Catheterization News and Research

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Public reporting states have low angioplasty rates

US states in which public reporting of percutaneous coronary intervention rates by catheterization laboratories is required may have a reduced rate of the procedure in acute myocardial infarction patients, research suggests.

11 Oct 2012

Botox injections effectively treat urinary urgency incontinence in women

Botox- (onabotulinum toxin-A) injections to the bladder are as effective as medication for treating urinary urgency incontinence in women, but the injection is twice as likely to completely resolve symptoms. These findings were published in the latest issue of The New England Journal of Medicine by a National Institutes of Health clinical trials network including Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM).

5 Oct 2012

ConvaTec acquires 180 Medical

ConvaTec, a world-leading developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies for community and hospital care, announced today it has completed the acquisition of 180 Medical Holdings, Inc.

29 Sep 2012

Methodist Health System celebrates latest expansion in North Texas

Today Methodist Health System celebrated its latest expansion in North Texas during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Methodist Richardson Medical Center – Bush/Renner hospital.

28 Sep 2012

Women more likely to suffer infections related to urolithiasis

While more men than women develop kidney stones and other obstructions in the urinary tract, women are more than twice as likely to suffer infections related to the condition, according to a new study led by Henry Ford Hospital researchers.

27 Sep 2012

Maternal posttraumatic stress, depression and anxiety common after prenatal diagnosis of CHD

Heart defects are the most common form of congenital malformations affecting newborns. Infants who were prenatally diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) are more stable and have better outcomes than infants who were diagnosed after birth. Diagnosing CHD in a fetus also allows mothers to educate themselves on heart malformations, consider their options, and potentially plan for intervention or surgery after birth.

7 Sep 2012

Hendricks Regional Health implements Heart IT's WebPAX to help manage cardiac images

Heart IT, the global leader that pioneered the first FDA approved zero-footprint medical imaging workstation, has joined Hendricks Regional Health to announce the implementation of Heart IT's WebPAX platform to help manage and distribute cardiac images.

6 Sep 2012

Meijer offers generic Lipitor for free to help families be heart healthy

In an effort to help families be heart healthy, this week Midwest retailer Meijer began offering the generic substitute for Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) for free in all 199 Meijer pharmacies.

4 Sep 2012

Sophiris announces data from PRX302 transrectal safety study on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Sophiris Bio Inc. today announced data from its transrectal safety study, in which PRX302, the company's drug candidate for the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH or enlarged prostate), was well tolerated through three months following a transrectal injection.

1 Sep 2012

Renal artery stent revascularization reduces blood pressure in patients with severe hypertension

Patients with uncontrolled renovascular hypertension saw a significant improvement in their blood pressure with renal artery stent deployment. The multicenter HERCULES trial, evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the RX Herculink Elite Stent, found that patients with higher blood pressure levels at baseline had the most dramatic reduction in blood pressure following intervention.

31 Aug 2012

Ultra-fast 320-detector CT scanner can accurately diagnose arterial blockages

An ultra-fast, 320-detector computed tomography (CT) scanner can accurately sort out which people with chest pain need - or don't need - an invasive procedure such as cardiac angioplasty or bypass surgery to restore blood flow to the heart, according to an international study. Results of the study, which involved 381 patients at 16 hospitals in eight countries, are scheduled to be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich, Germany, on August 28.

29 Aug 2012

Parachute device improves outcomes in patients with ischemic heart failure

A novel non-invasive device which separates healthy and damaged heart muscle and restores ventricle function improves 3 year outcomes in patients with ischemic heart failure, according to research presented at the ESC Congress 2012.

26 Aug 2012

CardioDx establishes coverage for Corus CAD gene expression test

CardioDx, Inc., a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular genomic diagnostics, today announced that Palmetto GBA, a national contractor that administers Medicare benefits, has established coverage for the company's Corus CAD gene expression test for the evaluation of patients presenting with typical and atypical symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease.

9 Aug 2012

Educational programs, increased physician collaboration can reduce inappropriate CCTA use

Appropriate use of testing is a hot topic in medicine as physicians and hospitals look for ways to improve quality while containing cost to achieve high-value care. This is especially true in the field of cardiology where the potential consequences of incorrect diagnosis have led to overuse of cardiovascular imaging with CT scanners, called coronary CT angiography.

9 Aug 2012

Link between cardiac catheterizations and risk of stroke

When a patient undergoes a cardiac catheterization procedure such as a balloon angioplasty, there's a slight risk of a stroke or other neurological complication.

7 Aug 2012

Blood flow in blocked arteries to extremities improved by new angioplasty procedure

Patients with blocked arteries to their extremities, known as peripheral artery disease (PAD) or critical limb ischemia (CLI), may now find relief from lower leg pain and wounds caused by impaired leg artery circulation with the previously unproven therapy, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA).

24 Jul 2012

Training EMS to interpret ECGs can expedite treatment for severe heart attacks

A new program that trains emergency medical service technicians (EMS) to read electrocardiograms so that they can evaluate patients with chest pain, and expedite treatment for the severe heart condition known as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a serious form of heart attack, has excellent results and should become the standard of care, according to two studies published in the current issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

21 Jul 2012

Researchers begin to uncover important clues about SCAD

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a tear of the layers of the artery wall that can block normal blood flow into and around the heart, is a relatively rare and poorly understood condition. It often strikes young, otherwise healthy people -- mostly women -- and can lead to significant heart damage, even sudden death.

17 Jul 2012

New noninvasive imaging technique may help detect heart transplant rejection in children

Cardiologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a noninvasive imaging technique that may help determine whether children who have had heart transplants are showing early signs of rejection. The technique could reduce the need for these patients to undergo invasive imaging tests every one to two years.

14 Jul 2012

COPD still affects treatment received after heart attack

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease receive less aggressive treatment after hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction than those without the lung condition, US study results show.

10 Jul 2012