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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
A new joint report released today by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) offers practitioners and stakeholders ten evidence-based quality and performance measures to prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD).
"This is the first comprehensive measure set in the area of SCD prevention," says Sana Al-Khatib, MD, co-chair of the report writing committee in an ACC press release. "Our vision is that these measures will be developed, tested and implemented in clinical practice and that implementation will improve patient care and outcomes."
The American Heart Association reports more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occurring in 2016 with only 12 percent of people surviving to hospital discharge. These approximate statistics suggest more than 308,000 sudden cardiac deaths per year.
Continue reading ACC and AHA Release 10 “Comprehensive” Measures to Combat Sudden Cardiac Death
Sophisticated statistics in medical research can be hard to translate to layman's terms, and when they are, these common misinterpretations can be downright misleading.
In 1999, media reports resulting from a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine wrongly suggested that black patients and women were 40 percent less likely than white patients and men, respectively, to undergo cardiac catheterization.
The study's authors had used odds ratios to describe the significance of their findings—a common practice among statistically sophisticated researchers—which showed that black patients and women were definitely less likely to be referred for invasive procedures than white patients and men, but not how much less likely.
Continue reading Two common ways you might misinterpret medical research