January 2010

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Volume 18 Issue 1

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
The Philips Xper Information Management System: Looking back after 1 month live at Duke University Medical Center
A behind-the-scenes look with three superusers. Theresa DeMuro (Holding) and Wanda Cooley (Cath Labs) Tell us about your previous hemodynamic system and why you changed to the Xper Information Management system. Theresa (Holding): We originally ha…
Personnel Announcements
Congratulations! Lisa Higgins, APRN-C, MSN, RCSA, one of the contributors on the development of the Cardiovascular Specialist Assistant Program, passed the advance practice registered nurse examination on November 4, 2009. She has been a member of t…
Clinical and Industry News
Importance of FFR in Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease Confirmed by New PCI Guidelines Level of evidence for FFR upgraded to an “A” following the recent results of the landmark FAME trial, which demonstrated that FFR-guided treatment improves cl…
January 2010 Society of Invasive Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP) News
4th Annual WI-SICP Educational Conference: Bigger Than Ever! The 4th Annual WI-SICP Educational Conference was held at the Kalahari Water Park and Resort in the Wisconsin Dells on November 13-14, 2009. The annual board of directors meeting took plac…
What Do You Think?
Questions! Prasugrel What are other hospitals doing with prasugrel? We have been checking P2y12 assays and if inhibition is not greater than 50%, switching the patient to prasugrel. (However, we did have one patient who had 0 inhibition on the pras…
Dynamic Leadership in the Cath Lab: Balancing Taking Charge and Being Part of the Team
The Cath Lab Basics 2009 course series ended in Tampa the first Saturday in December. Dr. Mike Lim and I enjoyed conducting a one-day ‘cath conference’ with the 180 cath techs and nurses from the region. Sitting at lunch, I asked my table of nurses…
Ask the Clinical Instructor: A Q&A column for those new to the cath lab
In a first-degree heart block, why is there such a long delay in the PR interval? What is the pathology of this occurrence? – Beverly Eskdale, Winter Haven, FL A first-degree heart block can sometimes be dramatic and gathers a lot of attention when…
Improving Patient Experience and Provider-Patient Communications
Every patient has a story to tell, and here’s why sharing that story is so important: The act of writing decreases patient stress around procedures, improves provider-patient communications and provides unique data to healthcare providers to improve…
Two Transradial Experts, Two Perspectives, One Course
Dr. Tai and Dr. Sizemore offer a regular course in Florida for physicians interested in learning radial technique. Technologists can also attend to learn about transradial equipment, prepping the patient and proper setup. Courses have been schedule…
Found in Cath Lab: An Aortic Dissection
Case Report A 76-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) with severe angina. She stated that she had experienced pain in her right arm along with a feeling of pressure the day prior. At that time, she took her blood pressure (BP)…