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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
On Wednesday, November 1, results from the Objective Randomized Blinded Investigation with Optimal Medical Therapy of Angioplasty in Stable Angina (ORBITA) study were published in The Lancet.
The next day, this article was published in the New York Times:
"A procedure used to relieve chest pain in hundreds of thousands of heart patients each year is useless for many of them," it began... "The new study, published in the Lancet, stunned leading cardiologists by countering decades of clinical experience. The findings raise questions about whether stents should be used so often—or at all—to treat chest pain."
Without further knowledge, the debate may start right here—the New York Times article had little in the way of medical detail to satisfy invasive cardiovascular professionals and may have further generalized results in a misleading manner.
But let's hold off on reacting, look at the debate surrounding this particular study and also place the findings in a wider context (part two). Note: this isn't the first time it has been suggested that stents are overused.
Continue reading Stents not effective? Study sparks debate pt. 1
Genetic arrhythmia programs are paving new roads for personalized cardiac care—from preventing unnecessary cautionary testing or treatment to improving screening.
Melvin Scheinman, MD—the first person to perform catheter ablation for arrhythmia in a human patient, now chief of the Comprehensive Genetic Arrhythmia Program at the University of California, San Francisco—believes genetic testing will lead to the "ultimate form of personalized medicine," writes Gregory A. Freeman of HealthLeaders Magazine.
"If you examine the genetic background of a patient, you may be able to identify sensitivity to specific drugs, propensity for developing some very serious heart disorders, and at the same time rule out those same things for other people," said Scheinman to HealthLeaders.
"That is really what personalized medicine is all about—delivering the right care to the patient because you truly understand the patient and don't have to treat him or her as just a member of a group with certain statistical risks."
A proliferation of genetic arrhythmia programs "across the country" have been introducing new, measured responses to a sudden cardiac death in the family—preventive healthcare for some, but not all family members.
Continue reading Future of cardiology: personalized care through genetics?