A simpler version of bystander-delivered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that skips mouth-to-mouth resuscitation may be just as effective for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims as standard CPR, according to two studies published online on Dec. 18 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Cardiologists need to weigh the benefits of the more efficacious branded statins in comparison to the less expensive generics.

Door-to-balloon time (D2B) is a critical cardiac quality indicator. As a whole, U.S. hospitals are doing fairly well with other quality indicators, says Betsy Bradley, PhD, professor of public health at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., but D2B time is a challenge for many sites. Here are some prescriptions to break the 90-minute barrier.

Cardiac catheterization labs across the country are evolving. Changes in types and volumes of procedures combined with an increasingly competitive environment and reimbursement cuts are forcing cath labs to adapt and fine-tune their management strategies. What brings success? Diversifying into EP and peripheral vascular procedures, tightly managing and even consigning pricey inventory such as drug-eluting stents, cross-training staff, and ensuring high flexibility.

For smaller companies to enter the burgeoning defibrillator market,they should forge alliances with businesses that can help them improvesales, distribution and market share, according to market research firmFrost & Sullivan.

As the quest for more data in cardiac care grows with its link to reimbursement and quality of care measures, the number of national registries is sure to blossom. Last year, at the urging of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the National ICD Registry was developed through a partnership of the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS).