Three health care systems sign, flesh out merger agreement Jun 23, 2010
Samaritan also will be the site of a cardiac catheterization lab. Reed said Samaritan was selected as the preferred medical/surgical location in Troy because it has more licensed beds with 238 compared to 196 at St. Mary s has a bigger operating room suite and a more flexible floor plan. (Albany Business Review, NY)
Sale of Caritas hospital chain racking up support Jun 23, 2010
He noted that Cerberus is spending more than $7 million to build a 7,000-square-foot cardiac catheterization lab at Norwood Hospital. At a June 8 hearing at Manthala George Jr. Elementary School in Brockton, Sue Joss, executive director of Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, which treats low-income patients and whose operating costs are partly funded by Caritas Good Samaritan Hospital, called the proposed sale very beneficial to this community. (Boston Globe)
Carotid Artery Ultrasound Is an Effective Alternative to More Invasive Coronary Angiography, Study Finds Jun 16, 2010
21, 2010) Noninvasive coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a cost-effective alternative to invasive cardiac catheterization in the care of patients who have positive stress test results but a less. . (Science Daily)
Elderly Patients in Need of Heart Valve Replacements Have Alternative to Surgery Jun 16, 2010
Full details of the study are available in the June issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions ... Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, 2010; DOI. (Science Daily)
GSKs prostrate drug wins FDA approval Jun 15, 2010
If left untreated, severe cases can require catheterization or hospitalization for the inability to urinate, or prostate-related surgery. GSK s R&D Medicine Development Leader Dr. Anne Phillips said in a statement the product will be the first to offer the two therapies together in a once-daily capsule. (Raleigh Triangle Business Journal, NC)
St. Ann's extending arms Jun 13, 2010
The hospital replaced a catheterization lab and added two. A 12-bed chest pain unit is set to open in August. (Columbus Business First, OH)
Mon Valley again offers angioplasty Jun 8, 2010
Candidates for the study are patients who require a diagnostic heart catheterization because of suspected blockages in the heart arteries, which can be treated with angioplasty, a vessel-clearing procedure. Mon Valley s participation in the trial will help determine whether there are outcome differences when the procedure is offered at a hospital without open-heart surgery capabilities. (Pittsburgh Business Times, PA)
New gene therapy proves effective in treating severe heart failure Jun 4, 2010
In a Phase II study, SERCA2a injection through a routine minimally invasive cardiac catheterization was safe and showed clinical benefit in treating this patient population and decreasing the severity of heart failure ... The treatment is delivered directly to the patient's heart during a routine outpatient catheterization procedure. (EurekAlert!)
Treating Heart Attack Past Recommended Time May Significantly Increase Risk of Death Jun 4, 2010
(July 4, 2008) An analysis of previous studies indicates that among men and high-risk women with a certain type of heart attack or angina an invasive treatment strategy (such as cardiac catheterization) is. (May 4, 2006) Beginning use of statins within 14 days of acute coronary syndromes (such as heart attack or unstable angina) does not decrease the risk of death, heart attack, or stroke, for up to 4 months, based. (Science Daily)
UT Southwestern unveils next generation CT scanner that views whole organs in a heartbeat Jun 3, 2010
Currently, doctors often perform a battery of tests to confirm a heart attack an EKG, CT angiography, nuclear testing and catheterization which can take hours or even days. Other clinical applications include patients who can't get an MRI due to the presence of a pacemaker, or vocal-cord analysis capturing a patient phonating. (EurekAlert!)
Tiny Device May Cut Heart Failure Risk Jun 2, 2010
The device can be implanted in the right or left pulmonary artery branch and "has an average implant time of seven minutes" after a patient undergoes a common heart procedure known as catheterization. All patients after the procedure must continue of commence treatment with blood thinners, Adamson said. (ABC News)
ICU Infection Rates Not a Good Measure of Mortality Risk, Researchers Find Jun 2, 2010
They calculated hospital death rates accounting for differences in illness severity across 158 hospitals, which included nearly 19,000 admissions involving mechanical ventilation and over 16,000 ICU admissions involving central venous catheterization, and compared them to ICU-acquired infection rates obtained from a public state website. They then used rank correlation and linear regression to determine the relationship between infections and death. (Science Daily)
Hospitals shifting to nonprofit status May 28, 2010
At HMC-West in 'Ewa, there are plans to expand the emergency room space by 10 to 15 percent and add specialized services, such as a cardiac catheterization lab and more imaging services. Hasham said the hospital has the second-busiest emergency room on O'ahu, serving up to 90 patients a day. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Clip Effectively Repairs Heart Valve May 27, 2010
"We have non-randomized data out to three years and many individual patients out beyond five (years after clip placement), so our confidence level is growing even beyond the two years," added Feldman, director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at NorthShore University HealthSystem in suburban Chicago. MR, which affects more than 8 million people in the United States and Europe, is caused by a faulty mitral valve that does not close tightly enough, allowing blood to leak backward in the... (Newsmax)
Business digest: Airport passenger traffic decreases May 27, 2010
Fort Myers-based Stevens Construction Inc. has completed the renovation of the catheterization lab at the Florida Hospital Heart and Vascular Center in Sebring. Christopher Cooke was the project manager; Mike Garland, superintendent; and Terri Sobeck, project administrator. (The News-Press -- Business)
Longevity queen May 27, 2010
Accepting a check benefitting Health Central's cardiac catheterization lab are (l-r): David Sylvester, Health Central Foundation president; Lisa Richards, foundation vice chair; Ronnie Ferrell, cath lab manager; Carolyn Karraker, trustee board chair; and Richard Irwin, Health Central president and CEO.. THE WEST ORANGE TIMES 720 S. Dillard St. - Winter Garden, Florida 34787. (Winter Garden West Orange Times, FL)
In infant heart surgery, newer technique yields better survival in first year of life May 27, 2010
About the Cardiac Center at Children's Hospital: The Cardiac Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is a world leader in reconstructive heart surgery, heart catheterization, specialized anesthesia and nursing for children and young adults with heart disease. Children and adolescents are cared for by a multidisciplinary team that is one of the most experienced in the world. (EurekAlert!)
Foundation reaches goal for funding cath lab May 22, 2010
For the past two years, Health Central Foundation has been fundraising to equip and outfit an interventional cardiac catheterization lab at Health Central hospital in Ocoee ... Accepting a check benefitting Health Central's cardiac catheterization lab are (l-r): David Sylvester, Health Central Foundation president; Lisa Richards, foundation vice chair; Ronnie Ferrell, cath lab manager; Carolyn Karraker, trustee board chair; and Richard Irwin, Health Central president and CEO.. (Winter Garden West Orange Times, FL)
Local Man Rescued at Sea May 22, 2010
Para arrived at MUSC's Heart lar Center at 11:34 a.m., where Steinberg performed the catheterization that helped save his life. "See where the blood stops there?" Steinberg said later on Tuesday, pointing to X-ray footage from the procedure that showed a clear dead end to the blood flow in Para's right coronary artery, which supplies blood to the heart. (The Pilot Newspaper)
Centennial expansion to begin May 7, 2010
Cardiac services will be centrally located on the hospital s third floor, which will house four cardiac operating suites; one hybrid operating suite; five catheterization labs; two electrophysiology labs; non-invasive cardiology; pre-operation and recovery areas; and a 16-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit. Cardiac patients will enter through a new, dedicated entrance on the ground floor. (Nashville Business Journal, TN)
City heart attack victims will get help quicker with device May 5, 2010
With LifeNet technology, the future goal is to take a patient from initial contact with medical personnel in the field, to catheterization, in 90 minutes, he added. The Watertown Fire Depart-ment started using the LifeNet system last week and since that time it has been utilized six times, Biefeld said. (Watertown Daily Times, WI)
5-year-old heart-surgery patient recovering May 4, 2010
A catheterization that shot dye into the blood showed that blood in Nicholas' heart was flowing from one side to the other instead of into the body. Surgery was necessary, but another birth defect caused some concern for doctors. (San Andreas Calaveras Enterprise, CA)
Lucile Packard opens fetal health center May 1, 2010
"Some infants go directly from our delivery room to the OR or interventional catheterization lab," Hintz said. The center will also add to research data in areas such as brain abnormalities, cardiac malformations and clinical genetics. (San Jose Business Journal, CA)
Complete revascularization improves outcomes for CAD patients Apr 24, 2010
Results of this study appear in the May issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions ... Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions; Published Online: March 1, 2010 (DOI: 10 ... This study is published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions. (EurekAlert!)
St. Johns buys Heart Health to boost its cardiology work Apr 24, 2010
One former Heart Health cardiologist, Dr. Robert Kopitsky, remained on staff at Missouri Baptist, where he is also the medical director of the hospital s inpatient cardiac catheterization lab. An additional 57 staff members from Heart Health will join St. John s cardiology practice. (St. Louis Business Journal, MO)
24 HRS IN ER: Challenges of health system revealed Apr 23, 2010
A 35-year-old man who arrived in the ER suffering a heart attack was taken within six minutes to the cardiac catheterization lab upstairs to have an artery opened and stent inserted his life saved and the damage to his heart minimized. Beyond that, though, the consensus frays. (USA Today -- News)
Coronary CTA a cost-effective alternative to cardiac catheterization for the evaluation of CAD Apr 22, 2010
PHILADELPHIA According to a study conducted at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU), non-invasive coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a cost-effective alternative to invasive cardiac catheterization in the care of patients who have positive stress test results but a less than 50 percent chance of actually having significant coronary artery disease (CAD) ... "Patients with positive stress test results but no heart-related symptoms, as well as patients with a positive stress test with... (EurekAlert!)
Survey: Doctors Practicing Lawsuit Prevention Apr 20, 2010
The survey asked about circumstances under which they order cardiac catheterization "for other than purely clinical reasons.". Nearly 24 percent said they recommended the procedure out of fear of malpractice claims. (KERO 23, CA)
Study: Malpractice worries help drive health costs Apr 16, 2010
The doctors were also asked whether other issues had led them to recommend the heart test called a cardiac catheterization during which a thin tube is threaded to the heart to check how well it is working and to look for disease. The researchers suggest that targeting malpractice concerns could help reduce the regional differences. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
District takes back control of United Medical Center in SE Apr 15, 2010
Using the District s money, United Medical Center s new owners replaced the hospital s roof and boilers, improved the building s facade, opened a Cardiac Catheterization Lab and , CT scanners, respirators and dialysis machines to the facility s inventory. Given D.C.'s recent $5. (Washington Business Journal, DC)
Doctors share prescription for how you can be a better patient Apr 14, 2010
"I said tomorrow, on Saturday, I am going to arrange for a cardiac catheterization. He goes, 'No I don't need that. My friend so-and-so said and so I am going to do this my own way.'". Weinstein warned him he'd be back soon. (The Palm Beach Post)
Lawsuit fear affects docs Apr 14, 2010
TUESDAY, April 13 (HealthDay News) -- Peer pressure and fear of malpractice lawsuits seem to be behind the decisions by some doctors to order unnecessary cardiac catheterizations, new research suggests ... The study of 598 cardiologists didn't attempt to determine the number of catheterizations performed that weren't really needed -- an important issue in an era of rising worry about medical costs ... Instead, they were just asked what outside factor might put them over the edge if they thought... (AZCentral -- Health)
Via Christi names interim nursing chief Apr 8, 2010
She joined Via Christi in 1992 as an RN working in the heart catheterization lab at what was then. She s spent the past 12 years in administration, working as Via Christi s heart cath lab manager, director of its coronary care unit and service line director for critical care. (Wichita Business Journal, KS)
Hospitals try to end heparin 'disasters' Apr 7, 2010
Heparin has uses in dialysis, cardiac catheterization and a slew of other procedures, said Dr. Geno Merli, chief medical officer at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is commonly used to keep IV lines open and different IVs will require different concentrations, said Lois Parker, senior pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. (CNN)
St. Marys $7M overhaul includes entrance Mar 30, 2010
The outside facelift will complement recent interior renovations, including an expanded emergency room with a dedicated chest pain center; the addition of private patient rooms; and new cardiac catheterization, endoscopy and imaging equipment, said St. Mary s President William Jennings in a statement. St. Mary s is largely a brand new hospital on the inside, and we want the outside to match. (St. Louis Business Journal, MO)
Infusion would revive Caritas projects Mar 27, 2010
At Norwood Hospital, for example, construction of two cardiac catheterization labs is moving ahead, as is replacement of the hospital s aging three- and four-bed rooms. New rooms will accommodate one or two patients. (Boston Globe)
Sleep Apnea May Extend Lives of Elderly Mar 27, 2010
Steiner and his colleagues compared the number and size of the heart collaterals measured by catheterization in patients with and without sleep apnea and reported that patients with sleep apnea had significantly more collaterals than patients without sleep apnea, even though there were no differences between the groups in age, weight, heart condition, or use of medication. The German research in Chest was accompanied in the same issue by an editorial that was written by the Lavies. (Newsmax)
Mass. General Hospital to create registry for coronary optical coherence tomography Mar 26, 2010
Twenty sites in five countries Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and the United States will collect data from 3,000 patients who have had OCT of the coronary arteries during a cardiac catheterization procedure and follow them for five years. MGH researchers will gather the data in a central database. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Bailout Stenting Successful Treatment for Infants With Constricted Aortas Mar 25, 2010
Full findings are published in the March issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, the official journal of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions ... At cardiac catheterization, the average weight of the patients was 2 ... Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, March 1, 2010 DOI. (Science Daily)
Your solutions to hospital bill problem Mar 23, 2010
For example, colonoscopy charges range from $890 to $3,387, CT Scan of the head is from $46 to $324, brain MRI from $175 to $798, cataract removal from $1,391 to $3,337, hip replacement from $16,294 to $20,986, heart catheterization from $4,115 to $9,332, gall bladder removal from $4,542 to $7,632, and lastly giving birth to a child $5,026 to $9,949. These are figures from the Web site of Anthem Blue Cross. (The News-Press -- Opinion)
The high cost of health care Mar 15, 2010
Scenario 7-Cardiac catheterization ... You ve been experiencing chest pain, and your doctor orders a cardiac catheterization to examine your blood flow and see how well your heart is pumping ... With a procedure like a left heart catheterization, you have to look at the clinicians who are in the room, said Molly Kennedy, director of managed care at Ellis Medicine in Schenectady. (Albany Business Review, NY)
Plaque on CT scan is strong predictor of heart disease, worse long-term outcomes Mar 15, 2010
Henry Ford researchers studied 367 patients who underwent an abdominal CT and cardiac catheterization within one year between January 2004 and May 2009. Patients had a 58 percent risk of having coronary artery disease with an AAC score over 1,000 compared to patients who had an 11 percent risk with an AAC score of zero. (EurekAlert!)
Stock market dips 'linked to heart attack surge' Mar 14, 2010
The study focused on patients registered at the Duke Hospital Catheterization Lab between January 2006 and July 2009, using data from the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease. It included patients who suffered a heart attack within three days prior to undergoing a heart procedure. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Ghanaian-born Doctors Perform First Open-Heart Surgery in St Croix Mar 13, 2010
According to the release, the hospital is prepared to offer such procedures as cardiac rehabilitation, coronary angioplasty and stenting, coronary and peripheral angiography and intervention, cardiac catheterization, coronary artery bypass surgery, pacemaker implants, and implantation of cardiac defibrillators. According to deGraft-Johnson, patients with lung cancer and severe trauma, along with heart disease can be treated with the newly acquired technology at the Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital and... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Angiograms ordered too often, study says Mar 12, 2010
The amount of disease discovered was lower than the researchers expected and indicates that doctors need better diagnostic tools before deciding to proceed with catheterization for angiograms, said Manesh Patel, a cardiologist at Duke University and one of the authors of the study ... Increased use would probably reduce catheterizations and cut costs, he said. (Boston Globe)
Doctors Turning to Cardiac Catheterization Too Quickly Mar 12, 2010
WEDNESDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- If you walk into an emergency room complaining of chest pains, the odds are high that you will end up having cardiac catheterization, where a thin wire is snaked into your heart to determine whether a blood vessel is totally or partially blocked ... More than 10 million Americans each year experience chest pains that can lead to cardiac catheterization, Patel estimated ... He and his colleagues looked at data on nearly 400,000 people with no known heart... (MEDLINEplus)
Heart test overused, data hint Mar 11, 2010
Research: Most patients get cardiac catheterization but don't need it ... LOS ANGELES - Nearly two-thirds of those who undergo an invasive heart test called cardiac catheterization when they do not have diagnosed heart disease receive a clean bill of health, suggesting that the expensive procedure - which exposes the patient to substantial amounts of radiation - may be overused, researchers reported Wednesday ... Such elective testing accounts for only about 20 percent of all cardiac... (AZCentral -- News)
Low Diagnostic Yield of Elective Coronary Angiography Mar 11, 2010
Background Guidelines for triaging patients for cardiac catheterization recommend a risk assessment and noninvasive testing. We determined patterns of noninvasive testing and the diagnostic yield of catheterization among patients with suspected coronary artery disease in a contemporary national sample ... Methods From January 2004 through April 2008, at 663 hospitals in the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry, we identified patients without known coronary artery... (New England Journal of Medicine)
St. Joe's notifies 169 more patients in stent case Mar 10, 2010
In a statement to the Baltimore Business Journal, hospital leaders also said they plan to complete their review of Midei's catheterization films and send more letters to affected cardiac patients ... Review of catheterization films to determine damage to the artery is performed by the attending cardiologist often sitting alone in the cath lab. (Baltimore Business Journal, MD)
Technology aids heart-attack treatment Mar 7, 2010
Hospital staff can bypass a diagnosis and begin treating the patient when he or she is rolled into the emergency room or cardiac catheterization lab. Previously, firefighters described the patient's condition to a doctor who would assess the patient upon arrival, slowing down the treatment process. (AZCentral)
EPIC study finds new embolic protection device had 97.5 percent success rate during carotid artery stenting Mar 1, 2010
Full findings are published early online in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, the official journal of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions ... " Subbarao Myla, J. Michael Bacharach, Gary M. Ansel, Eric J. Dippel, Daniel J. McCormick, Jeffrey J. Popma. Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions; Published Online: March 1, 2010 (DOI: 10.1002/ccd.22386). This study is published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Intervention. Media wishing to receive... (EurekAlert!)
Stents as Good as Surgery for Clogged Carotid Arteries, Study Suggests Mar 1, 2010
The other principal investigator at Loyola is Dr. Fred Leya, director of the cardiac catheterization lab. Results were announced Feb. 26 at the 2010 International Stroke Conference in San Antonio. (Science Daily)
Hospital celebrates a year of healthy firsts Feb 28, 2010
" Employees worked on adrenaline, "almost euphoria," she said, and have largely completed the task. Except for pending expansion of the nursery, all programs are in place. Now Yablonski is asking the staff to sustain, even improve on, the work they've done. "Now it gets into the hard part," she said. ALL IN A YEAR Stafford Hospital Center opened Feb. 27, 2009. It was the second hospital in the region, the first truly new hospital in Virginia in more than 30 years. Along the way, it shortened its... (Fredericksburg.com, VA)
Cheney treated at GW Hospital after heart attack Feb 26, 2010
"He underwent a stress test and a heart catheterization.". Cheney was released from the hospital Wednesday morning and will resume his normal schedule shortly, his office said. (GW Hatchet, Washington DC)
Cheney's 5 heart attacks unusual, shows good care Feb 25, 2010
Cheney aide Peter Long said the former vice president was "feeling good" Tuesday after undergoing a stress test plus a heart catheterization to examine blood flow to the heart. He didn't say whether an angioplasty a procedure to clear a blockage was performed during the catheterization. (USA Today -- News)
Cheney leaves hospital after 'mild' heart attack Feb 25, 2010
Ex-VP experienced chest pains Monday, underwent heart catheterization. JOSHUA ROBERTS / ReutersFormer Vice President Dick Cheney's public career has spanned decades, including service as a lawmaker, a defense secretary and a White House chief of staff. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Blackwells departure due to health, financial opportunity Feb 25, 2010
I m at the point, I m 40, and I missed some time last spring with a heart catheterization, he said. The spring before that, I missed some time during recruiting with some health issues. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Methodist opens new pavilion Feb 24, 2010
One new catheterization laboratory or cath lab will be added to help meet the growing patient demands for electrophysiology studies (EPS) which are tests performed to analyze the electrical activity of the heart. Adult medical surgical space will be expanded. (West Memphis Germantown News, TN)
JRMC RAISES HEART AWARNESS Feb 24, 2010
JRMC spokeswoman Julie Bridgforth said as part of the hospital s heart month, people will have an opportunity Thursday to see JRMC s cardiac catheterization labs first hand. Reservations for the free event may be made by calling 541-7635. (Pine Bluff Commercial, AR)
Tiny molecules may tell big story about cardiovascular disease risk Feb 20, 2010
The discovery, published online in the April issue of the journal Circulation Genetics, comes from the largest study of its kind for cardiovascular disease, and is the first to identify specific metabolic profiles associated with coronary artery disease, heart attacks and death among patients who have undergone coronary catheterization ... They began their investigation with information in Duke's CATHGEN biorepository which holds health records and blood samples from nearly 10,000 patients who... (EurekAlert!)
Her story includes new heart, happy ending Feb 17, 2010
" The following Monday Mrs. Dippold underwent a catheterization, a procedure in which a small catheter, or tube, is injected to better examine the heart. It is a procedure she has undergone "dozens" of times over the years. After this one, Dr. Itzkoff came in to visit her and it was obvious he had bad news. "He was white as a sheet and said, 'There's nothing else I can do ... She was still there and waiting for yet another catheterization when she learned a heart had been found for her. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Chosen Survivor to share his story Feb 13, 2010
Chavez s health continued to decline and he had a heart catheterization done at Tucson Medical Center. Doctors told Chavez he needed to have stents put in right away, which Chavez said was unusual eight years ago. (Nogales International, AZ)
Suit: Machine caused doctor's death Feb 13, 2010
The cardiac catheterization was a routine test -- so routine that Dr. Ronaldo Deiparine and his wife were planning a two-week gambling vacation immediately afterward ... Her husband, a general surgeon in the area for 34 years, had been undergoing the catheterization in preparation for a kidney transplant. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Better Sign of Blood Vessel Narrowing and Early Coronary Artery Disease Feb 9, 2010
All qualify for a more detailed inspection of their heart's blood vessels by cardiac catheterization, an invasive procedure in which a thin plastic tube is directly inserted into the heart's blood vessels to detect blockages and help widen each artery as needed. "Our study goal is to out how well various imaging tests measure the degree of blockage or narrowing in any particular artery and therefore which is more useful in predicting patients who need catheterization or angioplasty, or bypass... (Science Daily)
New Software Provides 3-D Views of Arteries in Catheterization Lab Feb 2, 2010
1, 2010) New technology that allows doctors to see three-dimensional images of heart arteries in the catheterization lab passed its first major testing hurdle -- moving doctors closer to understanding its impact on clinical practice, researchers report in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, an American Heart Association journal ... During a cardiac catheterization procedure, doctors insert a thin tube called a catheter into a patient's leg artery, then thread it up to the heart. (Science Daily)
