Cardiac Imaging

While cardiac ultrasound is the widely used imaging modality for heart assessments, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging are also used and are often complimentary, each offering specific details about the heart other modalities cannot. For this reason the clinical question being asked often determines the imaging test that will be used.

VIDEO of Prof. Steen Kristensen explaining key trials and news from ESC 2023. #ESC #ESCcongress #ESC2023 ESCcongress2023

Key takeaways from ESC Congress 2023

Steen Dalby Kristensen, a cardiologist with Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, detailed some of the hottest topics at the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting. 

CTA images before TAVR to screen for coronary artery disease

Cardiac CT before TAVR detects CAD with high accuracy, suggesting a reduced need for invasive imaging

New research from a team of specialists at Cleveland Clinic included data from more than 2,000 TAVR patients.

PCI

Immediate vs. staged multivessel PCI: How the 2 strategies compare when treating STEMI patients

Researchers explored data from more than 400 STEMI patients, presenting their work at ESC Congress 2023 and publishing it in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Pulsed-field ablation as safe and effective as thermal ablation when treating paroxysmal AFib

Boston Scientific, which funded the study, hopes these results can help the company gain FDA approval for its PFA device in the months ahead. 

Withings Body Scan Connected Health Station FDA cleared

FDA clears new smart scale capable of detecting AFib, other cardiovascular issues

The Body Scan Connected Health Station includes a high-strength glass platform with four weight sensors and 14 ITO electrodes and a retractable handle with four stainless steel electrodes.

Example of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) shown as part of the multimodality imaging capability on the Fujifilm CVIS.

Intravascular imaging-guided PCI improves patient outcomes, new meta-analysis confirms

The ILUMIEN IV and OCTOBER trials helped illustrate that the benefits of intravascular ultrasound also are seen with optical coherence tomography. Both trials were included in the new meta-analysis presented at ESC Congress 2023.

Deferred testing for low-risk chest pain patients is safe, limits unnecessary catheterizations

Once physicians confirm a patient's CAD risk is low, they can feel comfortable putting diagnostic testing on hold. 

Example of the Siemens Origin AI-automated cardiac ultrasound system performing auto contours and measurements after the AI sees what is being imaged and the operator hits the AI button on the console. The system is designed to be an assistant to the operator and knows the next steps in the exams.

Siemens Healthineers unveils 'truly revolutionary' AI-enabled echo system

The new-look system is able to evaluate a situation and anticipate what users may need next.

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.