Pulse oximetry, a noninvasive method allowing the monitoring of the oxygenation of a patient's hemoglobin, can be used as a screening tool to detect critical congenital heart disease (CHD) in infants, and is more readily available than echocardiography, the current gold standard for critical CHD diagnosis, according to research presented Oct. 14, at the American Academy of Pediatrics' National Conference and Exhibition in Boston.

Implementing a widespread, cost-effective electrocardiographic screening program for young athletes could be feasible and potentially could help reduce the rate of sudden cardiac death, according to a study published in the October issue of HeartRhythm.

Cleveland Clinic has unveiled its predictions of emerging technologies that will shape healthcare in the next year. From wearable bionic devices to a concussion management system for athletes, Cleveland Clinic's Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2012 highlight new techniques, therapies and approaches to treating a host of medical conditions.

MRI is safe in some patients with cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, according to a study published Oct. 4 in Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors approach provides a template for other practitioners, writers concluded in an accompanying editorial, but the protocols should be followed strictly after weighing clinical benefits and risks.

There is growing concern among cardiac sonographers about the amount of radiation exposure they experience on the job and few say their workplace has a formal policy to address radiation safety for sonographers, according to a survey conducted by the American Society of Echocardiography.

A multidisciplinary team of engineers and cardiologists reported that what appears to be noise on electrocardiograms (ECGs) contains useful information for estimating the risk of death for patients who experience acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In a study published in the Sept. 28 issue of Science Translational Medicine, the team proposed that sophisticated computational techniques applied to routinely collected ECG data could be integrated into clinical practice to provide more accurate risk stratification.

Cleveland Clinic has received a $750,000 grant from the Cleveland Foundation to establish the Leonard Krieger Chair in Preventive Cardiology. Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, will be the first to hold the chair.

Savvy cath lab managers have learned a number of ways to cut down on costs without compromising care. Trimming waste, expanding buying power, building partnerships and automating processes help achieve these goals.