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Working in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab (CCL) means daily exposure to ionizing radiation. Every procedure relies on X-ray imaging, an essential tool for patient care but one that carries inherent risks for staff. With consistent exposure over time, it becomes critical for Cath Lab professionals to take proactive steps to minimize radiation-related health effects.
Continue reading Protecting Yourself from Radiation in the Cardiac Cath Lab – By Sarah Ertley
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Is your hospital keeping pace with the rapid evolution of medical technology? In high-acuity environments such as the cardiac catheterization laboratory, advancements in equipment and communication systems are not merely conveniences—they are critical drivers of efficiency, precision, and patient outcomes. From my experience working across eight different hospitals during clinical and professional rotations, the impact of up-to-date technology on workflow and case management is both immediate and measurable.
Continue reading Technological Advancements in the Cath Lab – By Sarah Ertley
Noninvasive CT angiography and CT myocardial stress perfusion imaging can adequately predict heart attacks and major adverse cardiovascular events, according to a study published yesterday in Radiology—no invasive coronary angiography (ICA) required.
Invasive coronary angiography (ICA), along with stress tests and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) imaging, has long been the "gold standard" for making determinations of whether a lesion is hemodynamically significant and likely to result in major adverse cardiovascular events, reads a Radiological Society of North America press release.
But this "gold standard" has its drawbacks—in costs and risk.
Continue reading CT angiography and stress tests can predict heart attacks
Laboratory medicine experts discovered a new lipid biomarker panel to detect heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) even before symptoms present, with "much greater certainty than standard tests for this condition," according to a January 5 press release from the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC).
The January issue of the AACC's journal, Clinical Chemistry focuses on cardiovascular disease and features research reflecting a "growing understanding of the molecular signatures of heart disease," according to the press release, and a trend towards developing "more precise tests for the early diagnosis, monitoring, and targeted treatment."
The study in question identified three new cardiac lipid biomarkers, a cardiac lipid panel (CLP), which "significantly improved diagnostic performance" when combined with the current standard biomarker approach for diagnosing heart failure, NT-proBNP.
Continue reading AACC scientists identify new cardiac biomarker