September 2012

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Volume 20 Issue 9

Editorial Staff

Clinical Editor
Morton Kern, MD
Executive Editor
Laurie Gustafson
Managing Editor
Rebecca Kapur
Production Manager
Elizabeth Vasil

Editorial Correspondence

Rebecca Kapur, Managing Editor, Cath Lab Digest
HMP Communications, 70 E. Swedesford Rd
Suite 100, Malvern PA 19355
Telephone: (440) 717-0418

Fax: (866) 896-8762
Email: rkapur@hmpglobal.com
Clinical and Industry News
Vaccine for Heart Disease? New Discovery Points to PossibilityA number of research studies have demonstrated inflammation’s role in fueling atherosclerosis, but knowledge of which immune cells are key to this process has been limited until now.Resear…
News from the Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP)
As many of our members have probably heard by now, the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence (CARE) in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Bill, HR 2104, was reintroduced in the House of Representatives on March 13th, 2012.  On May 1…
Serial Lesion FFR Made Simple
I am frequently asked questions about performing fractional flow reserve (FFR) in vessels with serial lesions. For example, one colleague asks, “You have a left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) with several lesions separated by 10-20mm of ir…
Time and Confidence vs. IVUS “Is it worth the time?”
I would like to address the many responses I received regarding an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) article I recently wrote (“Give Your Patient the Correct Stent”, CLD July 2012). Many people stated that it took too long to advance an IVUS catheter i…
Acute Pulmonary Edema
Acute pulmonary edema is a life-threatening condition that can occur suddenly and at any time during a cardiac catheterization procedure. It is also commonly referred to as “flash” pulmonary edema. The cath lab team must recognize the symptoms, diagn…
One-Catheter Technique for Acute Coronary Syndromes Using an Ikari Right 1.0 Guide Catheter
IndicationA 57-year-old white male with history of previous tobacco abuse and hypertension presented to another facility with acute onset of chest discomfort. He was found to have acute inferior wall ST elevation (Figure 1). The patient was transferr…
Complex Coronary Intervention in a Patient With Decompensated Heart Failure and a Mechanical Aortic Valve Using a Percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device
AbstractPercutaneous devices have been developed to provide hemodynamic support during complex coronary interventions. However, the presence of a mechanical aortic valve excludes the use of the Impella left ventricular assist device.
Transradial Arterial Access for Cath and PCI, and the Impact on Hospital Bottom Lines
Over the past decade, the new mantra for healthcare leaders has become cost reduction, increased efficiency, and stellar quality outcomes. Given this current scenario, Corazon advocates that cardiac services leadership in any busy cardiac catheteriza…
Textbook Review: Complications of Cardiovascular Procedures (Mauro Moscucci)
Complications have fortunately become less common in the catheterization laboratory as cardiovascular procedures have matured. At the same time, eventually every cath lab operator will encounter an adverse event. Since no single physician, lab, or in…
Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Ligation and Exclusion as an Alternative Stroke Prevention in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and a source of considerable morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of AF is estimated at 1% of the population older than 60 years,1 and it increases with age, affecting 10% of people o…