What is MyoCell therapy and what are the advantages of using myoblast cells in particular for treatment of myocardial tissue?
MyoCell therapy utilizes autologous (patient-derived) skeletal myoblast cells injected percutaneously into damaged myocardium via catheter with the intended purpose of improving ventricular function. Myoblasts are muscle progenitors and fulfill two of the criteria of adult stem cells: they can differentiate into mature skeletal muscle cells and they can divide to replenish themselves. Progenitor cells, which are present in all of us at

For patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the early use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to restore coronary perfusion is associated with significant reductions in mortality and morbidity. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) practice guidelines recommend a door-to-balloon time goal of 90 minutes when primary PCI is indicated.

Caring for Atlanta for more than 125 years, Saint Joseph’s Hospital is the city’s oldest hospital and one of the leading acute-care referral centers in the Southeast. Saint Joseph&r

Introduction
Managing the planning, operation and results of a cardiac catheterization laboratory in a general public university hospital is definitely an enormous task, especially when the hospital budget does not include the cath lab. We are reporting the financial results of our first 1,000 cases in the university public hospital, Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Fray Antonio Alcalde,” serving a population of approximately 6 million people in the northwestern part of Mexico. Our hospital is the largest hospital in our country, with 1500 beds for the ma

Why did you choose to work in the invasive cardiology field?
I spent approximately 15 years employed in sawmills, working my way from cleanup to foreman before being laid off in September of 1991. One week after the layoff, I was back in school. Five years later, I graduated from Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) as an x-ray technologist. I spent 2+ years working nights as a diagnostic x-ray tech, mostly in the emergency department. I had been introduced to the cath lab during my training at OIT and was hooked. When a job opened at Oregon Heart & Vascular I

Data presented at the 2006 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting suggested that drug-eluting stents (DES) might not be as safe as bare-metal stents (BMS). Now, it appears the tide has changed. Why?
Concerns about the safety of DES were initially prompted by data from studies such as the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR), the Bern-Rotterdam Registry, and two meta-analyses assessing somewhat unconventional endpoints which suggested DES may cause harm. Since that time, an abundance of data — from both randomized clinical trials

In today’s competitive market for cardiovascular services, job opportunities within the specialty have increased as a result of nationwide program growth. And, current vacancy and staff turnover rates further contribute to retention being a significant challenge for many organizations. Based on this scenario, staff retention should always be considered of major importance to hospital and service line leaders.
Industry estimates reveal that the increased expenses for recruitment and relocation of new staff, overtime rates to ensure adequate coverage during the hiring process,

A female patient was diagnosed with triple-vessel disease, requiring coronary artery bypass surgery in 1985. After a 10-day length of stay, she was discharged to home and started on a regimen of cardiac medications. Within months, a complete recovery from surgery was achieved. Subsequently, a visible necrotic lump appeared on the patient’s left breast. A mammography diagnosed a malignant breast mass requiring further evaluation. A bone scan revealed metastatic disease with a diagnosis of stage IV breast cancer. A left mastectomy was performed for prophylactic infectious reasons. <

“We have some physicians that do unusual things when trying to analyze valves. What is the correct way?” — RCIS Online student

Part II.

In the April issue (Part I), we presented some ideas about how to interrogate the aortic valve.
In this month’s article, we will cover mitral valve analysis. Many of the same principles apply as with the aortic valve. Let’s review some of the principles of mitral valve analysis:

1. To analyze a valve, you must know the pressure on each side of the valve.
2. Tricuspid and mitra

SICP Chapter News

The Illinois Chapter of the Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals held its spring meeting March 12, 2008 at Restaurant La Strada, Hoffman Estates, IL. The topic of discussion was “Updates in Treatment Strategies in PCI” presented by Timothy A. Sanborn, MD, Head, Division of Cardiology, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare - Professor of Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. SICP members were honored to have Dr. Sanborn present at the meeting. The meeting was a great success, with over 50 attendees from

Answer or pose a question at cathlabdigest@aol.com.

New Questions

Inventory Coordinator Duties
At the Medical University of South Carolina, we are trying to gather more information about a specific job title that was represented in the Cath Lab Digest March 2008 Salary Survey results. The job title was Inventory Coordinator. I’m looking for qualifications and job descriptions from any hospital that has this position. Thank you!
Kelly N. Howard, RT(R)
Billing/Supply Coordinator