Interventional Cardiology

This cardiac subspecialty uses minimally invasive, catheter-based technologies in a cath lab to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease (CAD). The main focus in on percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) to revascularize patients with CAD that is causing blockages resulting in ischemia or myocardial infarction. PCI mainly consists of angioplasty and implanting stents. Interventional cardiology has greatly expanded in scope over recent years to include a number of transcatheter structural heart interventions.

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MI guideline adherence spotty with some high-risk patients

A study found that hospital adherence with six evidence-based guidelines for treatment of MI declined based on age, gender, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, chronic renal insufficiency and chronic dialysis.

Providers not following guidelines for post-AMI aldosterone antagonist use

Although rates of aldosterone antagonist use are increasing slightly over time, the vast majority of acute MI patients eligible for treatment fail to receive it at hospital discharge. The study authors wrote that the reason for this discrepancy between guideline-based therapy and actual prescribing patterns is unclear and should be further studied.

Better outcomes for STEMI patients with transradial PCI approach

In STEMI patients, the transradial approach to PCI results in fewer episodes of bleeding and lower risk of in-hospital mortality than femoral access PCI, despite a longer door-to-balloon time, according to a recent observational study by Dmitri V. Baklanov, MD, of Saint Luke’s Mid-America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo., and colleagues.

FDA green-lights Xience Xpedition stent

The FDA has approved Abbott's Xience Xpedition everolimus-eluting coronary stent system, which the company is launching immediately in the U.S. The Xience Xpedition features a new stent delivery system and a larger size matrix.

Hearing set in Mo. overstenting case

A Missouri cardiologist whose license was suspended on Nov. 9, 2012, after he was accused of improperly stenting six patients has been given an administrative hearing date of Feb. 4.

Clopidogrel fails to reduce mortality risk in most PCI patients

A meta-analysis of the results of 15 studies published between August, 2001 and September, 2012,  determined that patients scheduled for PCI who were pretreated with clopidogrel experienced fewer major cardiac events than patients who were not treated, but clopidogrel was not associated with a lower risk of death.

Guidelines for STEMI care emphasize treatment urgency

Noting that prompt intervention is critical to the outcomes for patients with STEMI, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued new STEMI treatment guidelines that urged adoption of several measures to speed treatment to restore blood flow to the heart.

PCI boundaries & barriers

Are the federal government’s watchdogs deliberately going too far? And are the medical profession’s guide dogs inadvertently leading clinicians astray?

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