What is the size of your cath lab facility and number of staff members?

Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital is comprised of five cardiac suites, one cardiac/peripheral suite, and one endovascular suite. We are in the process of renovating one of the cath lab suites, which will function as a combo cardiac/peripheral suite.

Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital’s cath lab has a combination of registered nurses (RNs), registered cardiac invasive specialists (RCISs), and radiologic technologists (RTs).

We have a total of 38 staff: 21 RNs (12 full-time, 2 part-time a

LUMEN, a meeting focusing on both the “process and procedure” of ST-elevation myocardial infarction and chaired by SINCERE database operator Dr. Sameer Mehta, took place February 26-28, 2009 in Miami, Florida.

If done within 90 minutes of presentation, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) remains the first choice to save the lives of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, but the United States remains behind much of the western world in timely access to this procedure, concluded presenters at LUMEN 2009. Healthcare providers must coordinate effor

Introduction

Congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries occur with a reported incidence of 0.3% to 1.3% of the population undergoing a coronary angiography procedure. The most frequently found anomalies include a circumflex artery (CX) originating with a separate ostium from the left sinus of Valsalva, or left coronary cusp; an origin of the CX taking off from the right coronary artery; or the CX arising separately from the right sinus of Valsalva, or right coronary cusp.

Representing one of the rarest forms of coronary anomalies is an origin of the entire left coronary artery

While controversies rage about the relative merits of angioplasty, stents, bypass surgery and other forms of mechanical revascularization, it is our view that interventional cardiologists should take a more holistic view of the complex process of coronary artery disease, and broaden our horizons regarding therapies we could and should be providing.

Coronary artery disease represents a spectrum of diseases that vary from single to multi-vessel disease, which is associated with multiple clinical situations and conditions. There are many variables that must be taken into consideration prior to

Partnering two systems at Florida Hospital provides improved inventory management and charge capture

Florida Hospital has long been interested in applying information technology to internal processes. So when it came time to evaluate systems for its newly opened Ginsburg Tower, a 15-story cardiac tower that houses 440 new patient beds, as well as one of the largest emergency departments and cardiac catheterization labs in the country, it is no surprise that the use of RFID (radiofrequency identification) was at the top of the list.

The appeal of RFID was primarily due to its ha

My husband and I were on vacation in Florida for two weeks. We had a place on the ocean and it was beautiful. The first week was cool, then it started warming up on Saturday and Sunday, and it was 80 and sunny. The forecast for the second week was the same, so we were excited. Monday was beautiful and we worked out for an hour, had breakfast and went to the beach. I had a feeling of fullness in the morning, but I worked out anyway and it never got worse, so I ignored it. We had a great day. At three o’clock I went up to get ready for happy hour with my husband, and his aunt and uncle. I had

A small cath lab has a big impact in Louisiana

Green Clinic Surgical Hospital is an acute care hospital with ten inpatient beds, located in northern Louisiana in the heart of Ruston, which is home to Louisiana Tech University. The hospital opened its diagnostic cath lab in October 2003, and first began performing elective percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in April 2004. The hospital contains one cardiac catheterization lab that performs elective heart catheterizations, temporary and permanent cardiac pacemaker implants, cardioversions, elective coronary stent placement (bo

This year, the United States inaugurated our 44th President. During the campaign, both political parties vowed to tackle the economy, the war in Iraq, and our continually-increasing healthcare costs. Just focusing on healthcare alone, consider the facts: in 2008, U.S. consumers spent $2.8 trillion ($7,868 per person) on healthcare, compared to just $356 per person in 1970. In addition, $50 – $100 billion was spent paying for inefficient and poor quality care. Of the “top ten” most expensive medical conditions, heart conditions topped the list at an estimated $76 billion. The U.S.’s ste

My name is Cary Bailey and I am starting my ninth year as a registered nurse in the cardiac catheterization lab at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois. I studied for and passed the registered cardiovascular invasive specialist (RCIS) exam two years ago. I am a team leader and play a big role in staff education. I have two super kids and a supportive husband.

Why did you choose to work in the invasive cardiology field?

Before working in the cardiac catheterization lab, I worked as a trauma nurse and certified emergency room nurse, but my interest has always been

Todd is the Cardiology Manager for Memorial Hermann Southeast in Houston, Texas. He also teaches an online RCIS Review course for Spokane Community College, in Spokane, Washington, and regularly presents with RCIS Review Courses.

“I was involved in one of our initial carotid stent procedures, and during the ballooning, the patient went severely bradycardic and hypotensive. What happened?!”

— Online RCIS Review participant

I had to chuckle when I read your question, because many of us were in the same position the first time our facilities participated in such a p