Cardiology and radiology quantitative analysis software provider Pie Medical Imaging has released the new version of its CAAS product line, version 5.8, for the quantitative analysis of coronary and peripheral vessels, CAAS QVA 3D.

Heart rhythm disturbances called Torsade de Pointes can produce serious complications for patients including sudden cardiac arrest. A scientific statement issued jointly by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology said healthcare professionals should pay more careful attention to the risks associated with ECG monitoring and drug-induced long-QT syndrome administration.

Nipro, a medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturer, has begun a cash tender offer of approximately $215 million to purchase Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Home Diagnostics.

Even though manual compression dates back to the 1950s, the adoptioan of vascular closure devices (VCDs) is rapidly growing, despite modest comparative research. Nevertheless, the extant researchand anecdotal experienceis helping to define best practices for this evolving field.

As cardiologists have done in the past with new technologies, they will have to find ways to use CT and MRI complementarily, rather than in a competitive manner.

Richard Cooper Woodyard, a leader in eCardios management team, lost his two-year battle with cancer on Jan.19.

St. Jude Medical featured its EnSite Velocity cardiac mapping system, designed to help physicians diagnose and guide therapy to treat abnormal heart rhythms, at the Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium last week.

Individuals experiencing chest pain who had ECG assessments prior to arriving at the hospital experience a significantly reduced time-to-treatment or door-to-balloon time, based on a study in the January issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions (CCI).