Many patients with unexplained syncope eventually were diagnosed with an implantable loop recorder, but only after nearly a dozen prior tests, supporting current guidelines that these devices should be implanted early rather than late in the evaluation of unexplained syncope, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in EP-Europace.

CHICAGO--A debate about radiation dose ended with a high five when an expert panel reached consensus about radiation dose, agreeing that CT scans should be limited to justified and optimized studies, during the Radiation Dose: Can it be Too Low session on Dec. 1 at the 96th annual scientific meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Researchers have found that acute MI (AMI) inpatients in the U.S. are exposed to an average radiation dose of 15 mSv as a result of multiple cardiovascular and noncardiovascular procedures, according to a study in the Nov. 23 issue of Circulation.

CHICAGO--The risk of developing radiation-induced cancer from CT may be lower than previously thought, according to a study presented this morning at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). We were surprised [by the results]. We expected the numbers to be higher, shared Pat A. Basu, MD, MBA, faculty radiologist at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., and a White House Fellow.

Triage methods for low-risk chest pain lack consensus. However, a recent scientific statement and appropriate use criteria (AUC) have recommended best practices, paying particular attention to coronary CT angiography (CCTA) as a triage tool.

Researchers have found that cardiac MR diagnoses significantly more patients with left ventricular non-compaction, a cardiomyopathy that is associated with heart failure, stroke and ventricular arrhythmias, than echocardiography. They suggest the condition may be under-reported because of echo's lower sensitivity.

CHICAGO--N-acetylcysteine (NAC) does not reduce the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) nor other clinically relevant outcomes in patients undergoing coronary and vascular angiography, based on the late-breaking ACT trial presented Nov. 16 at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions. Based on these results, there was a recommendation to update the guidelines, and that the routine use of NAC should be stopped.

Integrating pre-hospital intervention, including ECG transmissions, and having a cardiologist on site during presentation at the hospital is a cost-effective model for STEMI patients in communities with adequate patient volume, according to a poster presented at this years annual American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Chicago.