades of experience in academia as a professor and as a practicing cardiologist, during which time he authored over 150 manuscripts and book chapters. Dr. Adamson earned his MD with distinction from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and MSc in physiology from the University of Oklahoma.

His clinical interests focus on developing more efficient and effective disease management systems for patients with chronic heart failure, specifically focusing on remote monitoring of physiologic signals from implanted devices. He has also served as the principal investigator on the steering committees of several large randomized clinical trials over the past decade.

Related content:

DAIC Thought Leadership Series: Practical Realities of Artificial Intelligence in Echocardiology

DAIC Thought Leadership Series: Collaboration Challenges in Complex Cardiology Settings

 

Conference Coverage

Cardiovascular Clinical Studies | July 30, 2024

As part of DAIC's continuing Thought Leadership Series, this month Editorial Director Melinda Taschetta-Millane sits down with Philip B. Adamson, MD, MSc, FACC, Chief Medical Officer of CVRx, to talk about health equity — starting at the beginning of clinical trials, and including how medical device manufacturers need a clear roadmap from the get-go to achieve success.

As Chief Medical Officer of CVRx, Dr. Adamson will spearhead efforts to drive awareness and appropriate use of Barostim therapy among clinicians. He will guide comprehensive medical education, outreach and guideline integration initiatives to establish Barostim as the standard of care for patients with heart failure. Dr. Adamson previously was with Abbott Laboratories, where he served as Divisional Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the Heart Failure division. A renowned expert in heart failure, he has nearly three decades of experience in academia as a professor and as a practicing cardiologist, during which time he authored over 150 manuscripts and book chapters. Dr. Adamson earned his MD with distinction from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and MSc in physiology from the University of Oklahoma.

His clinical interests focus on developing more efficient and effective disease management systems for patients with chronic heart failure, specifically focusing on remote monitoring of physiologic signals from implanted devices. He has also served as the principal investigator on the steering committees of several large randomized clinical trials over the past decade.

Related content:

DAIC Thought Leadership Series: Practical Realities of Artificial Intelligence in Echocardiology

DAIC Thought Leadership Series: Collaboration Challenges in Complex Cardiology Settings

 

HIMSS | July 24, 2024

Industry trade shows and conferences seem to be making their comeback in 2024. And the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Conference and Exhibition seems particularly poised to deliver the best of the best when it comes to digital transformation in both the delivery of healthcare, but also the delivery of a quality experience for those in this demanding, rapidly evolving industry. This month in our ongoing One on One series with industry leaders, we are talking with Hal Wolf, FHIMSS, president and CEO of HIMSS. He offered insights on the society’s new partnership with Informa Markets, key topics being covered at HIMSS24, AI’s impact on the industry, and his thoughts on healthcare sustainability.

Find more HIMSS24 conference coverage here

A New Partnership for Growth

Last August, Informa Markets and HIMSS announced a landmark partnership to propel the growth and evolution of the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition, recognized as the most influential healthcare technology event of the year, and in North America. It draws 40,000 health professionals, tech leaders, providers and governmental organizations from across the globe. Informa Markets, the world’s largest exhibition organizer, took on management of the HIMSS Exhibition, while HIMSS continues to oversee developing expert content and programming.

Exciting New Features at HIMSS24

At HIMSS2024, with this new collaboration comes new features, including:

Related content:

Find more HIMSS24 conference coverage here

HIMSS Launches Modernized Infrastructure Adoption Model to Support Global Digital Health Transformation

Top Public Policy Experts at HIMSS24 to Address Global AI Landscape and Digital Transformation in Healthcare

VIDEO: Using Maturity Models to Measure Digital Health

VIDEO: Moving Digital Transformation Forward in Healthcare

VIDEO: Key Components to Creating and Implementing AI and Digital Transformation Solutions

VIDEO: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

VIDEO: A Look at Cybersecurity and How Healthcare is at Risk

Information Technology | May 17, 2023

HIMMS is working to bring empirical knowledge and evidence of value and impact of digital maturity measured by the HIMSS maturity models and the Digital Health Indicator (DHI), which is a blueprint for digital health advancement. The maturity models provide prescriptive frameworks to healthcare organizations to help build their digital health ecosystems. DAIC spoke with Anne Snowdon, RN, PhD, FAAN, professor of strategy entrepreneurship, Odette Business School, University of Windsor, CEO of SCAN Health and Chief Scientific Research Officer, HIMSS Analytics, to find out more about these models, and what the latest scientific research is telling us.

Dr. Anne Snowdon is a Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Odette School of Business, University of Windsor.  Currently, Dr. Snowdon is the Chief Scientific Research Officer for HIMSS, Vice Chair of the Board of the Directors for Alberta Innovates, and member of the Health Futures Council of Arizona State University (ASU).  She is an Adjunct Faculty at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Windsor, the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University and the Centre for Innovative Medical Technology (CIMT), at the University of Southern Denmark.  Dr. Snowdon is leading a national Community of Practice to advance supply chain resilience across Canada, she has published more than 150 research articles, papers and cases, has received over $24 million in research funding, holds patents and has commercialized a highly successful booster seat product for children traveling in vehicles and is a Fulbright Scholar. She holds a PhD in Nursing from the University of Michigan, an MSc from McGill University, and BScN from Western University.  

Find more HIMSS23 coverage here

VIDEO: Moving Digital Transformation Forward in Healthcare

VIDEO: Key Components to Creating and Implementing AI and Digital Transformation Solutions

VIDEO: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

VIDEO: A Look at Cybersecurity and How Healthcare is at Risk

 

Related Digital Transformation Content:

Robocath Launches New Robotic Platform R-One+

VIDEO: Using Maturity Models to Measure Digital Health

VIDEO: Moving Digital Transformation Forward in Healthcare

VIDEO: Key Components to Creating and Implementing AI and Digital Transformation Solutions

VIDEO: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

VIDEO: A Look at Cybersecurity and How Healthcare is at Risk

New ACC President Defines Priorities for Year Ahead

Health That Connects + Tech That Cares at HIMSS 2023

ACC22: Transforming Cardiovascular Care

 

 

Information Technology | May 11, 2023

Healthcare is constantly evolving, finding new ways to innovate and advance digital tools and technology. With this comes the need for transformation to keep up with these advancements. DAIC spoke with Anne Snowdon, RN, PhD, FAAN, professor of strategy entrepreneurship, Odette Business School, University of Windsor, CEO of SCAN Health and Chief Scientific Research Officer, HIMSS Analytics, to find out more about the steps needed for this transformation and what we can expect to see in the future of healthcare.

Dr. Anne Snowdon is a Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Odette School of Business, University of Windsor.  Currently, Dr. Snowdon is the Chief Scientific Research Officer for HIMSS, Vice Chair of the Board of the Directors for Alberta Innovates, and member of the Health Futures Council of Arizona State University (ASU).  She is an Adjunct Faculty at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Windsor, the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University and the Centre for Innovative Medical Technology (CIMT), at the University of Southern Denmark.  Dr. Snowdon is leading a national Community of Practice to advance supply chain resilience across Canada, she has published more than 150 research articles, papers and cases, has received over $24 million in research funding, holds patents and has commercialized a highly successful booster seat product for children traveling in vehicles and is a Fulbright Scholar. She holds a PhD in Nursing from the University of Michigan, an MSc from McGill University, and BScN from Western University.  

Find more HIMSS23 coverage here

VIDEO: Key Components to Creating and Implementing AI and Digital Transformation Solutions

VIDEO: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

VIDEO: A Look at Cybersecurity and How Healthcare is at Risk

Related Digital Transformation Content:

Robocath Launches New Robotic Platform R-One+

VIDEO: Using Maturity Models to Measure Digital Health

VIDEO: Moving Digital Transformation Forward in Healthcare

VIDEO: Key Components to Creating and Implementing AI and Digital Transformation Solutions

VIDEO: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

VIDEO: A Look at Cybersecurity and How Healthcare is at Risk

New ACC President Defines Priorities for Year Ahead

Health That Connects + Tech That Cares at HIMSS 2023

ACC22: Transforming Cardiovascular Care

Artificial Intelligence | April 26, 2023

Successfully creating and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and analytic solutions in general requires a number of key factors, including data quality and a certain level of expertise. DAIC had a conversation with Julius Bogdan, a leading expert in Digital transformation, Data and analytics, and Artificial intelligence and machine learning, to learn more about the key components needed to create and implement AI and digital transformation solutions.

Julius is Vice President and General Manager, Digital Health Advisory Team for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). In that role, he leads sales, business development, product management, product marketing and advisory services teams across the continent on digital health transformation. He is responsible for the growth of the HIMSS Analytics portfolio adoption, channel strategy, and cultivating relationships across the provider, payer and public sector health landscape. He also serves on the advisory council of various start-ups and early stage firms in finance and healthcare on technology trends, architecture and market analysis.

Find more HIMSS23 content here 

VIDEO: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

VIDEO: A Look at Cybersecurity and How Healthcare is at Risk

Related Digital Transformation Content:

Robocath Launches New Robotic Platform R-One+

VIDEO: Using Maturity Models to Measure Digital Health

VIDEO: Moving Digital Transformation Forward in Healthcare

VIDEO: Key Components to Creating and Implementing AI and Digital Transformation Solutions

VIDEO: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

VIDEO: A Look at Cybersecurity and How Healthcare is at Risk

New ACC President Defines Priorities for Year Ahead

Health That Connects + Tech That Cares at HIMSS 2023

ACC22: Transforming Cardiovascular Care

Artificial Intelligence | April 25, 2023

With the help of artificial intelligence, cutting-edge technology is being developed that will help improve patient outcomes and build efficiencies in healthcare, which will help transform the future of healthcare delivery. DAIC sat down with Julius Bogdan, a leading expert in Digital transformation, Data and analytics, and Artificial intelligence and machine learning, to find out more about the inroads AI is making.

Julius is Vice President and General Manager, Digital Health Advisory Team for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). In that role, he leads sales, business development, product management, product marketing and advisory services teams across the continent on digital health transformation. He is responsible for the growth of the HIMSS Analytics portfolio adoption, channel strategy, and cultivating relationships across the provider, payer and public sector health landscape. He also serves on the advisory council of various start-ups and early stage firms in finance and healthcare on technology trends, architecture and market analysis.

Find more HIMSS23 content here

VIDEO: A Look at Cybersecurity and How Healthcare is at Risk

VIDEO: Key Components to Creating and Implementing AI and Digital Transformation Solutions

Related Digital Transformation Content:

Robocath Launches New Robotic Platform R-One+

VIDEO: Using Maturity Models to Measure Digital Health

VIDEO: Moving Digital Transformation Forward in Healthcare

VIDEO: Key Components to Creating and Implementing AI and Digital Transformation Solutions

VIDEO: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

VIDEO: A Look at Cybersecurity and How Healthcare is at Risk

New ACC President Defines Priorities for Year Ahead

Health That Connects + Tech That Cares at HIMSS 2023

ACC22: Transforming Cardiovascular Care

Cardiac Imaging | February 01, 2022

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) President Dennis Calnon, M.D., MASNC, FASE, FSCCT, director of cardiac imaging for McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and director of nuclear imaging for Ohio Health Heart and Vascular Physicians in Columbus, explains why the society did not endorse the first-ever U.S. or international guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of patients with acute or stable chest pain.

Nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been a gold-standard for evaluation of coronary disease in patients for years, and it is included in the new guidelines. However, computed tomography angiography (CTA) has seen immense growth over the past decade and gained a prominent position in the guidelines as a front line imaging modality. This is due to nearly all hospital emergency rooms now having access to CT systems capable of performing immediate cardiac exams. CT has been seen mainly as an anatomical imaging test, but it also can be used for myocardial perfusion imaging using iodine contrast. While CT has had limits with its ability to image through heavily calcified vessels or stents, that is changing with new CT technologies now coming into service.

One new CT technology that is prominently included I the new chest pain guidelines is CT fractional flow reserve (FFR-CT) imaging.  This uses a computational fluid dynamics algorithm to analyze a patient's CTA. It sends back a report and an interactive 3D reconstruction of all the coronary vessels that shows a color coded drop in FFR ratios, which is a measure of blood flow. Past a certain threshold, the reduced flow needs to be treated with revascularization. Lower level blockages can be treated with drug therapies. FFR-CT is widely expected in the coming years to become a gate keeper for invasive diagnostic angiograms. The hope is it will eliminate the need for the majority of cath lab angiogram exams and only send patients to the lab that need a stent or angioplasty. 

However, the ASNC had major issues with FFR-CT being included in the chest pain guidelines. Its board members argued there is need for more evidence and there should have been more information contraindications for its use, which was included on other imaging modalities in the guidelines. They also argued access to the technology has been very limited. Calnon explains more detail in the video on why this was a sticking point and caused the ASNC to not endorse the guidelines.

Read more in the article — First International Chest Pain Diagnosis Guidelines Released

Nuclear Imaging | February 01, 2022

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) President Dennis Calnon, M.D., MASNC, FASE, FSCCT, director of cardiac imaging for McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside Methodist Hospital, and director of nuclear imaging for Ohio Health Heart and Vascular Physicians in Columbus, offers a concise overview of new technologies that are enhancing cardiac nuclear imaging. He also explains some of the new developments and uses for PET and SPECT imaging technology.

Find more nuclear imaging technology news

 

Artificial Intelligence | January 13, 2022

Here are two examples of artificial intelligence (AI) driven pulmonary embolism (PE) response team apps featured by vendors Aidoc and Viz.AI at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2021 meeting.

The AI scans computed tomography (CT) image datasets as they came off the imaging system and looked for evidence of PE. If detected by the algorithm, it immediately sends an alert to the stroke care team members via smartphone messaging. This is done before the images are even loaded into the PACS. The radiologist on the team can use a link on the app to open the CT dataset and has basic tools for scrolling, windowing and leveling to determine if there is a PE and the severity. The team can then use the app to send messages, access patient information, imaging and reports. This enabled them all to be on the same page and can communicate quickly via mobile devices, rather than being required to use dedicated workstations in the hospital. 

Both vendors showed similar apps for stroke at RSNA 2019. That idea for rapid alerts, diagnosis and communications for acute care teams has now expanded to PE and also for aortic dissection and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). AI.Viz and Aidoc are looking at expanding this type of technology for other acute care team rolls, including heart failure response. 

Read more about this technology in the article AI Can Facilitate Automated Activation of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams.

Find more AI news

Find more RSNA news and video

 

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) | December 14, 2021

Jean Jeudy, M.D., professor of radiology and vice chair of informatics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, presented a late-breaking study at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting on COVID-19 linked myocarditis in college athletes. 

A small but significant percentage of college athletes with COVID-19 develop myocarditis, a potentially dangerous inflammation of the heart muscle, that can only be seen on cardiac MRI, according to the study Jeudy presented. Myocarditis, which typically occurs as a result of a bacterial or viral infection, can affect the heart’s rhythm and ability to pump and often leaves behind lasting damage in the form of scarring to the heart muscle. It has been linked to as many as 20% of sudden deaths in young athletes. The COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns over an increased incidence of the condition in student-athletes.

For the new study, clinicians at schools in the highly competitive Big Ten athletic conference collaborated to collect data on the frequency of myocarditis in student-athletes recovering from COVID-19 infection. Conference officials had required all athletes who had COVID-19 to get a series of cardiac tests before returning to play, providing a unique opportunity for researchers to collect data on the athletes’ cardiac status.

Jeudy serves as the cardiac MRI core leader for the Big Ten Cardiac Registry. This registry oversaw the collection of all the data from the individual schools of the Big Ten conference. He reviewed the results of 1,597 cardiac MRI exams collected at the 13 participating schools. 

Thirty-seven of the athletes, or 2.3%, were diagnosed with COVID-19 myocarditis, a percentage on par with the incidence of myocarditis in the general population. However, an alarmingly high proportion of the myocarditis cases were found in athletes with no clinical symptoms. Twenty of the patients with COVID-19 myocarditis (54%) had neither cardiac symptoms nor cardiac testing abnormalities. Only cardiac MRI identified the problem.

Read more details in the article COVID-19 Linked to Heart Inflammation in College Athletes.

Related COVID-19 Imaging and Myocarditis Content:

Overview of Myocarditis Cases Caused by the COVID-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 Linked to Heart Inflammation in College Athletes — RSNA 2021 late-breaker

VIDEO: Cardiac MRI Assessment of Non-ischemic Myocardial Inflammation Caused by COVID-19 Vaccinations — Interview with Kate Hanneman, M.D.

Cardiac MRI of Myocarditis After COVID-19 Vaccination in Adolescents

Large International Study Reveals Spectrum of COVID-19 Brain Complications - RSNA 2021 late-breaker

COVID-19 During Pregnancy Doesn’t Harm Baby’s Brain

VIDEO: Large Radiology Study Reveals Spectrum of COVID-19 Brain Complications — Interview with Scott Faro, M.D.

FDA Adds Myocarditis Warning to COVID mRNA Vaccine Clinician Fact Sheets

Small Number of Patients Have Myocarditis-like Illness After COVID-19 Vaccination

Radiation Dose Management | December 10, 2021

The vendor Radiaction introduced a new type of scatter radiation protection shielding system that mounts to the angiography system in the cath lab. It was shown for the first time at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting.

The system uses a motorized series of tungsten-polymer radiation shield plates that extend down from the detector, and up from the X-ray source, to the patient and bottom of the table. This greatly reduces scatter radiation in the lab, by as much as 92% according to the company's research. 

The shields are deployed using a table-side controller. The shield has sensors to stop extending when it comes close to the patient or the table. The shield can be partly pulled back to enable panning the table. The company said the shield can be mounted on existing angiography C-arms.

It has CE mark and is installed clinically in two cath labs in Israel. The company hopes to submit for U.S. FDA review in 2022.

Related Cath Lab Radiation Dose Reduction Content:

Defining the Cath Lab Workplace Radiation Safety Hazard

VIDEO: Minimizing X-ray Exposure to Physicians During Interventional Procedures With the ControlRad System — Interview with Dr. Simon Dixon

Medical Imaging Radiation Levels in U.S. Dropped Over Past Decade

Philips Developing X-ray Free Cath Lab Imaging to Replace or Supplement Angiography

VIDEO: Reducing Cath Lab Radiation Dose at Henry Ford Hospital

VIDEO: Technologies and Techniques to Reduce Radiation Dose in the Cardiac Cath Lab — Interview with Akshay Khandelwal, M.D.

Dose-Lowering Practices for Cath Lab Angiography

5 Technologies to Reduce Cath Lab Radiation Exposure

VIDEO: Heart Surgeon Shares Effects of Fluoroscopic Radiation Exposure

Helping Interventional Cardiologists Reduce Exposure to Ionizing Radiation

14 Ways to Reduce Radiation Exposure in the Cath Lab

Coronavirus (COVID-19) | December 06, 2021

Kate Hanneman, M.D., MPH FRCPC, director of cardiac imaging research JDMI, and the medical imaging site director at Toronto General Hospital, Women’s College Hospital, was an author on a recent overview of cardiac MRI assessments of non-ischemic myocardial inflammation caused by the COVID-19 vaccine. She presented this study and other related data at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting. 

The rare side effect from the COVID vaccine is seen mainly in young men between ages 12-29. It appears to resolve on its own after a couple days, but longer term monitoring is needed to show if there is any lasting cardiac damage. A small number of single cases with follow up MRI imaging so far have not shown long term damage. 

Hanneman noted the incidence of vaccine-related myocarditis is very rare and people have a much high probability of getting much more serious COVID-viral myocarditis is they are not vaccinated. She said so the risk-vs-benefit analysis currently shows it is better to get vaccinated to prevent or lessen the effects of COVID. 

Related COVID-19 Imaging Content:

Overview of Myocarditis Cases Caused by the COVID-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 Linked to Heart Inflammation in College Athletes — RSNA 2021 late-breaker

Cardiac MRI of Myocarditis After COVID-19 Vaccination in Adolescents

Large International Study Reveals Spectrum of COVID-19 Brain Complications - RSNA 2021 late-breaker

COVID-19 During Pregnancy Doesn’t Harm Baby’s Brain

VIDEO: Large Radiology Study Reveals Spectrum of COVID-19 Brain Complications — Interview with Scott Faro, M.D.

FDA Adds Myocarditis Warning to COVID mRNA Vaccine Clinician Fact Sheets

Small Number of Patients Have Myocarditis-like Illness After COVID-19 Vaccination

Cardiovascular Ultrasound | November 24, 2021

Examples of TrueView and GlassView 3D cardiac ultrasound visualization and artificial intelligence (AI) assisted automated measurements on the Philips Healthcare Epiq CV version 9.0 echo system. The latest version of the system was FDA cleared in October 2021 and shown at the 2021 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting for the first time. The Epiq is an AI-based platform, starting with anatomical intelligence to identify the anatomy being images automatically. The latest version of the system adds additional AI auto measurements and quantification to save time, speed workflow and reduce intra-operator variability. 

The short video shows photo-realistic rendering of the mitral valve and a new feature where the opacity of the tissue can be dialed in our out to show glass-like ghost view of the tissue. This can make it easier to navigate or see anatomical landmarks without rotating or slicing through the image planes in the 3D rendering.

Find more RSNA news and video

Find more cardiac echo technology news
 

EP Lab | November 22, 2021

Christine Albert, M.D., MPH, professor, chair of the Department of Cardiology and the Lee and Harold Kapelovitz Distinguished Chair in Cardiology, and former president of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS). She spoke at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2021 meeting on innovations in electrophysiology (EP) technologies. 

Advances she discusses include:
   • Leadless pacing and CRT systems  
   • Wearable patch heart monitors and that are largely replacing traditional Holter monitors.
   • Pulsed field ablation (also called electroporation) that may improve cardiac ablations and prevent damage to underlying tissues.
   • Cryo-ablation balloons.
   • Improved EP mapping technologies.
   • and left atrial appendage (LAA) occluders.

Find more EP lab technology news

Find More AHA 2021 Late-breaking News

Genetic Testing | November 22, 2021

Susan Cheng, M.D., MPH, director of the Institute for Research on Healthy Aging in the Department of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai, moderated the Best Science in Cardiovascular Genetics and Genomics: Building Blocks to Better Outcomes, at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2021 meeting. She is an expert in cardiac genetic testing and said tailoring LDL-lowering drug therapy based on routine genetic tests is coming, but is still a few years off.

Find more AHA 2021 late-breaking studies and video

Pharmaceuticals | November 22, 2021

Susan Cheng, M.D., MPH, director of the Institute for Research on Healthy Aging in the Department of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai and the Erika J. Glazer Chair in Women's Cardiovascular Health and Population Science, led a discussion at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2021 meeting on novel therapeutics for the lipid lowering treatments. 

She discusses bempedoic acid, inclisiran to reduce LDL-C, icosapent ethyl and the use of genetic testing to further reduce high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in patients were statin therapy is not enough.

Cheng discusses more in the VIDEO: Use of Genetic Testing to Tailor Lipid Lowering Therapies.

Find more AHA 2021 late-breaking studies and video

 

Radiation Dose Management | November 17, 2021

Dr. Simon Dixon, MBChB, chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, the Dorothy Susan Timmis Endowed Chair of Cardiology, and a professor of medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, spoke at the 2021 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting about a study Beaumont performed to lower radiation dose in the cath lab by more than 50%.

Using a new angiographic collimation technology from ControlRad, it helped cut radiation dose to interventional cardiologists by 57%. The device collimates the area of interest where the physicians are working, and reduces the dose significantly to peripheral areas in the image. This reduces exposure to ionizing X-ray radiation scatter from the imaging system. It is one of two new radiation protection systems used at Beaumont.

The ControlRad device, approved for commercial cath lab use by the FDA in December 2020, is retrofitted to X-ray equipment in the catheterization lab. It creates a type of aperture that collimates the image area being viewed. By using a touch pad attached to the table side rail, the cardiologist controls the aperture to narrow or widen the field of view on the X-ray, which in turn reduces the amount of radiation used to produce the images. It works with gloves on.

For the study, cath lab workers wore radiation-detecting badges near their thyroid and inside their lead apron during procedures. Another badge was placed on a wall inside the lab. The study detected a 55% to 57% decrease in radiation exposure at the thyroid position of the main cardiologist, or lead operator, and a 49% decrease in radiation exposure to the cardiologist assisting, or operator 2. The badge on the wall detected a 38% decrease in radiation exposure, reflecting the dose savings to other cath lab staff further away from the imaging system.

Beaumont is also using the the Protego system, which places a barrier wall between the imaging equipment and the operator and staff in the cath lab. While it does not protect the patient from radiation during their procedure, it is designed to allow staff to work in the cath lab without wearing a heavy lead apron.

Find links to all the TCT 2021 late-breakers

Find more TCT news

EP Lab | October 04, 2021

Khaldoun Tarakji, M.D., MPH, associate section head, cardiac electrophysiology, Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic, was the lead author on a followup study to the landmark WRAP-IT trial that showed the Tyrx bioresorbable antibacterial envelope was shown it significantly lower infection risk for patients who receive cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) and develop hematomas.[1] 

The study results showed an 82% reduction in major infection among patients with hematoma in patients who had received the Tyrx. It is a antimicrobial envelope that is used to place implantable electrophysiology (EP) devices inside prior to closing the device pocket. While the envelope itself did not prevent hemotomas, as the rate was the same in the control group with out it, the Tyrx did lower infection rates in patients with hemotomas.

Read more in the article Tyrx Absorbable Antibacterial Envelope Effectively Reduces Infections in Cardiac Device Patients with Hematomas.

 

Reference:

1. Khaldoun G. Tarakji, Panagiotis Korantzopoulos, Francois Philippon, Jeff D. Lande, Swathi Seshadri, Bruce L. Wilkoff, et al. Infectious consequences of hematoma from cardiac implantable electronic device procedures and the role of the antibiotic envelope: A WRAP-IT Trial Analysis. Heart Rhythm. Punlished online July 16, 2021. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2021.07.011.

 

Cardiovascular Information Systems (CVIS) | August 31, 2021

One of the trends in cardiovascular information system (CVIS) and radiology PACS at the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2021 conference was the deeper integration of third-party image analysis software and artificial intelligence (AI) into these systems. This eliminates software sitting on top of the CVIS or PACS, separate logins or needing to us a different screen or manually transferring information from the third-party app in into the final report.

A good example of this was Siemens Healthineers, which demonstrated a deep integration with Epsilon Imaging’s echocardiography strain imaging analysis software. The integration eliminates the need for a separate login to the software, and automated quantification and images are carried over directly into the syngo echo report.

Strain can be used to assess cardiac function more precisely than regular cardiac ultrasound exams. It has grown in its use for cardio-oncology programs, assessing a baseline cardiac function and the. Performing serial exams over the course of a cancer patient’s chemotherapy. Strain has seen growing interest and has been a hot topic the past couple years at the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) meeting. Interest also has expanded greatly recently with reimbursement now available in the U.S.

Siemens said there also has been increased interest in strain this past year because it can show early indicators of cardiac issues in COVID-19 patients and can be used to help monitor COVID myocarditis patients.
 

Related Strain Echo and HIMSS Content:

VIDEO: An Overview of Echo Strain Imaging — Interview with Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, M.D.

Global Longitudinal Strain Echo Offers Early Detection of Cardiotoxicity Heart Damage From Chemotherapy

Strain Imaging Improves Cardiac Surveillance of Certain Breast Cancer Patients

VIDEO: Assessing Cardiotoxicity Response With Cardio-Oncology Echo Imaging — Interview with Federico Asch, M.D.

Assessing Cardiotoxicity Due to Cancer Therapy

 

Advances in CVIS and Enterprise iImaging at HIMSS 21

VIDEO: Cardiology AI Aggregates Patient Data and Enables Interactive Risk Assessments

Photo Gallery of New Technologies at HIMSS 2021

VIDEO: Importance of Body Part Labeling in Enterprise Imaging — Interview with Alex Towbin, M.D., at HIMSS21

VIDEO: Coordinating Followup for Radiology Incidental Findings — Interview with David Danhauer, M.D., at HIMSS21

Cardiovascular Information Systems (CVIS) | August 31, 2021

The vendor MediCardia demonstrated smart software to aggregate cardiology patient data from numerous locations into one place at the 2021 Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference. This enables one dashboard view of the patient's relevant cardiac history, prior exams, imaging, ECGs, labs and procedures. It also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to pull key data elements about the patient to automatically create risk assessments based on current guidelines in a graphical format.

The interactive system also allows the cardiologist to adjust parameters in the patient risk score to immediately show the patient any impact on their score. This includes if they stopped smoking, began taking statins, etc. The dynamic graphics of the system are also designed to be more engaging with a patient during consultations, rather than plain white pages of reports.

MediCardia HeartChart is a cardiology-focused virtual care platform that serves as a unified and common interface for EHRs and remote technologies including wearables, consumer home medical devices, and implanted cardiac rhythm devices. 

Related HIMSS CVIS and PACS Content:

Read about more advances in PACS and enterprise imaging at HIMSS 21.

VIDEO: Example of Epsilon Strain Imaging Deep Integration With Siemens CVIS

Photo Gallery of New Technologies at HIMSS 2021

VIDEO: Importance of Body Part Labeling in Enterprise Imaging — Interview with Alex Towbin, M.D.

VIDEO: Coordinating Followup for Radiology Incidental Findings — Interview with David Danhauer, M.D.

Cardiovascular Ultrasound | August 17, 2021

A new ultrasound imaging technology that may offer novel ways to diagnose and better understand cardiac diseases using dynamic blood flow imaging. This allows imaging of individual blood cells or contrast bubbles as they travel through the heart and vessels, showing detail in how the blood moves and swirls. These motions, including the formation of vortices, may offer new insight into different disease states and allow earlier diagnosis and a understand better when to intervene.

The examples shown in this short video are from Hitachi and GE Healthcare, both of which have highlighted this technology at the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) annual meetings over the past four years.

Ultrasound vendors use different technology approaches, including vector flow imaging, particle imaging velocimetry and blood speckle tracking. All of them show small lines or arrows to indicate the direction the blood cells or bubbles are traveling, and color codes to indicate velocity. Some vendors offer quantification for some new measures of blood flow, but as of yet, there are no guidelines or standardized indexes as to what these numbers mean.

This technology has been discussed in research sessions at the IEEE and the ASE over the past several years. However, more research is needed to show the prognostic value of the technology. Research to date shows it is possible that the swirling of blood can indicate less efficient flow, which may have implications in the development of heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and advancement of valvular disease. In the coronary arteries, research has shown there may be a connection between sheer stresses and disrupted blood flow in the formation of plaques on artery walls.

Companies that have developed echo blood flow dynamics imaging on their ultrasound systems to date include Hitachi, GE Healthcare, Fujifilm, Mindray and BK Medical. 

Read more about this technology from ASE 2021 in the article Development of Echo Blood Flow Dynamics Imaging.
 

Related Dynamic Blood Flow Echo Imaging Content:

Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee Adopts Latest Echocardiography Imaging Software

A Glimpse Into the Future of Cardiac Ultrasound

Analogic Introduces New Premium Cardiac Imaging Software for bk3500 Ultrasound System

Improving Stent Designs With Computational Fluid Dynamics

VIDEO: Editor's Choice of Most Innovative New Cardiac Ultrasound Technology at ASE 2017

EP Lab | August 02, 2021

Jass Brooks, vice president of global strategic marketing, Biosense Webster, explains four over-arching electrophysiology (EP) trends at the 2021 Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) meeting. The vendor is working on developing, or has introduced, new technologies in each of these four areas.  She said the key technology trends include:

   • Pulsed field ablation (also called electroporation) as a new way to ablate cardiac tissue without damaging underlying structures like the esophagus. 

   • The introduction of 3D/4D intra-cardiac echo (ICE) imaging to better guide procedures.

   • High-density electromapping systems that create more accurate maps of the electrical activity in the heart and can do so faster than previous generation mapping systems.

   • The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into EP systems to speed workflow.

Key among this company's new product introductions at HRS 2021 was the Octaray high-density electro-mapping catheter, which enables faster mapping with a larger number of points. This enables more detailed maps of the heart's electrical activity and may imporve ablation procedure guidance and outcomes. Recent changes to the Carto electro-mapping system now enables integration of this new technology.

Biosense Webster also introduced the Nuvision 4-D intra-cardiac echo (ICE) ultrasound catheter with imaging support from GE Healthcare Vivid Ultra Edition ultrasound systems. This moved ICE beyond 2-D imaging to real-time 3-D and 4-D imaging inside the heart to enable better procedural navigation and visualization of the catheters within in the heart.

Find additional HRS 2021 late breaking trials

Find more EP device news

Find more HRS 2021 conference news

EP Lab | August 02, 2021

Samir Saba, M.D., co-director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Heart and Vascular Institute, and chief, Division of Cardiology, explains the SMART MSP (Multi-Site Pacing) study. This late-breaking clinical trial was presented at the 2021 Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) meeting. It evaluated the safety and effectiveness of multi-site pacing in initial non-responders to conventional cardiac resynchronization therapy with the goal of increasing response cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

CRT nonresponders make up a sizable minority of patients, about one-third. Saba said this trial, was designed to try and chip away and reduce that number. Multi-site pacing has been debated as alternative to single site pacing for several years and this trial offers additional data in support of MSP.

The trial tested the efficacy and safety of the Boston Scientific Resonate X4 CRT-D system. This device allows multi-site pacing to be turned on or off at any time by the electrophysiologist. In the study, patients who did not respond had the multi-site pacing feature turned on, which resulted in 51% of the nonresponders to respond to therapy. 

Find additional HRS 2021 late breaking trials

Find more EP device news

Find more HRS 2021 conference news

 

 

Artificial Intelligence | July 01, 2021

Federico Asch, M.D., FASE, director of cardiovascular core labs, cardiovascular imaging, MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, D.C., was involved in a study that used artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate echocardiograms to identify COVID-19 patients who were at high risk for complications and mortality. The study also compared human vs. AI variability in reading the stories and found much less variability with the machine reviews. He presented the results from the WASE-COVID Study at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) 2021 meetings. 

Asch also offers insights about AI applications in echocardiography and how the technology will help improve imaging and reduce the variability in how measurements are made, which will decrease the current level of variability in how exams are performed by human operators. He also explains AI is now available to help guide novice ultrasound users to get optimal cardiac ultrasound images.

Find more content on artificial intelligence in cardiology

Find more cardiology related COVID-19 content

Find more news from ASE

Congenital Heart | May 26, 2021

Tom Jones, M.D., director, cardiac catheterization laboratories, Seattle Children’s Hospital, explains some of the new technologies being used to treat congenital heart disease. He discusses the recent trial he served as principle investigator for the new Harmony transcatheter pulmonary valve, the development of a bioresorbable transcatheter septal occluder device, development of large bioresorbable stents for use in pediatric cases, and use of virtual and augmented reality to better understand and guide very complex congenital heart procedures. Jones also explains a patient case where a 3-D printed heart and vessels from the patient helped the heart team understand all the options and how to tackle a valve replacement in a child with a single ventricle.

Jones shared some of these advances in congenital heart intervention sessions at the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2021 meeting. 

 

Recent Technology Advances in Congenital Heart:

FDA Clears First Device to Treat Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Congenital Heart Disease 

VIDEO: Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Has Good Outcomes at 1 Year — Interview with Tom Jones, M.D.

Medtronic Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Demonstrates Positive Early Clinical Outcomes at One Year

FDA Expands Indication for Melody Transcatheter Valve for Failed Surgical Valves

VIDEO: Use of Virtual Reality to Aid Congenital Heart Disease — Interview with David M. Axelrod, M.D.

 

Bioresorbable Pulmonary Valve Replacement May Enable Cardiovascular Regeneration

VIDEO: Transcatheter Closure of Holes in the Heart — Interview with Ziyad Hijazi, M.D.

Nemours Children's Health System Uses 3-D Printing to Deliver Personalized Care

Children's Hospital Los Angeles Cardiologist Creates Modified Stent for 18-month-old Using Printed 3-D Model

PolyVascular Awarded $2 Million Small Business Innovation Research Grant to Bring the First Polymer-Based Heart Valve for Children to Clinical Trials

 

Bioresorbable ASD Occluder Prepares to Enter U.S. Clinical Trial

FDA Approves Abbott's Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder

Critical Need for Pediatric Electrophysiology Devices is Focus of Medical Device Competition 

Lab-created Heart Valves Can Grow With the Patient

SCAI Issues Position Statement on Adult Congenital Cardiac Interventional Training, Competencies and Organizational Recommendations

 

Abbott Receives European CE Mark for Two Pediatric Heart Devices

ASE Releases Guidelines for Transesophageal Echo in Congenital Heart Disease

Find more congenital heart disease (CHD) content

Robotic Systems | May 18, 2021

Ehtisham Mahmud, M.D., division chief of cardiovascular medicine, director of interventional cardiology and the cardiac cath lab at the University of California at San Diego Health, explains how cath lab robotic systems may soon enable interventionalists to perform emergency stroke thrombectomy in patients hundreds of miles away. Corindus/Siemens Healthineers is developing its Corpath GRX robotic system to enable remote telemedicine procedures. Mahmud said this could help significantly improve access to acute stroke care interventions in rural areas. 

Today, the standard of care for stroke is similar to STEMI heart attacks from 40 years ago where tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is administered in attempts to break up the clot causing ischemic strokes. Outcomes in STEMI greatly improved in the late 1980s and 1990s with the proliferation of angioplasty and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) stenting procedures, which became the standard of care in cardiology. Mahmud said acute stroke interventions are following a similar path, but there just are not enough neuro-interventional operators to create large networks for stroke similar to what is now established for STEMI.

He said the Corpath robotic interventions are already conducted remotely from across the room in the cath lab. The idea is that it does not matter if a patient is 10 feet away in the same room or 200 miles away at a smaller hospital to conduct these procedures. This could go a long way to overcoming vast healthcare disparities in smaller, rural hospitals that are far removed from larger centers that are better equipped, and more importantly, have the specialities needed for these procedures.

Once this technology is cleared for use, Mahmud said cardiologists already have the technical skills to perform emergency thrombectomies, but need to learn more about the neuro-vascular bed and how to deal with any adverse events during or after a procedure. He said this lays the ground for creating neuro-cardiology partnerships or care teams to enable this type of care in the near future. 

 

Related Robots in the Cath Lab Content:

VIDEO: Robotic PCI Performed Well in Real-World Population in the PRECISION GRX Study — Ehtisham Mahmud, M.D.

Second Generation Robotic PCI System Performs Well Across Spectrum of Lesion Complexity

VIDEO: Standardizing PCI Through Smart Robotic Procedural Automation

Corindus Launches technIQ 1 Smart Procedural Automation Series for CorPath GRX Cath lab Robotic System

FDA Clears Corindus CorPath GRX for Peripheral Vascular Interventions

VIDEO: Corindus CorPath Robotic PCI System For The Cardiac Cath Lab

Corindus CorPath Used in World's First-in-Human Telerobotic Coronary Intervention

14 Ways to Reduce Radiation Exposure in the Cath Lab

Corindus Seeking Neurovascular Intervention Clearance for CorPath GRX Vascular Robotic System

Innovations Driving the Cath Lab Technology of Tomorrow

Siemens Completes Acquisition of Cath Lab Robotics Vendor Corindus

First Robotic Coronary Angioplasties Performed With Robocath System in Germany

Hoag Performs First Robotic Carotid Artery Stenting on West Coast
 

Find more news from the SCAI 2021 virtual meeting

 

 

Robotic Systems | May 18, 2021

Ehtisham Mahmud, M.D., division chief of cardiovascular medicine, director of interventional cardiology and the cardiac cath lab at the University of California at San Diego Health, was the principle investigator for a trial that looked at the latest generation of cath lab robotics in a real-world patient population. 

The late-breaking PRECISION GRX Study was presented at the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2021 meeting. It looked at the use of robotic PCI in real-world patients across a spectrum of lesion complexity. This included use in total chronic occlusions (CTOs), and ostial and bifurcation lesions. 

The robot system allows the operator to sit in a lead-lined booth outside the radiation field to perform the procedures sitting down, and they do not need to wear lead.

Read more on this study — Second Generation Robotic PCI System Performs Well Across Spectrum of Lesion Complexity

 

Related Robots in the Cath Lab Content:

VIDEO: Standardizing PCI Through Smart Robotic Procedural Automation

Corindus Launches technIQ 1 Smart Procedural Automation Series for CorPath GRX Cath lab Robotic System

FDA Clears Corindus CorPath GRX for Peripheral Vascular Interventions

VIDEO: Corindus CorPath Robotic PCI System For The Cardiac Cath Lab

Corindus CorPath Used in World's First-in-Human Telerobotic Coronary Intervention

14 Ways to Reduce Radiation Exposure in the Cath Lab

Corindus Seeking Neurovascular Intervention Clearance for CorPath GRX Vascular Robotic System

Innovations Driving the Cath Lab Technology of Tomorrow

Siemens Completes Acquisition of Cath Lab Robotics Vendor Corindus

First Robotic Coronary Angioplasties Performed With Robocath System in Germany

Hoag Performs First Robotic Carotid Artery Stenting on West Coast
 

Find more news from the SCAI 2021 virtual meeting

Structural Heart | May 13, 2021

Tom Jones, M.D., director, cardiac catheterization laboratories, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and principle investigator of the Medtronic Harmony transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) trial 1-year results that were presented as a late breaking trial at  Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2021 Scientific Sessions.

New study results validate the effectiveness of the Harmony TPV system for patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) and severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR). The Harmony TPV is designed to be a less invasive treatment option for patients with a congenital heart defect irregularity in their right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) that requires a pulmonary valve placement to restore valve function. 

Read more details in th article One-year Results of the Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Trial Presented at SCAI 2021. 
 

Related Pulmonary Valve Content:

FDA Clears First Device to Treat Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Congenital Heart Disease 

FDA Clears Sapien for Pulmonary Valve

Medtronic Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Demonstrates Positive Early Clinical Outcomes at One Year

Medtronic Shares Two-Year Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Results

FDA Expands Indication for Melody Transcatheter Valve for Failed Surgical Valves

Find more congenital heart disease (CHD) content

Radial Access | May 06, 2021

Arnold Seto, M.D., MPA, FSCAI, chief of cardiology, Long Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center and director, interventional cardiology research, UCI Health, and Jordan Safirstein, M.D., FSCAI, director of transradial intervention, Atlantic Health's Morristown Medical Center, were involved in a physician-initiated study to find a new way to cut radial artery access site hemostasis by 50 percent. The late-breaking study presented at SCAI 2021 uses a combination of a StatSeal patch and the TR Band compression bracelet.

Cardiac catherization is increasingly bing performed using transradial approach, now making up 50 percent or more of the access used for U.S. interventional procedures. The Terumo TR Band is used to close the vascular access site. Standard protocols require the band to be left on for at least two hours following the procedure. 

Shorter compression times can help reduce complications with radial artery occlusion, so it is desirable to find ways to shorten compression times, Seto said. He explained clinicians often start to deflate the wrist band balloon after an hour and watch for ooze or blood. If there are signs the wound is not completely sealed, the band is reinflated. Reinflations occurs more that 67 percent of the time, he explained.

"We found with the Statseal, you almost never have to reinflate," Seto said. 

This study shows that time can be reduced in half and with fewer complications by using the additional patch device, which helps sped the clotting process. This can save staff time and possibly leading to faster patient discharge for same-day PCI programs. 

Read more in the article Radial Hemostasis Time Cut by 50 Percent With StatSeal in Combination With TR Band.

SCAI 2021 Late-breaking Clinical Study Results

Find more news from the SCAI 2021 virtual meeting

Coronavirus (COVID-19) | May 06, 2021

Payam Dehghani, M.D.,  FRCPC, FACC, FSCAI, co-director of Prairie Vascular Research and associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan, explains the findings of the North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction (NACMI) Registry. He presented this late-breaking study data at the at the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2021 meeting.

The study found one third of patients will die who have COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) and suffer a ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), which is alarming high as compared to four-in-100 patients using a pre-pandemic control group.

 The prospective, ongoing observational registry was created under the guidance of the SCAI, Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology (CAIC) and American College of Cardiology (ACC). The initial results of the registry were published in the Journal for American College of Cardiology (JACC) on April 27, 2021.

Important key findings from the registry data include:
   • Minorities were disproportionally affected: 55 percent of the STEMI patients had minority ethnicity, which was about evenly divided between Hispanics and blacks.
   • In-hospital mortality was high: 33 percent (4 percent for controls without COVID).
   • Symptoms were unique: majority (54 percent) presented with respiratory symptoms (shortness of breath) rather than chest pain.
   • Significant proportion of COVID-positive patients presented with high-risk STEMI: cardiogenic shock (18 percent) and cardiac arrest (11 percent), which may explain the high fatality rate.
   • Primary angioplasty remained the dominant revascularization modality during the pandemic with small treatment delays (at about 15 minutes). 
   • Diabetics are known to have some of the worst outcomes if they contract COVID, and this was reflected in the study, with 45 percent of patients having diabetes. 

Read more in the artice Third of COVID Patients With STEMI Heart Attacks Die.

Find more COVID-19 news and video

SCAI 2021 Late-breaking Clinical Study Results

Find more news from the SCAI 2021 virtual meeting

 

Cath Lab | May 05, 2021

Ashwin Nathan M.D., a cardiology fellow in the division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, presented a late-breaking study at the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2021 meeting that looked at hospital-level percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performance data and simulated if what would happen if hospitals removed their highest risk patients. The findings suggest this risk avoidance strategy does not necessarily mean the hospital will get higher performance scores.

Read more in the article Avoiding High-risk Cath Lab Procedures Does Not Necessarily Improve Hospital Scores.

SCAI 2021 Late-breaking Clinical Study Results

Find more news from the SCAI 2021 virtual meeting

Structural Heart | April 30, 2021

Ashwin Nathan M.D., a cardiology fellow at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, presented a late-breaking study on the socioeconomic and geographic access to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) programs at the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2021 Scientific Sessions.

The findings reveal inequitable access to TAVR programs for non-metropolitan or lower income areas across the country. Between 2012 and 2018, 554 hospitals developed new TAVR programs including 543 (98%) in metropolitan areas, and 293 (52.9%) in metropolitan areas with pre-existing TAVR programs. Compared with hospitals that did not start TAVR programs, hospitals that did start TAVR programs treated patients with higher median household incomes (difference $1,305, 95% CI $134 to $12,477, p=0.03). Furthermore, TAVR rates per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries were higher in areas with higher median income, despite adjusting for age and clinical comorbidities.

The authors also acknowledge that increasing access to TAVR and structural heart programs will require foresight into how clinical trials and approval for procedures and technologies at hospitals are distributed.

Read more about this study

Find more news from the SCAI 2021 virtual meeting

Cardiogenic Shock | April 28, 2021

William O’Neill, M.D., medical director of the Center for Structural Heart Disease at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, explains final data from the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative Study (NCSI), The study, presented as a late-breaker at the  Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2021 Virtual Scientific Sessions today, showed NCSI protocols increased cardiogenic shock survival from 50% to 72%. This involves using Impella hemodynamic support prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Find more news from the SCAI 2021 virtual meeting

 

Related Cardiogenic Shock Content:

VIDEO: How to Reduce Cardiogenic Shock Mortality by 50 Percent — Interview with h Babar Basir, D.O.

SCAI Releases New Consensus Document on Classification Stages of Cardiogenic Shock

VIDEO: The Importance of Ventricular Unloading in AMI and Cardiogenic Shock — Interview with Nevin Kapur, M.D.

VIDEO: Cardiogenic Shock Initiative Continues to Reduce Mortality by 50 Percent — Interview with William O’Neill, M.D.

10 Reasons Why it is Time to Learn More About Cardiogenic Shock — by Emmanouil S. Brilakis, M.D.

New Approaches to Reduce Cardiogenic Shock Mortality

VIDEO: Overview of the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative — Interview with William O’Neill, M.D.

Subscribe Now